Growing Up and Other Tall Tales

Chapter 55

"Send him up." I say after a small sigh

It doesn't take Nick Reid more than five minutes to come to my office, which is quite a feat considering the elevator ride itself might've taken that much of time. He is panting when he barges in through the door like a Spanish bull on July 6th.

What he is, though, is angry.

"You said you'll take care of it." he hisses

I look at him. "Sit down."

"It's been a whole day since you said you'll take care of it and there's nothing." He goes on

"Sit down."

"If you don't tell me something right now, I swear I'll go to the police. To hell with Diana."

"Sit. Down."

He looks ready to positively explode. There are nerves bulging from his neck and his eyes are wide and glistening with explicit rage. He pushes the chair violently around and sits loudly and stubbornly.

"Now are you going to let me talk or did you come here to vent? If so, I can refer you to a therapist so you can stop wasting my time."

"I-" he splutters and I continue before he can defend his perfectly stable mentality

"I think Lyra has been kidnapped." I say and that shuts him up effectively

"I knew it." he mutters under his breath but doesn't elaborate

"And we shouldn't go to the police because they could possibly kill her before we even figure out who took her."

Nick opens his mouth. Shuts it. Opens it again. "Do you know who took her?"

"I might have an idea."

"How do I know you didn't take her?" he asks suspiciously

I raise my eyebrows. "You don't."

"Yeah that'll stand up in court." He deadpans humorlessly

"Rest assured." I say and he shrugs

"If she is kidnapped, shouldn't we be reporting it to the police?" he asks warily. "You don't know how they'll react."

I do. "Nick. The police are best kept out of it. I have people scouting out locations where they could be keeping her. I know how they work."

This time, he raises his eyebrows.

"Sometimes you work with people you don't want to sleep with." I shrug and he opens his mouth to interject, again. This time I let him talk.

"How long till...your CIs find her?" he asks and I'm taken aback with how easily he bought into the idea when I can still see the doubt and questions prickling at his eyes

"They'll get back to me in two hours." I say glancing at my watch grateful for the covered desk so he can't see my feet bouncing nervously

"You'll call me? When they do? Because I'll be back here in two hours if you don't."

"I will." I won't. Lyra would never forgive me if I get Nick hurt. And I have far too many moving parts with too much autonomy to deal with without worrying about Nick as well. "But I won't be here in two hours. I'm leaving now. I've business out of town."

The anger strikes hard again. "Lyra's missing." He seethes. "And you're skipping town?"

I look at him steadily until comprehension dawns on him.

"I'm coming with." he says immediately

"Have you ever held a gun?" I ask

"Have you?"

"Before I learned how to shit on my own." I deadpan and he snorts loudly, taken aback by my placid crudity. "Besides, my...uh confidantes won't be...willing if they see a stranger."

"Does it matter?" Nick asks. "You have guns."

I smile. There's more to Nick Reid than bed hair and an easy smile.

"Maybe say it louder. I don't think LAPD heard you." I say getting up from my seat. "I'll call you when I have her."

"If you don't have her by today." Nick looks at me firmly and I roll my eyes

"Yes, yes. You'll call the police and their mothers."