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Hunter had just strode into the room.
Henry spared Hunter a brief glance and then went right back to watching Naomi.The Golden Retriever seemed to be hoping she might drop something delicious.
“He sent them to me a few minutes ago.”Hunter held a laptop in his hand.“Didn’t open them because they’re both your former partner’s files and your own files.Maybe I’m just an amazingly nice individual, but I don’t like to just barge up in other people’s business.”His brows rose.“Even though other people clearly don’t have a problemscreamingshit for me to hear.”
Eb could actually feel his cheeks heating.
Hunter placed the laptop on the table.“All you have to do is click the files.”He turned toward Naomi.“Did you make enough for me?Tell me you did.Friends share food with friends.”
“Of course, I made enough.You were fighting a biker gang for me last night.Did you seriously think I wouldn’t give you breakfast?”
“It’s lunch time,” he corrected her.
“Breakfast for lunch.Whatever.Pretty sure that’s called brunch.It’s a thing the world understands.Besides, these will be the best grits you’ve ever had.”
Eb headed for the laptop.He hauled out a chair and started to click Hudson’s file.Then he glanced over at Naomi.“Don’t you want to see what’s on here?”
Her eyebrows did a fast and cute wiggle.“Thought I wouldn’t have the government clearance for something like that.”
Hunter snorted.“We got these files in a majorly less than legal way.Trust me, none of us have clearance.”
“Then…hell, yes.Help yourself, Hunter.Everything is done.”She tossed aside a spoon she’d just grabbed and rushed to huddle over Eb’s shoulder.
He opened the files that Declan had obtained.Scrolled through them with his breath practically held.Psych evaluations that showed…
Nothing.
No red flags.No beige flags.No flags at all for Hudson.Nothing at all out of the ordinary.Just descriptors and notes indicating that Hudson was highly intelligent, that he had strong empathy traits.That he could promote team growth and had a positive mindset and a ton of potential and was leadership material.
“Well, that’s a lot of absolute bullshit,” Naomi muttered.“Either Hudson was conning the shrinks, too, or this is just straight lies.”
Eb opened his own psych evals…
Narcissistic personality.Manipulative.Arrogant.Aggressive tendencies.Lack of empathy.
“I’m fucking charming,” he growled.
“You are,” she agreed.“And that’s wrong.”
No, he didn’t think it was.But?—
Hunter’s phone beeped.
Eb glanced over in time to see Hunter check the screen.
“Company.”A despondent sigh before Hunter shoveled grits and eggs into his mouth.“Of the police variety.”
Great.
“Looks like our favorite detective is beelining fast for the front of the house.”Hunter pocketed the phone.“I bet he’s here to tell us all how wrong he was.To offer his deepest, most sincere apologies.”
Eb highly doubted that and his snort said as much.
“By the way, the grits are fantastic,” Hunter told Naomi.
But they left the breakfast and all hurried for the front door.They went outside and watched as the detective parked.Henry was right at Naomi’s side, and her fingers stroked lightly over his forehead.
Eb and Hunter took up positions near her.Protective positions.Eb was not in the mood to play around with the detective.He had a brunch waiting.He hadn’t even gotten to try the grits yet.