Possession (Steel Brothers Saga 3)

“I have no idea. I asked him to check. He’s supposed to get back to me. I’ll lean on him a little.”

“Well, that’s a lead. Have you changed your mind about catching these guys? You seem to go back and forth.”

I let out a sigh. “I honestly don’t know, Doc. I’d love to see them pay for what they did to me. And as I’ve told you, I’ve had more than one fantasy about doling out my own idea of justice.” I held up my hand. “Yes, yes, I know. I won’t do it. I spent enough of my life in captivity. I don’t want to spend the rest of it in prison.”

“Good idea.”

“My brothers really want me to try to find them. They’d like to see them locked up too.”

“I would too,” Dr. Carmichael said.

“I suppose I could put a few high-paid PIs on the job. God knows I have the money.”

“Why don’t you?”

Good question. Why didn’t I? Better question. Why hadn’t I? “You need to understand. It’s only recently that I actually decided I could dredge this up and deal with it.”

“I do understand. But now that we’re working through it, maybe it’s time to hire those PIs.”

She was right. “Maybe it is time.”

“Our time’s about up for today, Talon,” Dr. Carmichael said.

I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and looked at it. I had turned off the ringer during my session. I had a text from Jade.

I need to see you. I’m coming over after work.

Chapter Nine

Jade

I hadn’t gotten a text back from Talon, but I drove out to the ranch anyway. I had tried to let Steve Dugan down easily. I’d told him I had just had a major breakup a few months ago and I wasn’t ready to go out yet. I had desperately wanted to tell him I was seeing someone else, but Talon and I hadn’t made our relationship public, and I wasn’t sure how he felt about doing so. I figured we’d better talk about it.

Marj opened the door when I knocked. Something was off with her. She didn’t look right.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Come on in,” she said.

No answer to the “are you okay?” thing. “Marj…”

She sighed. “Just a rough day around here.”

“Yeah? Is everything okay at the ranch?”

She bit her lower lip. “Yeah, just”—she sighed again—“a hard day. We have them sometimes. What are you doing here?”

“I came to see Talon.”

“He’s not home yet. I expect him anytime. You want a drink? I could sure use one.”

“Sure. Whatever you’re having is fine.”

“I’m having a stiff scotch.”

That was so not like her. “Marj, what the hell is wrong? Have you eaten yet?”

She shook her head. “Felicia just left. Dinner’s on the stove. You’re welcome to some.”