Jonny's Redemption (Gemini Group Book 7) Riley Edwards (ebook reader screen .TXT) 📖

strength even though I wasn’t a girlfriend of one of the guys, I was Evie’s best friend.

This was a shade different. Being Jonny’s meant every man’s violent tendencies had ratcheted up to insane. Yes, there had been a direct threat to my wellbeing, Micky’s, too.

Right then, sitting in the conference room at Gemini Group with all the men in attendance, the testosterone was enough to choke a pod of blue whales. That was, if you could choke a whale. I figured it was damn impossible to suffocate a marine mammal but if it could be done the anger thickening the air in that room could do it.

I should back up. Jonny had called Nixon and I’d half-assed getting ready. This wasn’t something I was prone to do but I reckoned for Jonny’s sake it was something I needed to do. When Jonny told me about Dick’s visit he looked murderous, but more, he looked like he thought it was his fault. So I knew I needed to get him to the office so the guys could dissuade him of this notion before it took root. That was why I was out of the house in ratty, kick-around jeans, a t-shirt that had never been worn outside of housecleaning days, I had on a pair of Converse that were cute but didn’t help my outfit in the slightest. And my hair and makeup left a lot to be desired.

Jonny had filled travel mugs with coffee, he’d ushered me to his truck—me holding the coffee, Jonny with his gun out of the holster. Then he got me situated, folded in, took his mug, and drove us to the office. Whereupon we semi-repeated the process—I carried the coffee, but instead of having his gun out, Jonny’s hand was on his hip hovering over it.

Throughout this, I was not scared. I knew Jonny had everything under control. We were met in the reception area by an extremely pissed-off Nixon. He grunted a string of curse words, Jonny grunted a few back in agreement, and then we went into the big conference room where Alec, Chasin, Weston, Jameson, McKenna, and Holden were waiting.

Jonny gave them a rundown of Dick’s visit and that brought us to now. Seven over-the-top angry men huffing and puffing like a herd of bulls. Dick had waved the red flag and they were all gearing up to stampede.

I didn’t think that was a good idea.

“Calm down,” Micky hissed.

Apparently, Micky felt the same way I did.

Good to know.

“McKenna—”

“Calm, Nix. And listen to me.”

Then I witnessed a miracle I thought should be reported to whoever recorded such things, or maybe someone needed to call the Guinness Book of World Records because Nixon took in a breath so big I watched his chest expand. That wasn’t the miracle. No, it happened when he exhaled and calmed down.

“Okay, baby, talk it out. I’m listening.”

God, that was sweet.

“I think Dick was actually warning Jonny. I mean, of course, he was, he said don’t say I didn’t warn you, but I think he was warning us. Dick’s an asshole, but he took a risk knocking on Jonny’s door. I’ve tracked his every move since he was fired from the department. I don’t believe he’s suddenly turned into a good person but he has kept his nose clean—as in squeaky clean. He no longer has his dad, the sheriff’s protection. He’s got nothing. And as you know, when I dumped his phone, I was able to identify all incoming and outgoing calls. There was nothing suspicious until after Jonny took over the case. And now we have three incoming calls to Dick’s phone from an untraceable burner. Dick didn’t instigate those calls. And before you say it if Dick had a burner this number wouldn’t be calling Dick’s cell. There’s no doubt Dick knows something—more than likely knows who took Anderson Bull. But I don’t think Dick went to Jonny’s house this morning to personally threaten me, Candy, and Bobby. I think he is genuinely warning us that someone is unhappy. But I don’t think Dick himself will harm us.”

“Jarrod Clifford,” Jonny clipped.

“We need to go back to the beginning,” Weston said from across the table. “We need to know what Jarrod’s issue with Anderson is. Why was Anderson targeted all those years ago with the drug bust? We need to look into his family, and friends if he has any. I know he has a brother, Mark. From what I heard the guy’s in a wheelchair from a car accident. And we need to talk to the ex-wife number one, she might have some answers. Though I read over ex-wife number two’s complaint when she filed for divorce. The woman does not like Jarrod Clifford to the extent she wanted nothing from him, not the household items, not her half of the bank accounts, not even his last name. She switched back to her maiden name before the ink was dry on the decree and she declined spousal support even though she was entitled.”

Jeez, this Jarrod dude must’ve been a horrible husband if his ex-wife didn’t even want her fair share.

“Just a reminder, I did get into Clifford’s phone records as well. It was no surprise with him being a former cop, but the day Anderson went missing Clifford’s cell was at his house all day and night. The catch to that is, according to his bank records he made a deposit that day, so we know he left his house he just didn’t take his phone.”

Smart.

“What about his car?” Jameson asked. “GPS?”

“Nope. He drives an old Chevy pickup,” Micky answered then her gaze sliced to Jonny and her lips twitched. “At this point, I think it’s time you let me off my leash.”

“What’s that mean?”

All the guys looked at Jonny and I couldn’t get a read but it almost looked as if they were sheepish. Which was totally weird.

“It means she wants to hack their electronic devices and turn them into surveillance cameras,” Nixon answered.

“And you