He quietly left the room, hoping to give the three lovers some privacy, and settled in on the couch in the spacious living room. He put his mug down on the coffee table and dug up the remote for the big screen TV Kir had recently installed.
“Oh Jesus God, my eyes. I think I’ll go out for breakfast. And use some Lysol, lots and lots of Lysol, when you clean that counter, okay?” Travis turned to find Jeff, a disgusted look on his face, stomping out of the kitchen. Kir’s deep throated laughter followed him. “Yuk it up, dickwad, but people have to prepare food in there. The last thing I want to taste is food à la ass.”
There was a thump from the kitchen as Kir’s laughter turned breathless. Travis figured he’d collapsed again from laughter.
“Um.” Jordan stood in the doorway, looking deliciously disheveled, a wild look on her face. “Bring back donuts?”
Jeff glared at her. “I am not bringing home anything that involves holes. God knows what those pervs would do with it.” He shrugged into his jacket, the disgust still on his face, but Travis could see the laughter trying to break through. Thank you, Jeff. Laughter was much needed around here right now, and bless Jeff for providing it.
“Oh, God.” Jordan hid her face in her hands. Logan’s deep voice wafted from the kitchen. “Breathe, Kir. C’mon, blondie.”
“What the hell is going on out here?” Travis turned to find Jamie standing in her bedroom door. “Are they having sex in the kitchen again?”
Jordan fled, heading back into the kitchen, a horrified look on her bright red face.
Jeff just stared at his sister. “What do you mean again?”
“Oh God.” Jordan’s muffled voice was nearly drowned out by Kir’s renewed laughter.
Jamie rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, like you’ve never had sex in a kitchen before.”
“I am not discussing sex with my sister.”
“You were discussing it with Jordan. Hell, from the sound of things they practically gave you a freakin’ tutorial.”
“Oh God.”
“It’s a little late to be embarrassed now, perv.” Jeff yelled toward the kitchen. “And you!” He pointed at Jamie, shaking his finger at her. “I am not discussing sex with you.”
“Oh, please. You’re just pissed because you ain’t gettin’ any.” Not even the swelling of her face could dim the South Philly accent or attitude she was throwing.
Travis sank down on the sofa, covering his mouth with his hand. Too much more and he’d be joining Kir in a heap on the floor.
Jeff threw that attitude right back at his twin. “Oh, yeah? When was the last time you got some?”
All traces of amusement disappeared under Jeff’s teasing question. Jamie wasn’t seeing anyone that Travis was aware of, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t gone out and found someone to fool around with.
Jamie’s smirk had Travis damn near growling in a caveman-like display. “More recently than you, I bet.”
Travis’s hand clenched. What? He sat up and stared at the woman who was currently glaring at her twin. His eyes narrowed as a flush crept up Jamie’s cheeks.
“The closest you’ve come is Vincente.” Jeff batted his eyelashes at Jamie outrageously. “Oh, Vincente. ”
Travis’s jaw clenched. Who the fuck was Vincente?
Jamie gasped, furious. “You leave Vincente alone.”
Whoever he was, he needed his ass kicked.
“It’s those gold lamé briefs. They get you every time.”
Travis winced. No fucking way. He was not shoving his ass into gold lamé briefs. Even for Jamie.
Hell, he didn’t even do that in the seventies.
“Oh, fuck off, Jeff.” Jamie flipped her brother the bird before limping back into the bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her.
“On that note…” Jeff cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Hey, pervs! I’m heading out.
I’ll bring back some non-ass-tastic food, okay?”
“Oh, God.” Jordan’s mortified whimper had Travis almost smiling again, but the thought of fuckhead Vincente kept it from materializing.
“You keep praying to me, baby, eventually I’m going to answer.”
Jeff rolled his eyes at the sound of Logan’s voice, but he was smiling as he headed out the door.
Travis stared at Jamie’s closed door, one thought running through his mind.
Who the fuck was Vincente?
Chapter Four
Toni studied Solberg closely. Something just wasn’t sitting right with her, and it started and ended with her new partner. “Where the hell did this information come from?”
“Anonymous tip, but the man hasn’t been seen in over a month.” Solberg shrugged. “It’s worth a look.”
She tapped her finger against her mouth. Maybe it was just her instinctive dislike of the guy that was making her dislike his tip. “What’s your gut say?”
“It’s legit. We’ve had more than one tip. It’s not like we’re going on one phone call here.”
She nodded slowly. If he was on the up-and-up then it was worth checking it out. “Okay. Research the company, see if anything’s changed there. I’ll check out the family angle.”
“You know the granddaughter was tortured by Mr. Grimm, right?”
“I know. It’s in the file.” The supposed vic was a sicko whack-job, but whether he deserved what he’d gotten or not, whoever had done him should have left him to law enforcement.
“Yeah.” Solberg took a big bite of his Whopper. “Checked that angle out first, thinking it might be a revenge thing.”
Ick. She hated it when guys talked with their mouths full. Like she wanted to see their chewed food.
Blech. “I’ll have to check out the medical records.” She bit into an onion ring, making sure to swallow before continuing her thought. “That makes the wife a much more viable suspect. The father of Ms. Grimm too.” She flipped through her notes. “Fred.”
He nodded, pointing to her list with one of his French fries. “I think we need to check them all out.”
“Okay. You’ve obviously got the family and friends covered. I’ll deal with the business angle.”
“Not a problem.” His false grin was seriously beginning to get on her nerves.
She bit into another onion ring and studied his smug features. Every one of her cop senses was tingling, but she couldn’t put her finger on what the hell was wrong. It was driving her fucking nuts. She couldn’t shake the feeling that some of that wrongness was now directed at her.
What are you hiding from me?
Travis sat in the back of Logan’s SUV and wondered how to bring up what he was sure would be a painful subject. He’d managed to keep Jamie and Jeff from questioning him further, a difficult job considering their cramped quarters and Jeff’s stubborn refusal to allow a subject to die a graceful death.
When he was ready to tell his story he only wanted to do it once, and while both Jamie and Jeff had earned the right to sit in on that discussion he needed everyone there for it. He’d managed to avoid the topic for four days now, but he was rapidly running out of time.
Morgan and Magnus Grimm—the twin half-brothers of Jamie, Jeff and Jordan—and Val had just returned from a job Travis had sent them on. The Grimms were working cases to pick up the slack left by Travis, Jeff and Jordan not being in the office. Considering everything that had happened they’d been more than happy to put in some overtime for him while he made sure their family was safe. Now that the case they’d been gone on was solved to everyone’s satisfaction the men were back, and it was time to come clean to all of them. They were planning on meeting for lunch at the Tait-Saeter condo, something Travis was looking forward to with equal amounts of dread and longing. Finally he’d be able to claim the woman who’d stolen his heart, no barriers or lies between them. He only hoped she could handle what he had to say.