There was a modest-sized television in front of a brown leather sectional. A recliner that appeared as if it was made in the sixties was positioned in front of a bay window overlooking the back of the farm. It was probably where Walker spent his days watching his son work his property, if all the discarded newspapers and coffee rings on the side table were any indication.
The stone fireplace dominating the room was by far Fox’s favorite. It was large enough to roast a whole pig, and it gave off a heat that he never felt in his own barren condo. With his eyes on the bright orange flames, he found himself drawn towards the warmth.
“Sorry. I know it’s a little cold in here.” Bull’s voice brought him back to why he was there. “The brick came through this window around two in the morning.”
Fox cocked his head to the side as he stared at the gaping hole and the pattern of the splintered glass around it. Broken pieces littered the floor, and he followed them until they stopped just past the first pillar. Bull was quiet as he stood to the side with his arms crossed over his big chest while Fox worked. If he ever had a chance of impressing this man with something besides his charm, now would be the time. Fox removed his jacket and hiked up the sleeves to his black, ribbed turtleneck.
He tapped a couple of times on his smart watch, which was linked to his GPS tracker. The Hart Locator, as it was called, was a communication device that Free had invented. It was still in the prototype phase, and Fox and his team were the first to possess it, or be its guinea pigs. The translucent silicone was concealed in the shell of his ear and completely undetectable.
Fox waited for the groggy “What do you bloody want, Fox?” that he knew was coming. It was six on a Saturday morning. Lennox Freeman wouldn’t be expecting any members of his team to need him at this hour.
“I’m at the ranch. I haven’t seen the entire property yet, but I already noticed the cameras in the back of the house are damaged. I don’t think I’m gonna have very much footage to work with,” Fox said, standing in front of the window with his cold hands tucked into his pockets.
He felt Bull inch closer, and Fox met his curious gaze under the dark brim of that black cowboy hat. He tapped his ear to let Bull know he was using an earpiece, but he frowned in confusion at his empty ear canal. “I want you to see if the ghost has a couple minutes to look at something for me.”
“Sure.” Free yawned before the line went silent.
Fox pointed at the spray of glass across the hardwood floor. “See that?”
Bull glanced around at the mess, then shrugged. “Yeah. There’s a lot of glass. Of course I see it.”
“What I’m looking at is how far the glass was projected into the house. It determines the force that brick was thrown with.” Fox walked over to the pillar and dug his finger into the deep indention. “Hard enough to break through a window and do this.”
Bull came closer and stared at the ugly gash in the wood over Fox’s shoulder. He felt Bull’s body heat near his back, his earthy scent causing Fox to momentarily lose focus as he worked to not lean into it.
“I can buff that mark out,” Bull eventually mumbled.
Fox grinned and turned around. He was eye level with those broad shoulders, and he didn’t know how they ended up only inches apart from each other, but he wasn’t moving. Fox inhaled, remembering how much he liked the way Bull smelled. He was a heady combination of a myriad of scents, ones that shouldn’t have stimulated Fox but did—like horses, hay, coffee, and cold winter mornings.
“That wasn’t my point,” Fox said, his voice thick from the tight hold he had on his lust.
“Then what is your point?” Bull rumbled.
They stayed locked in an intense stare-off, and Fox didn’t mind that Bull was a head taller than him or younger. Fox could hold his own. However, right then he was losing himself in those deep brown eyes as Bull gazed down at him. As if Fox was a peculiar something that’d latched onto his life and couldn’t quite shake off, though his body language said he didn’t want to.
“Pick up your phone, I have Steele connected,” Free said in his ear.
Fox reluctantly broke their eye contact and pulled out his phone. Sure enough, one of the enforcers of God and Day’s narcotics task force was staring back at him. Edwin Steele was an ex-RECON Marine and possessed tracking skills that made him an asset. Fox already had a theory, but it was a good idea to do a quick consult with someone he trusted to back up his idea.