Cold Death Mary Stone (most read books TXT) 📖

The red paint peeled all over, and the last two letters were out on the neon sign. Billy’s Burger Ba. “Now that’s what I’m talking about! They weren’t joking when they said hole-in-the-wall.”

“And that makes you happy?”

“Yup. In my experience, they cook up the best burgers in places that look like they’ve been around for the past eighty years.”

Lucas tilted his head as he gave the shack-like building a dubious once-over. “Do they cook up the best burgers in places that look like they’re about to fall apart too?”

“That just adds to the ambiance.”

The other man shook his head. “That doesn’t even make sense.” He smiled when he said it, though, transforming his face into something that could grace a magazine cover or TV screen.

Clay’s return grin faded when he remembered that Lucas’s pretty face was likely part of the reason he’d been trafficked as an older kid. That, along with the spectrum traits that could sometimes make him seem younger than his actual age.

Fear tugged at him as his mind veered down dark paths, calculating odds that his sister had suffered a similar fate, but for once, Clay refused to speculate. Spending the day with Lucas on the trails had gone a long way toward restoring his optimism, and for that, Clay owed the other man a debt of gratitude. Caraleigh had gotten lucky once, when she’d ended up with Lucas on that mountain.

Maybe her luck had held.

Like Lucas, his little sister had been whip-smart. Stubborn as hell, even difficult at times, but smart. Great with numbers and memorizing facts. She’d loved to learn, and he could picture her hanging on Lucas’s every word and acting like a little sponge while she soaked up his knowledge of survival skills.

Who knew? Maybe the survival training she’d learned while living with Lucas had saved her life. And maybe, just maybe, Caraleigh was still putting those skills to use, somewhere out there in the mountains. One way or another, Clay would find out. Even if that meant he’d spend the next two years hiking every square mile of those woods.

Lucas entered the restaurant first through the ancient, scratched-up red door but stopped only a few steps across the threshold.

At first, Clay guessed the country music twanging in the background was too loud, or the number of people packed inside, but then he followed Lucas’s pointing finger to the wall behind the register. A cartoon illustration of a massive burger with eyes was next to a sign that declared Biggest Burger in the State! The print below read, If you finish the burger in 30 minutes, it’s free!

Lucas’s eyes were round as he stared at the ad. “I don’t think I could finish a burger that size in thirty minutes.”

Clay laughed. “Me either. Not in thirty minutes or even thirty hours.”

“Probably in thirty days, though. Unless they left it sitting out the entire time. Then I wouldn’t because of all the bacteria. Did you know that the amount of bacteria on food doubles every twenty minutes when the temperature is between forty and one hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit?”

“I did not. That fast, really?”

Lucas nodded, his eyes wide and serious. “Really. That’s why so many people get sick at buffets or barbecues, because the food is left out so long or not warmed at the proper temperatures.”

“Good to know.”

“Hello, welcome. This your first visit to Billy’s Burger Barn?” The pretty blonde hostess beside the podium was young, probably mid-twenties, and wearing a red-and-white checkered shirt paired with denim shorts, suspenders, and cowboy boots. Her polite smile skimmed Clay before widening to an appreciative grin on Lucas.

Clay tipped his hat. “Yes, ma’am, it is. We were in the area and in the mood for a good burger, so figured we’d give it a shot.”

“Well, you’ll be happy you did. Follow me. I’ll get you gentlemen seated in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, so you can get on to the important stuff…eatin’!”

Lucas’s brow wrinkled as they trailed her toward the rear of the packed, ramshackle space, but Clay was too busy biting back a laugh at the extra bounce the waitress added to her step to ask. When they reached the empty booth, Lucas scooted into the closest seat, so Clay maneuvered around the waitress and slid into the opposite side.

The waitress fluttered her false lashes as she handed Lucas a menu, her mouth drooping when he grabbed the laminated page without ever glancing up from the table. Once again, Clay was reminded of his sister. On report cards, Caraleigh’s teachers often commented on how bright she was but that she could stand a little extra work on eye contact and social skills.

“I’ll be back in a few to take your order.”

Once the waitress strutted away, Lucas lifted his gaze. “Does ‘two shakes of a lamb’s tail’ mean fast?”

“It does.” Clay was puzzled by the random question until he remembered the waitress had used the phrase.

Lucas’s brow remained creased. “Why?”

“Why does two shakes of a lamb’s tail mean quick? Well, let’s see…” Clay racked his brain and came up short. “You know what, I have absolutely no clue. We can google it later, but first, let’s figure out what we want to eat.”

Luckily, the menu was pretty limited. Burgers, chicken strips, a couple of different sandwiches, and chili plus sides. That was it.

Once Clay made a decision—classic cheeseburger with bacon and a side of onion rings—he set down the menu and studied Lucas. The other man was chewing his lower lip and frowning down at the page. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.” Still biting his lip, Lucas glanced around the restaurant as if searching for someone, then hunched his shoulders. “No. Can…would you mind ordering for me?”

Caraleigh hadn’t liked ordering at restaurants, either. “Sure, no problem. What would you like?”

“A burger that’s cooked until it doesn’t bleed at all. With cheese but nothing else. And French fries. And maybe…” Lucas fidgeted with the menu. “A soda?”

“A soda, huh? Just a regular, plain old soda, with no flavor