First, I had to locate the right Aaron Daily, which was tricky since the name wasn’t all that original and there were more than a dozen in the Greater Toronto Area.
“Age?”
“Meh. Early thirties, maybe? Older than me. He has crow’s feet when he smiles. They’re cute in the right light, but if he had a better moisturizing routine, that wouldn’t be—”
“Shut up, Tallus.”
Tires screeched, and I wanted to shout for him to slow the fuck down and pay attention to the road, but I couldn’t balance everything at once.
It took longer than I hoped to locate the right Aaron Daily. Each passing minute put Tallus one step closer to a confrontation with Lukyan. I should be on the road. Intercepting. Tallus was not cut out for this level of work. He had no self-defense training and no weaponstraining—which I would rectify the second this case was closed—and no common sense when it came to hostile perpetrators.
Why hadn’t I insisted he take classes sooner? Why had I let him lounge in lethargy on the couch and not dragged his ass to the gym with me a few days a week?
Darcy shifted his weight, anxiously spinning his ring as I performed a rapid property search for Aaron Daily. Typically, I could bust them out in no time flat, but on occasion, when a name was too common, it took longer to accurately pinpoint.
“I need a smoke,” Darcy said, pivoting to the balcony.
“You and me both. Not now. We’re leaving. Put your shoes on.”
Time was not on our side. In less than five minutes, I found two addresses for the correct Aaron Daily. The one attached to his driver’s license listed a cute new build in the North York area. The second was a classy bungalow-style lakeside cottage in Etobicoke. He didn’t rent it. He fucking owned it, and the photographs gave me pause. Both locations didn’t fit the income bracket of a guy working at Evergreen.
Sugar Daddy Luke must have been responsible.
I hated when Tallus was right.
Aaron Daily was clearly on Lukyan’s payroll… or speed dial.
“Tallus?”
“Did you find it?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Intercept Aaron. Do not let him move those files. I’m ten minutes from the marina. This will be tricky since you kiboshed the police, but I’m up for a challenge. Wish me luck.”
“Wait. You aren’t confronting him alone.”
“I have to.”
“You don’t. Go to the cottage. I’d rather you handle Aaron. Luke is dangerous.”
“Luke is putting his boat in the water in less than ten minutes. Once that happens, he’s gone. I’m already here, Guns. I’ll be fine. I gotta go.”
“Christ, Tallus, you can’t—”
“I can. Have faith in me.”
I growled and clenched my fists as a hot wave of fear rolled through my gut. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Like break my glasses?”
“Tallus—”
“I won’t.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. If it helps, Aaron groped my ass and rubbed his hard-on all over my thigh. He would have kissed me, but I wouldn’t let him.”