Page 34 of Gunner
“Hey, kid. How ya doing today?”
“Good. You gonna see Mr. Mike?”
“Yep.”
“Okay,” Jamison smiled. “I got to take out the trash.”
Slapping him on the back, I added,“Best get to it then.”
Knocking on the closed door, I didn’t bother waiting for Mike to answer. I fucking knew he knew I was here. Fucker had Beth’s coffee shop retrofitted with the latest security equipment and saw everything. Fucker was probably laughing his ass off as his wife tried to kill me by pastry.
Walking in, I found the grinning bastard leaning back in his chair.
Groaning, I ignored him and took a seat.
“We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Your daughter.”
And just like that, his smile faded. “Get out.”
“It’s not what you think. King put me in charge of looking into who hit her.”
“Don’t want you around my baby girl. King can get someone else to do it.”
“Not a chance. I saw her face too. I want the bastard as much as you do. Has Beth seen it?”
Mike sighed. “No. Sarah’s been keeping it covered. I asked her about it, but she refused to talk. Woke up this morning to find her gone. I have no idea where she’s at. Beth thinks she went back to Rhode Island, but I’m not so sure.”
“Does she have friends here in Rosewood?”
“None that I know. She wasn’t here long enough to make any friends before Beth took her back home for school.”
“King told me she was dating someone named Carter?”
“Yeah. Carter Glover. Junior at the University of Rhode Island. Kid’s a fucking punk, Gunner. Comes from money. But hell, man. It could be anyone. My baby girl goes through boys faster than my money.”
“Was Sarah serious about him?”
“No. Sarah doesn’t care about anything except her phone and her social media followers. Look, Gunner, I know I give you a lot of grief where my daughter is concerned, and I want to apologize for being a dick to you last night. But Sarah is my little girl. My only girl. I just want her to be happy.”
“I get it. I really do. My dad felt the same way about my sister Cassie. No one was ever going to be good enough for her. Look, Mike, I just want to find the fucker who hit Sarah. That’s all.”
“Then start with her social media sites. She posts everything and then look into Carter. I never liked that pissant.”
“Will do,” I said, getting to my feet before asking. “One more thing. Can you think of any place she might hide out at?”
Mike shook his head. “No.”
“Okay. I’ll see if I can hunt her down.”
“Gunner,” Mike said, before I reached the door. “I know my daughter. Whatever made her leave last night must be big. If you find her, please bring her home. Whatever upset her, tell her I will fix it, okay?”
I gulped, then nodded because I knew exactly how Mike was going to fix it. He was going to kill me.
Leaving the coffee shop, I had just stepped out onto the sidewalk when Holly threw herself into my arms and kissed me hard on the lips. Trying to push her off me, she sweetly drawled, “Good morning, baby!”