The Tracker's Secret: Sunderverse (Mate Tracker Book 2) by Ingrid Seymour (the gingerbread man read aloud .txt) 📗

“I can do some digging around,” he added. “Find out if Blake has any family or friends, talk to them if I find them.”

“Don’t you have a case you’re working on?” I asked.

“Not at the moment. I haven’t officially opened for business. I’m still working on finishing the place. Plus there’s been a lot going on.” He glanced away, looking preoccupied.

I had to remind myself that he’d only arrived in St. Louis a couple of weeks ago. Though, considering everything that had gone on, it felt much longer than that.

“What will you do?” he asked. “Will you track Blake?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” After our conversation, I was leaning toward doing it, but I wanted to discuss things with Rosalina first.

“Let me know if you do. I’d like to offer whatever help I can.”

“Sure, though there isn’t anything you can do to help.” I gave him a sardonic smile. His help had always come afterward, once I’d homed in on a location for my mark, and we needed to physically track them.

“I wish there was.” He held my gaze, narrowing his eyes with distrust. “I wish you would tell me everything about how your skills work.”

I made a dismissive gesture with my hand. “It’s nothing special. Boring as hell.”

“I don’t think anything about you is boring, on the contrary.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m oodles of fun,” I said with a sigh.

He rested his chin on his hand and regarded me with amusement. “You certainly are, especially in bed.”

I felt the heat climb from my neck straight into my cheeks like fireworks exploding in all shades of crimson. How dare he bring that up?

Cheeky bastard!

Did he mean it, though? I really wanted to know. God, I hated myself. But I couldn’t help it. This man could turn my g-string inside out with only one look. Still, I couldn’t let him disarm me like this. Two could play at this game.

I shrugged, trying to appear indifferent to his comment. “And I was just getting started. I’m much more fun now.”

It was Jake’s turn to turn red, except in his case, it wasn’t from shame but anger. His nostrils flared. He pulled his hands under the table as they balled into fists. His teeth ground together. I legit heard them with my enhanced hearing. I waited for him to turn green with jealousy, but maybe that was too much to ask.

Brimming with satisfaction, I placed a tip on the table and stood. “We’d better go. I have work to do and a decision to make, which I need to discuss with my partner.”

Chapter 23

“THAT’S A SCREWED-UP mess,” Rosalina said as I finished telling her what had happened. “You can’t get mixed up in that, Toni.”

I cringed inwardly at this. I’d been afraid she would say that, which made me realize I’d already made up my mind that I would get involved.

“Yeah, it would be stupid,” I said, battling with myself, wanting both to convince her and to distract her mind so she wouldn’t guess my inclination.

Wake up, Toni! Nothing good can come out of lying to Rosalina.

She narrowed her green eyes and examined my face carefully, but a chime on her phone distracted her. She glanced at the screen.

“It’s Damien,” she said, excitement clear in her voice. “He wants to move our date plans for tonight. He says something has come up, and he can’t go tomorrow.” A smile spread across her glossy lips.

Knowing I shouldn’t, I took the opportunity to distract her further. “He can’t tomorrow? I don’t think that’s the reason. I bet he just can’t wait to see you.”

She brightened up. “You think?”

“Oh, I definitely think.”

I walked away to let her make plans, and as soon as I entered my office, I texted the number Ulfen had given me.

“I’ll do it,” I typed. “Please drop the item off in the mail slot after 5 PM.”

The reply came five minutes later. “Message received.”

I quickly put my phone away, feeling dirty, but I rationalized that if I told Rosalina now, I would spoil her date.

A quarter to five, we headed to her condo. As soon as we got there, she busied herself with picking an outfit, showering, and doing her makeup all over again. When she was done, she looked like a billion bucks. She wore a black strapless dress with a sparkly pattern in the shape of roses. Her dark hair fell in perfect locks around her tan, naked shoulder.

“Fancy,” I said. “Where are you two going?”

“Dinner at Vicia.”

“Wow! He’s bringing out the artillery.”

When her phone dinged, she grabbed her glittery clutch. “He’s waiting outside. See you later.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I called in a singsong voice.

When the door closed behind her, I sat quietly for a moment, feeling like a rotten egg.

Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do? The worst thing to say considering my plans. I sighed, then went into my bedroom and changed into a comfortable pair of yoga pants, my old sneakers, a tank top, and a light jacket over it. I also packed a small duffel bag with a change of clothes.

“Here you go, buddy.” I dropped Cupid’s pellets in his bowl. He swam to the top and ate one but ignored the rest. “Oh, so we’re in one of those moods, huh?”

I rushed out of the complex in my Camaro and snatched two lamb gyros and a large order of fries at a drive-through. I hadn’t had a proper lunch, and my stomach had been growling uncomfortably for the last couple of hours.

I parked the car around the block and hurried into the office keeping my head low. I didn’t want Jake showing up if he saw my car in front of the agency.

When I made it inside unnoticed, I found a yellow envelope lying on the floor. My hand trembled as I picked it up. It was small but heavy. I took my food and the envelope upstairs to the loft. I focused on my food first and placed the envelope