Triple Time Read Online Free PDF Page B

down with Holcomb. Gabe sure as hell hadn’t told him. But the guy had an uncanny knack for digging up dirt. Suddenly, transferring him to Public Assistance Fraud seemed like a brilliant idea.
    Gabe rolled his chair back and stood. “Let’s go.”
    He moved to a coatrack in the corner of the room for his suit jacket and she followed. “You don’t have to take me to lunch.”
    â€œI don’t want to risk any more interruptions.” Or give Jack another chance to hit on her.
    â€œI’m not dressed for any place fancy.”
    â€œYou’re perfect for the place I have in mind.”
    Half an hour later, they were seated across from each other at a table at the Big Apple Burger Bar.
    â€œSo.” She bit into her burger, closed her eyes and moaned. Her tongue darted out to catch a rivulet of juice but not fast enough to stop it from running down her chin. He gripped the edge of the table, white knuckled, resisting the impulse to wipe—or, better yet, lick—it away. There was something about a woman who enjoyed her food that got him right in the groin.
    Devin opened her eyes and dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “Who’s Holcomb? And why does he think you’re a stick-in-the-mud?”
    â€œNice try.” Gabe took a bite of his burger. “But we came here to talk about you. And your brother.”
    She licked her lips and his nether regions stirred again.
    â€œI’ll pry it out of you eventually,” she said. “You know I will.”
    â€œI’m up for the challenge. First tell me about your brother. How can I help?”
    â€œYou know people in Child Services, right?”
    â€œSure.” His mind whirred, trying to come up with a reason why Child Services would be involved. Was her brother a minor? Had he run away? Been abused? Abandoned?
    She munched on a French fry. “Victor and I were separated in foster care when he was ten and I was thirteen. I haven’t seen him since. He’s the only family I have left. I filled out an application with the adoption information registry, but...”
    â€œLet me guess. Nothing.” Gabe was all too familiar with the registry. It only worked if both parties signed up.
    â€œYep. I’m not even sure whether he was adopted or stayed in the foster system until he turned eighteen. And the PI I hired was a total bust.”
    â€œAnd now you want me to see what I can find out.”
    â€œIn a word, yes.”
    â€œI’ll do what I can.” He rubbed a hand across his jaw. He’d figured Devin had had it rough as a kid. He just didn’t know how rough. It made him even more eager to help her, if he could. “But if your brother was adopted, and the adoption was sealed...”
    â€œI know. It’s an uphill battle. But I have to find him, Gabe. He needs me.”
    Her hand shook, causing her to drop the fry hovering at her mouth, and Gabe frowned. Something more was going on. Something she wouldn’t—or couldn’t—tell him. But he wasn’t going to press her. Not yet.
    He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. A jolt of lust traveled up his arm and through his chest.
    Jesus Christ.
    What the hell was wrong with him? The woman was distraught, and here he was acting like an overeager teen on his first date.
    Gabe gave her hand a quick squeeze and let it go. “I’ll do my best. I promise. I’ll make some calls tomorrow and let you know what I can dig up.”
    â€œThanks.”
    She gave him a sad pseudo smile, and they ate in silence for a few minutes.
    â€œOkay,” she said finally, plunking her water glass down on the table. “Now that that’s settled, I want the whole stick-in-the-mud story.”
    Damn.
He thought she’d forgotten. Should’ve known better.
    â€œIt’s not all that exciting.”
    Kind of like me.
    â€œI’ll be the judge of that.” She pushed her chair back