CHAPTER 5
Nay clamped her arms around Gunner’s waist. His muscles stretched and contracted as he maneuvered turns on his bike. She was pissed at him because he tried to make her stay back while he worked on a lead for the man who took her sister. It didn’t mean she wasn’t enjoying having her arms around him though.
Their fun together earlier that morning was beyond anything in her wildest fantasies. She hadn’t even known it was possible to experience that kind of pleasure. She’d heard some of the guys talk about it, and even some girls, but she’d never believed them. Now she knew what all the fuss was about.
Gunner pulled into a gas station at a busy intersection on the east side of town. He rolled past the convenience store and stopped next to an SUV. The passenger window rolled down and a long haired man in sunglasses twisted his head to look at them. Gunner switched off the bike and slid down the kick stand.
He and Nay approached the open window. The man inside lowered his chin and slid his sunglasses down his nose, eyeing them. “What’s this?” He tilted his head toward Nay.
“This is Nadine,” Gunner muttered. “Nay, meet Nico.”
Nay nodded her head, and her helmet rocked with the motion. She pushed it up so it didn’t block her vision. “Nice to meet you.”
The man lifted his chin at her, removed his sunglasses, and hung his hand over his steering wheel. He studied Gunner for a few moments. “Are you sure about this?”
Gunner shrugged. “I warned her. We’ll just have to go soft…”
Nico gave a small laugh, revealing bright, even teeth. He glanced out the windshield and the light caught his eyes. One was gray and the other one blue.
That’s different.
“I don’t do soft.” The man tapped his steering wheel with his thumb. “If things go south—”
“I know,” Gunner interrupted. “I’ll handle it.”
Nico nodded and his ponytail swished against his leather seat.
“What do you plan on handling?” Nay asked.
Gunner glanced at her, the bill of his backward hat brushing against his long hair. “Business, darlin’. Just business.”
Nay was about to retort, when Nico said, “Let’s head out. The man is asleep right now. No idea for how long.”
“Sounds good. We’ll follow you.”
Gunner touched her elbow, bringing her back to the bike. After she climbed on behind him, he swiveled his helmeted head back to her. “Remember what I said. Things can get ugly. If they go sideways, I’ll tell you to get out. If I tell you to get out, or to do anything else, you will immediately follow what I say to the letter without question. You got it?”
“I’m not leaving until I find out where my sister is,” she replied, but Gunner started the engine and the sound roared above her voice.
He glared at her. “Either you say you agree, or I leave you here.”
Nay’s jaw dropped.
“You can step off the bike,” he warned.
She closed her mouth with a click of her teeth. “Fine.”
He nodded and the bike took off after the SUV. They pulled up in front of an older brown duplex home. Nay studied the Chrysler parked in the driveway as they climbed off the bike. It was the same vehicle from the video. Her blood ran hot. They walked up the drive and when they passed the car, Nay peered into the windows wondering if she’d see blood on the seats. Her heart raced in her chest, and she wiped her palms on her pants. The car was clean, without any evidence of a crime being committed from what she could tell.
The wooden single car garage door was partly open. Sporadic pieces of grass shot up from the dirt yard. She quickened her pace to catch up with Gunner and Nico as they stepped up to the front door. Standing between the two men, she felt like a hobbit in the midst of elves. They completely eclipsed her. Nay rotated her head back and forth, waiting for one of them to knock on the door.
“Anything?” Nico asked.
“It’s clear,” Gunner replied.
“What’s clear?” she asked.
Nico nodded at Gunner as if she never spoke. Gunner circled behind them and disappeared around the corner of the house. “Where’s he going?”
Nico smiled down at her, his disconcerting eyes sparkling. “He’s letting us in.”
“Why don’t we just knock?”
“Why would we want to do that?”
Nay opened her mouth to respond when the front door opened to reveal Gunner surrounded by three Rottweilers. She sucked in a breath and scooted backward.
Nico shook his head. “I see you’ve made some new friends,” he whispered.
“The perp is the only one here. He’s still asleep in the master bedroom at the end of the hall.” Gunner stepped back so they could enter. The dogs stared up at him adoringly, their tongues hanging out of the sides of their mouths. When Nico entered the house, one of the dogs let out a low growl. Gunner said something to him in a language Nay never heard before and the dog whined and laid down.
Nico continued in and Nay scooted slowly to the door, not trusting the dogs.
“Come on,” Gunner said, shooing her in. “They won’t hurt you.”
Gunner: The Hacker's Code Page 13