The Reckoning Read Free Page B

was grateful that Thompson was on their side, another trained agent with a gun was a good thing to have on their side in times of trouble. He’d been a friend of Butch’s in years past, but leave it to his sisters to pick up all of the available strays in the area that needed matchmaking. Abby shook her head and grabbed her gear; leaving them standing there watching her walk toward her SUV . Damn women .
    Thompson patted him on the back and pointed at Abby getting into her vehicle. “No denying she’s your sister, and it doesn’t look like she’s waiting around for you either.”
    “Shit, Emma is going to kill me if I let her out of my sight.” Mike hurried and jumped into his SUV and followed his little sister back to the police station. Abby could take care of herself if it came down to it. He’d taught all of his sisters how to handle themselves in a fight. He’d been proud of Abby and all that she’d overcome to make a career for herself while she was raising her son, John. They hadn’t always had the easy road, but they’d trucked along just the same. When Mike’s mother and father had died, he’d had to step up to the plate and be the man of the house, and he’d done his job. Abby was proof of it. Truth be told, he was proud of all of his sisters and the women they’d turned out to be.
    Mike parked his SUV next to Abby’s and walked her inside the precinct. “Did you chicken out when you saw Elizabeth at the hospital? Do I need to go smooth things over?”
    “Nope, I’ve got it under control.” There were only a handful of people that seemed able to aggravate him and knew just what buttons to push; all of his sisters had mastered the skill long ago. It seemed the little doctor had just picked up the skill in the last two years. Fighting with her is half the fun and he wondered if she saw it the same way he did.
    Mike left Abby when she walked into her lab, and he continued down the hall to his own office and plopped down in his leather chair. The precinct hadn’t changed much in the years he’d been employed there. There’d been a new coat of paint and a few new faces, but it was his second home, and he wouldn’t trade it. His white walls didn’t hold any family pictures, just the awards he’d been given and a frame holding his college degree. His computer, phone and a picture of his sisters were the only thing sitting on his clean desk. The more time he spent at work, the less time Claire had to play matchmaker. His sister couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to be alone; she’d also never had his gift to deal with.
    Yep, he knew what was going on with her and Mrs. A, the unofficial matchmaker, but there wasn’t much he could do about it except stay busy and out of their way.
    A tap on his door pulled him from his thoughts; he leaned back in his chair and studied the man in his doorway. Ted Harrington was the office’s resident IT guy; and one that didn’t come just to visit. Emma’s warning and Ted standing at his door, didn’t give Mike a fuzzy feeling. Mike didn’t have to read Ted’s mind, just his body language, told him that this visit wasn’t going to be a good one. Mike’s gut tightened. “What’s up, Ted? Are you looking for Abby?”
    Ted nervously glanced down the hall. “No, she’s not on her way here, is she?” Ted glanced down the hall once more. “I need to talk to you about something I found.”
    Mike regarded the computer genius with curiosity as he fidgeted from one foot to the other and tightened his grip on the file in his hands. Mike tipped his head toward the empty seat in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”
    Whatever had the forensic IT guy nervous didn’t bode well, especially since he didn’t want Abby to hear about it yet.
    Mike pushed away from his chair and walked to the door, pushing it closed, something he almost never did. He rounded his desk and sat back down in his chair. Resting his elbows on his desk, he waited and watched as Ted