Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
His eyes go wide. “Lilah,” he whispers, panic in his voice.
“At least you know where you’re at.”
“Can you not?”
I pull the blade back and straighten. By the time he’s rolled to his back, I’m headed to the kitchen in search of coffee and my cellphone is ringing with Tic Tac’s number on caller ID. I answer on the third ring, the coffee pot already in my hand. “I need stuff,” I say.
“I called you, Lilah.”
“Still. I need stuff. Roberto, Kane’s father, is back. I need to know why he left and why he’s back. Adams will be on board with a deep dive, on the clock. Long story, I can’t tell you on the phone.”
“I work for Adams. I think. I don’t even know anymore. I’m in your cousin’s spare bedroom.”
I finish prepping my coffee push brew on the pot. “Right,” I say and lean on the counter. “About that. I think you should move here.”
“Of course you do, but you don’t get to decide, Lilah. My life is there.”
“So was mine. Now it’s here. So is Kane. Maybe your new boyfriend is as well. You can’t find the love of your life if you’re in the wrong state.”
“Your life is here, Lilah. And that’s what scares me. I do not want to be close to Kane and his father.”
That actually is a good point, I think. He could become a bigger target. “Okay. Fine. You’ll need to hurry up and get home and settled again then. But before you go, I need stuff.”
“You give good whiplash, Lilah, that’s all I can say.”
“Why thank you, Tic Tac. I do try.”
“Do I even have a job with Murphy gone now?”
“You work for me. Find out about Roberto. Oh, and Junior is back. I had a note handed off to me at the event. I’ll text you the message. I assume it has something to do with my father, but I can’t be certain.”
“Roberto and Junior. That’s too much at once. Why am I here again? To die?”
“You’re such a drama queen sometimes. I’m the one they want to kill and that works in your favor.” My brow dips. “But to your point, there’s no such thing as a coincidence. Maybe Roberto is Junior.”
“Because a kingpin likes to leave goofy notes here and there and all about?”
“Kingpins are people with stupid ideas, too. See what you can find out about Roberto and Junior. I have to go deal with my brother.”
“That’s why I called. He’s freaking out. He says something happened last night and your father has a broken finger. He wanted me to tell him what’s up. He doesn’t seem to get I know nothing.”
“I’ll handle my brother. You handle everything else.” I start to hang up and then add, “If you run, Tic Tac, I’ll chase you.”
“That’s so very stalkerish of you, Lilah.”
“It’s just love, Tic Tac. It’s love.”
“Why does that feel like hate most days?”
“There’s a fine line between love and hate.”
“Which brings me back to what happened to your father?”
“Later,” I say, and hang up, already back to the coincidence factor. Roberto and Junior are back. At the same time. There has to be a connection.
Chapter Fourteen
I’m halfway through my first cup of coffee when Jay enters the kitchen, holding up his phone. “For the love of all that is right in the world, talk to your brother. I snuck in forty-five minutes ago and he’s called me five times in that precious time I could have been resting.”
I sip my coffee. “Did you answer?”
“No.”
“Problem solved. Don’t. He’ll eventually show up downstairs and we’ll go to breakfast with him. Separately, did you know that if it rains in New York and Texas on the same day there’s a possible correlation? A large storm system could create both events.”
He halts at the island across front of me. “I haven’t slept enough to figure out what you’re saying to me. What does ignoring your brother’s call have to do with Texas and New York?”
I back up and fill a cup for Jay and set it in front of him. “Drink the blank stare away.”
“Thank you,” he says, sipping from his cup without complaint. For some reason, at least half the time, he doesn’t need creamer and sweetener. He’s freaky like that. “I’m not overly witty, wild, or willing today, Lilah,” he points out, as if today is different than other days. “That shit last night was life changing,” he adds.
“Oh really?” I lift my cup. “Kane let you go along for the ride?” I sip.
“No, but I stood downstairs for hours, making sure you didn’t have visitors, but I was certain there would be a drive-by at any minute. That shit was stressful.”
“That shit is life changing and stressful,” I repeat. “Do you even know the words that are coming out of your mouth? No one in the cartel would be stupid enough to do a drive-by here.”