Page 94 of Silver Fire
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“I’m really notup for company,” Derek sighed when Jack came through the door, holding a bag of Chinese takeout. He had been nursing his hangover all day and just when he thought he was over it, Jack buzzed him on the intercom telling him he had brought a migraine-inducing dinner.
“Chinese food isn’t exactly the best remedy for a hangover you know,” Derek continued when Jack ignored him and prowled into the kitchen.
“My wife is working on a Sunday,” Jack told him. “Your woman is on vacation because she’s pissed at you. Wait. No. She’s probably planning your funeral because she caught you with your dick in another woman’s mouth.” Jack shuddered dramatically. “I’m really feeling sorry for you man.”
“Are you?” Derek asked sarcastically. He was still not finding this funny even if his friends apparently did.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m keeping you company. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to cook for shit and since Maia is busy, I brought take-out,” Jack replied as he shoved a container of food at him. “Get me a beer, will you?”
“Don’t want to hurt your feelings man, but I’d really prefer Sophie’s company to yours right now,” Derek said. He couldn’t get the scene from last night out of his head. Sophie’s face cringing at what she had seen was forever etched in his mind, as he was certain the scene of him and Layla together was stamped in hers. He needed her to be here. He needed to know that they were going to be okay, that they could get past this.
“You need to let her calm down,” Jack said, reading his mind correctly.
“The crazy thing is, I didn’t do anything wrong,” Derek countered. “She needs to know what happened. I don’t want her overanalyzing if she was enough woman for me or why we weren’t having sex—”
“No sex?” Jack frowned. “Are you sure Sophie and you are—”
“She wanted to take it slow, I obliged,” Derek explained. “And it damned near killed me with as much blue balls that gave me.”
“Hell, you didn’t even need Viagra then—”
“I have no need for Viagra,” Derek cut in. “I can get it up, no problem.”
Jack chuckled as he scooped some shrimp fried rice into his mouth with chopsticks. For the first time that day, Derek felt ravenous.
Jack’s phone buzzed and by the way his friend’s face lit up, Derek knew it was Maia calling.
“Hey, babe,” Jack answered and then he frowned. “Sure.” He pressed the button for speaker phone.
“Derek?”
“What’s up, Maia?”
“I have some bad news. Some hikers found a body in the Shenandoah Valley National Park. It’s Taggart.”
“What are you saying?” Derek rasped. His heart just sunk to his gut or shot through his throat. Whatever. What he was feeling was as confusing as Maia’s words. What did she mean? Where was Sophie?Who the fuck was with Sophie then?
“Two shots, one in the head, one in the neck,” Maia said. “We found the AGS car parked at one of the motels near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Left side smashed. It looked like they were forced off the road. Driver side window broken. They must have shot Taggart while he was down.”
“Sophie. Maia, what about Sophie?” Derek asked hoarsely. “Does anyone know where the fuck she is?”
“We retrieved their cellphones from the car. Derek, there’s something else.”
“For god’s sakes, Maia!” His patience was wearing thin.Where the fuck was Sophie?His mind screamed.
“Derek, you need to calm down—”
“Fucking tell me!” Derek roared.
“Sophie received a text message from Christopher Blackstone right before 11:00 p.m. Two pictures of you and Layla in an intimate position.”
“A set-up?” Derek whispered incredulously, already putting some puzzle pieces together in his head. “Are you telling me this was a set-up?”
“A very elaborate set-up. Whoever planned this was a master manipulator. I think we need to bring Layla in for questioning.”
“Do it.”