“Please, God, dinna let him have a roommate,” I groan.
If there’s no roommate, the only link to him becoming officially missing is his landlord. It’s mid-month. They might not notice for a few weeks until his rent is late. Jiang wasn’t a higher-up at Infinity, so the company is liable to chalk his continued absence as workplace abandonment and move another techie into his position. Silicon Valley is a bloody cold place for techies.
Getting into Jiang’s place ain’t easy. What I assume is a get-in, get-out situation comes to a halt after I circle the block a few times. He lives in an upscale apartment complex—lots of bloody cameras and a friggin doorman.
Though the streets are packed with cars, the only entrance to the place is a ghost town. I’m naeeejit. The doorman won’t be recalling my face in a lineup.
Two blocks away, I swoop into a parallel spot. I tell myself, once I climb out of the Earth’s mantle of a hole I dug myself into, all will be right between my wife and me. Besides, there’s no such thing asdifficultin the life of crime for a MacKenzie. I’ll always be a bloodyfeckin’MacKenzie. Tonight, my luck turns for the better.
Chapter 21
Chevelle
A tuftof strawberry blond hair is before Camdyn’s striking blue eyes while he flips steaks in a cast iron griddle over the Viking range. Another pot has boiled potatoes in it, and another skillet has grilled asparagus. He pauses from creating a perfect char to fiddle with his phone.
I lean against the counter, nodding at the perfect grill marks on the ribeye. “If you’re supposed to be grounded, shouldn’t I take your cell phone?”
“Sure.” He lets the cellphone clatter from his hands, gripping the handle of the skillet. “Only, if you’d like to cause me severe irreversible trauma. Chevelle, you kinda suck at this parenting.”
“What?” My bottom lip drops.
“Oh, shit. You’re great with Mia. But you aren’t too much older than me, so I’m gonna keep that.” He nudges his chin to the iPhone. The screen is already lighting up with a new notification. “Give me the keys to your car, now that’srealtrouble.”
“Hmmm, I know they call you speed demon for a reason. But you’ll recall I drive a Prius, right? The only thing it’s sporting is a nasty scrape on the side.”
“That’s why NOS was invented.” He winks.
I toss the dishrag at him, then level my palm to where it meets my shoulder. “I remember when you were knee-high to a grasshopper. Now, you’re getting suspended from school. This family doesn’t need another Brody.”
He places the juicy steak onto a platter. “Shit, you will never forgive him, will you? I was, like, twelve when you tried to murder my pop’s namesake right in front of him.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Grrr, don’t remind me of that if you ever plan to get another bottle of alcohol from me.”
He crosses his fingers. “You treat me well. I’ll never mention it.”
“Speaking of sorry excuses for the male species, I thought Brody would have Leith crawling into the house drunk the other night. You mustn’t have had too much fun.”
“Yeah, sure. My brothers were fun.” Camdyn’s already fiddling with his phone, which makes me wonder how none of the food has burned.
Remembering how Leith returned home high strung, gun in hand, I ask, “Did your team lose?”
Camdyn moves his fingers across the screen of his iPhone. “Uh...I’m not a...uh, baseball fan so, nah. My team didn’t lose.”
I’ve seen the wildcard transition of Camdyn from giggling with Mia to flirting with a crowd of girls at Disneyland. But now, he’s stuttering? I give Camdyn the once-over, scrutinizing his change in demeanor.
“Speaking of going out, when’s the last time you and Leith went out?” He puts down his phone, his lean forearms resting against the counter.
Chewing my lip, I ponder. “Well, it has been a while.”
“When Leith comes home, go out. Get your . . . groove back.”
“Whatever. I can have a good time without Leith. I’m going out tonight.” While Camdyn’s mentioning how I shouldwaitfor Leith, I lift a brow. “Nope. You can go snitch to Leith. Text him, tell him Chevelle’s dressing up. Chevelle’s going clubbing!”
* * *
Halfway to the master suite,I have Justice on FaceTime, asking if she has to work at Michie’s tonight.
“That depends. How you feeling? You look like you’re scheming with a side of overwhelmed.”