Page 7 of Inferno

Manning nodded, stepping aside as Stan stalked past him and headed down the hall toward the master bedroom.

“Who was on the phone, Dad?”

Stan halted midstep, then glanced over his shoulder to meet his son’s suspicious gaze. “No one,” he replied.

Manning frowned. “But I heard you talking to somebody.”

“It was just a telemarketer selling life insurance. I told her I wasn’t interested.”

Manning looked skeptical. “Is that why you’re calling her back?”

Stanfaltered,unnerved that he’d been caught in a bald-faced lie.

“Don’t worry about who I was talking to,” he snapped. “Last I checked, boy, I don’t answer to you.”

Manning clenched his jaw as his expression darkened. Averting his gaze, he muttered something under his breath.

“What?” Stan demanded, his browsraisedas he took a threatening step toward the boy. “You got something to say to me?”

Before Manning could respond, the doorbell rang.

Shooting a dark glance at his son, Stan went to answer the front door.

Standing on the porch was a beautiful biracial girl wearing a tight V-neck sweater over a denim miniskirt with pink leg warmers. Stan recognized her as one of the neighbor’s teenage daughters, though her name escaped him at the moment.

“Good morning, Mr. Wolf,” she gushed, batting her heavily mascaraed lashes at him.

Stan smiled indulgently. “Hello, uh—”

“Caitlyn,” the girl supplied. “I live down the street.”

“Right, right.What can I do for you, Caitlyn?”

“Well, I was just getting dressed for school when I looked out my bedroom window and saw Manning walking back from the bus stop. I figured he must have missed the bus, so I just thought I’d swing by to see if he needs a ride to school.”

Stan chuckled. “That’s very kind of you, Caitlyn, but I was going to take—”

“That’s okay, Dad,” Manning interrupted, appearing beside Stan in the doorway. He gave Caitlyn a slow once-over, lingering on the swell of her cleavage. “She can give me a ride.”

The girl smiled with pleasure. “Hey, Manning,” she purred, a predatory gleam in her hazel eyes. “Are you ready?”

He nodded quickly. “Let’s go.”

“Not so fast,” Stan interjected, holding up a hand to detain his son as he gave Caitlyn a shrewdly appraising look. “How old are you?”

“Dad—” Manning groaned.

The girl laughed. “I just turned sixteen, Mr. Wolf. I’m a junior at the high school.”

“So that means you haven’t had your driver’s license very long.”

As Manning slapped a hand to his forehead, Caitlyn grinned unabashedly. “That’s true, but I’ve been driving for over a year with my learner’s permit. And I have a spotless record so far—no tickets or accidents whatsoever.” Her eyes danced with mirth. “Don’t worry, Mr. Wolf. You have my word that I’ll get your son to school safe and sound.”

“Hmm.”Stan’s gaze strayed past her to the shiny red Camaro parked at the end of his driveway. “Is that your car?”

“Yup.”Caitlyn beamed proudly. “My parents gave it to me for my birthday.Totally awesome, right?”

Stan smothered a laugh.“Totally.”