He pressed his lips together and narrowed one eye, allowing the room to fill with silence. Mario, as was his way, spoke first.
“That was a foul,” he announced to Eliot, mostly recovered from the love tap. “You can’t just hit someone without warning in Krav Maga.”
“Shut up,” Eliot snapped, extending a finger in my cousin’s direction. “I’ll show you real Krav Maga in exactly thirty seconds if you’re not careful.”
Instead of retreating, which would’ve been wise, Mario turned his attention to Sabrina. “Do you believe this guy? He’s being physically aggressive with me. I could totally turn him into the police.”
“Maybe you should,” Sabrina suggested. “I mean, only if you hate this job. I’m pretty sure you’ll get fired if you turn him into the police.”
“And then you’ll have nothing to do but work at the family restaurant if you want to survive the winter,” I pointed out. “You and Grandpa can’t open that food truck again for months because of the weather.”
Mario scowled. “You just had to remind me of that, didn’t you?”
“That’s what I do.” I pressed the top of my tongue against the back of my teeth and shot Eliot a challenging look. “I’ll find the address through different means if I have to. You keep saying you don’t want to change who I am. Prove it.”
He let loose a sigh and grabbed his phone from the counter. “Fine. I hope you know that I’ll never get over it if something happens to you.”
I’d been gearing up for a fight, so it was a relief when he acquiesced. Maybe this would all be okay after all. “I feel the same about you, but I need to do this.”
Eliot grumbled as he searched through the contacts on his phone. He rattled off the address as I recorded it in my phone. When I ran the address, I frowned.
“His property is less than a quarter of a mile from the train tracks in Roseville.”
Eliot snapped up his head. “I didn’t realize that.”
Slowly, I shifted my eyes to Sabrina, who appeared ready to jump through the roof she was so excited. “Are you ready to head back to the scene of the crime?”
“Am I?” Sabrina clapped her hands. “This is the sort of thing I wanted to be involved in when I decided to be a reporter.”
“It’s exciting,” I agreed, thoughtful. “You’re still going to make zero money.”
“Then maybe I’ll be like you and hook up with a businessman. That way I can have the best of both worlds.”
I was disgusted by the statement. When I risked a glance at Eliot, I found him smirking. He quickly shuttered his mirth, but not fast enough. Mario, on the other hand, had completely recovered from his embarrassment and was bent at the waist, laughing.
“Oh, I think Avery’s head is going to implode before the end of the day,” he laughed. “Maybe I should go with her so I can serve as her bodyguard or something.”
For a moment, Eliot looked as if he was considering the suggestion. All it took was one head shake from me for him to deflate. “I’m not adding another member to this team.”
“If you go out there, Ray is likely to see you,” Eliot warned. “If he is guilty, you could cause him to bolt.”
“That’s a possibility,” I agreed. “It’s also possible he won’t see me and I’ll find what I’m looking for.”
Eliot looked torn. “Just be careful. I have big plans for you. If Ray lays one hand on you, I’ll end up in jail.”
“I’ll be careful.” I smiled as I turned toward the door. Things were finally coming together. “I’ve been doing this a long time. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Tell that to my heart.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll text every ten minutes or so.”
“That would be a nice change of pace.”
SABRINA WAITED UNTIL WE WERE OUTSIDE to gush.
“He is just the best,” she enthused, rubbing her hands together. “I mean ... the absolute best. He has that long hair, which makes him look dangerous. You just know he’s a total badass in a fight. How do you manage to even think when he looks at you the way he does?”
“It’s not always easy,” I admitted.
“He steals your breath.” Sabrina’s head bob was knowing. “I dated a guy in high school like that.”
I didn’t particularly enjoy having my relationship with Eliot equated to some teenybopper’s dream. “He’s a pain in the ass when he wants to be.” I directed her toward my car. “He thinks he can dictate certain aspects of our relationship.”
“Like what?”
“Like ... stuff like this.”
“He didn’t dictate. He let you go even though you could tell it really bothered him. I think it’s sweet that he loves you the way he does.”
“I find it annoying.” I fixed her with a quelling look. “Listen, you’ve come through with some valuable information. If you keep sticking your nose into my personal business, though, I might still find a way to dump you by the side of the road.”
Sabrina mimed zipping her lips. “Say no more. I’m here to learn from the best, not stick my nose into things that don’t concern me.”
I started toward the other side of the car, stopping when Sabrina decided to ask yet another question.
“What’s the deal with your cousin Mario? Is he single?”
Oh, geez. This day kept getting weirder. “As a matter of fact, he is. I think you guys would make a lovely couple.”
“You mentioned he owns his own business, a food truck or something? Does he make money doing that?”
“According to my grandfather, yes. But Mario isn’t good with money.”
“That’s okay. I’m good with money.” Her smile was benign. “Does he work at the shop on a specific schedule?”
I smelled trouble but decided to file it away for later. “Let’s see what we can find out about Ray, shall we? We’ll discuss Mario’s schedule later.”
“Absolutely. Let’s
