Page 61 of Brick

“Mmm.So dood,” he said, with a mouthful.

Brick chuckled and set him at the kitchen table.“What else do you eat?Eggs?”

“Eggs ’n toast.”

“Okay, coming right up.”He took a pound of bacon and the carton of eggs from the fridge.

Bray watched with large eyes while Brick cracked half a dozen eggs into a bowl.Then he tossed the bacon into the frying pan and the bread—couldn’t forget that specific request—into the toaster.He took out a whisk from the drawer and Bray immediately perked up.

“I help you!”He tossed the half-eaten banana across the table and clambered down from his chair.He ran to Brick’s legs and lifted his arms.

Brick picked him up, grabbed one of the chairs from the island, and set the little guy down on it so he could reach the counter.“You wanna cook?Go ahead and scramble the eggs.”

The boy grabbed the whisk and spun it around in the bowl, breaking apart the yolk.He let out a devious little laugh as he went to town.

“Good job, buddy.You’ve done this before, huh?”

“I help Momma.”

He grinned imagining the two of them making breakfast together.For an instant, he wondered if Keetan had been in the picture.Not that he’d ask Bray.The last thing he wanted was to bring up any bad memories of that cocksucker.

“All done,” Bray announced, dropping the utensil.“Watch a show now.”He lifted his arms again.

Brick chuckled and picked up the boy again.Bray made a face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Potty.”

“Oh, right.Sorry, dude.”

As they made their way to the bathroom, Bray snickered.“Dude!”He belted out a laugh that suggested it was the funniest word he’d ever heard.

Once Brick had him cleaned up, he plopped Bray on the couch and put on the show he’d been chanting for.Five seconds later, Bray was locked in on a puppy cartoon.

Brick returned to the kitchen and picked up his phone.He’d left it charging on the counter overnight.A text from Ghost had come in two hours ago, at 7:00a.m.

Call me.

Flipping the sizzling bacon with one hand, he called Ghost.The line rang twice.

“Morning, sunshine,” Ghost answered gruffly.“Get enough beauty sleep?”

Brick snorted.“Eat a dick.”A splatter of grease jumped from the frying pan, burning his forearm and lessening his patience.“What’s up?”

“Figured you’d want to know what Toth found out from his contact at the Seattle Police Department.”His tone rang with a hint of a taunt.

That got Brick’s full attention.He scooted the skillet from the heat and leaned back against the counter.“Go on.”

“You should be grateful.Toth pulled strings with his brother Cole to have his fiancée call some of her old colleagues.”

“All right.I’ll send him a fucking thank-you card,” he shot back dryly.He would extend his gratitude to his boss, but right now he had to focus on the task at hand, and Ghost’s evasiveness was making him bristle.“What’d they find out?”

“Apparently Keetan’s in hot water with the Detroit department.From the sounds of it, they know nothing of his involvement in his sister’s death.Oh,” he added.“Forgot to mention Zain shared a few details with me regarding Shelby.”

If he didn’t know Zain was working in Natalie’s best interest, he’d be irritated.However, this was his team.There wasn’t much he could keep from them, not if he planned to protect Natalie and Bray.

“If they know nothing about Keetan’s involvement, what’s he in trouble for?”