The Darkness Beyond by Alexis Morgan Read Free Book Online

where things were kept rather than rooting around in her cabinets. But in a straight one-on-one comparison, there was no way for Cody to win. Eventually his body would fill out to match his height, and he’d be a very good-looking man. But D.J. was definitely already in his prime.
    He moved with a grace and confidence that Cody could only hope to achieve someday. She liked her friend, but she wasn’t attracted to him. That didn’t mean she was happy about the way her eyes kept wandering back to D.J., watching the play of his muscles as he worked and admiring the fit of those well-worn jeans.
    The man was a criminal, at least by the strict definition of the law, even though he wasn’t into hacking for profit as far as she could tell. Though she still wanted to know what he did with the rest of his time when he wasn’t waging cyberwar.
    Martial arts, for one, she guessed. She’d spent enough time in gyms to recognize the significance of the calluses on D.J.’s hands. That would also account for how well he moved and the confidence he wore with the same ease as he did those faded jeans.
    Oops, he caught her staring. He grinned as he folded the dish towel and hung it on the stove handle to dry.
    â€œThanks for doing that.”
    â€œNo problem.”
    Before he could sit back down, Reggie stood up. “I hate to rush both of you off, but it’s been a long day.”
    She expected an argument. Instead, D.J. dutifully led the parade toward the door. He pegged Cody with a questioning look.
    â€œI’ve got my truck outside. Need a ride?”
    Cody looked relieved as he picked up his backpack. “Sure, if it’s not out of your way. I don’t live far.”
    This was going to be easier than she’d thought, but then he’d made his point just by showing up on her doorstep. There would be no hiding from him now. And if she turned him in, he would know who’d done it. She forced a smile, not wanting D.J. to know how aggravated she was.
    D.J. followed Cody out the door, saying, “On the way, maybe you can recommend a good motel nearby. I’ve decided to stay in town for the weekend.”
    â€œ ’Bye, guys,” she called after them, closing the door with exaggerated care.
    If she gave in to the urge to slam it, it would only put one more point on D.J.’s side of the scoreboard. As they clomped down her stairs, she ran to the balcony to watch them leave. She wrote down D.J.’s license plate number as the big truck roared to life, her first real lead in finding where the Knightwalker lived.
    Oh, yeah, two could play this game.
    D.J. let the silence in the truck drag on for several minutes after Cody gave him directions. He considered pumping the kid for information about Reggie but rejected the idea. Anything he said or asked would get back to her sooner rather than later.
    â€œSo you and Reggie work together.”
    Not exactly a question since the kid had already told him that much.
    â€œYeah, we’ve shared a cubicle for the past two years and hang out together on weekends and evenings when I’m not in class. She’s taught me a lot.”
    The kid injected a little extra emphasis on that last statement, clearly still trying to prove that his relationship with Reggie was a special one. No doubt it was, but if Cody thought she was feeling anything for him other than friendship, he was sorely mistaken. She clearly treated him like a favored little brother.
    No use in calling him on it though. “So what are you studying?”
    â€œComputer engineering with a minor in business. I want to design and market my own games.”
    D.J. nodded in approval. “If you’ve got the talent for it, you could be set to make some major bucks when you graduate. I have a friend who does that. His newest game just hit the market.”
    He wondered what Jake would think about D.J. claiming him as a friend, especially considering the amount of