Chapter 49 Obsession. A Fragrance by Lila Kent #2
“Ah. That would be Big Al. He’d be proud to see Redleg is so highly regarded.” She narrows her cunning eyes at me. “Are you really a witness, or is this personal? Don’t get me wrong. It’s fine either way.”
Redleg? Why does that sound familiar?
Ignoring the flag waving in the back of my mind, I answer her honestly.
“I’m both. I am a witness in his case. I recently became an official informant.
And Reed believes my life is in danger. The people involved are violent criminals.
” I shrug, a half smile lifting one cheek.
“And it’s personal because we’re a . . . ” I pause, struggling for the label.
“A couple?” She finishes for me, tipping her chin at my left hand. “From what I can tell, the only thing missing from your relationship is a ring.”
A girlie giggle sneaks out of my closed mouth, throwing my chance of becoming Kri’s new bestie into the abyss. She’s not the giggling type.
“Reed and I haven’t labeled our relationship. We’ve known each other since we were kids. We have a complicated romantic past. This case sort of pushed us back together. It’s been a whirlwind.”
She returns her attention to the early morning Tampa sky. “Seems the FBI isn’t all that different from Redleg. Cases have a way of pushing people together in our line of work as well. In fact . . .” Her grin turns sly for a split second before her stoicism returns.
“Don’t leave me hanging like that,” I prod.
“I probably shouldn’t mention him. It’s just I work with—” She cuts herself off again, much to my chagrin. “Never mind.”
Employing some good old-fashioned peer pressure, I feign disappointment. “And here I thought you were cool. Shame on me, I guess.”
She purses her lips, glowering at me. “Really, Lila?”
With a cheeky grin, I turn pleading eyes on her. “I’m not above begging.”
Her head rears back as she coughs out a pitying laugh. “You’re a mess.” She runs her fingers through her short-cropped blond hair. “What do you know about Reed’s family?”
Oh.
Oh.
Oooh.
Several pieces click into place at once.
The way she reacted to seeing Reed at the door.
She’s hesitating to ask me about a man she works with at Redleg Security, which I recall seeing in some of Reed’s files.
And now she’s asking about his family.
I pick my jaw off the floor. “You know his brother. He works at Redleg, doesn’t he?”
A look of relief traverses her face, features going slack. “Yes. He’s a close friend of mine.”
Gleeful as Buddy the Elf, I grab her hands and lead her to the couch.
“Okay, I have a million questions. First, why did you bring him up while we were talking about cases pushing people together?” I arch my brows, intensifying my gaze.
“Did you date him before you got married or something? Girl, spill it.”
The laugh erupting out of her is the farthest thing from demure, and I absolutely friggin’ love it. “Me and Sawyer? No way. Not only am I friends with his wife, but he’s been in love with her for decades. Plus, if I were with him, I’d have punched his teeth out by now.”
Through a snicker, I ask, “Why? Is he a grump too?”
“Nope.” She vigorously shakes her head. “I take it you haven’t had the pleasure.”
“I only found out he existed a few days ago.”
“Well, he’s the life of the party. He does impressions better than half the cast of SNL. And he’s always smiling and laughing. It’s unnatural to be that happy. I bet it’s possible because he probably drinks enough coffee to moonlight as the Tampa power grid.”
“That’s ironic. Reed doesn’t drink coffee, and he typically only smiles or laughs around me.”
“Aww,” she coos, dropping her tough chick facade entirely. “That’s sweet.”
“I guess it is.” Warmth spreads from my chest to my cheeks.
With her reaction to my erroneous assumption under control, she finally answers my initial question. “I brought him up because he was protecting Sammy when they finally coupled up. Ironic, given your situation with Sawyer’s brother, eh?“
“Sawyer? I thought his name was—”
She holds up her palm to halt me mid-word. “He doesn’t use his real first name. Ever.”
I shrug. “We all have our quirks, I suppose.”
“Yeah. Sawyer’s a walking, talking quirk.” Her jovial side vanishes. “Any idea why Reed doesn’t want to know him? So much for the fabled twin bond. Reed knows about Sawyer, but not the other way around.”
She doesn’t realize it, but her statement sucked the oxygen out of my lungs.
My gaze plummets to the floor along with the vibe. “Wonder how they got to this point.”
“Sawyer was raised in the foster system. To my knowledge, he never tried to find his birth family. He served in the Army Rangers, then joined Redleg when his contract ended. A few years later, he’s a happily married family man. He and Sammy have twins.”
My spirits lift at that. “Really? No way.”
She nods, pulling out her phone to show me pictures. My heart swells with each swipe to the next image. “They’re adorable.”
The next photo has the proud parents at a birthday party. One baby on each lap. In front of them are two tiny cakes with a single candle sticking out of them.
If he had a hard life in the system, you’d never know it to look at his radiant smile. His wife looks equally overjoyed.
And she’s glaringly familiar. Evidently, Sammy is the same blond woman from the picture Kenzie showed me, claiming it was Reed with her.
I’m such a gullible fool.
Kri adjusts her positioning, moving to the edge of the sofa.
She braces her upper body with her forearms on her knees.
“Crazy how they ended up living in the same part of the state. Both first responders of sorts. And yet, they’re strangers passing in the night.
” Her curious sadness gives way to sarcasm. “With the same smug face.”
“You like him, don’t you? Not romantically, I mean.”
She throws a look at me that holds threats of violence. “I do, but you must swear to take that secret to the grave.” With a mirthful grin, she adds, “I know a dozen ways to kill you with my bare hands.”
I draw an X over my left chest. “Cross my heart.”
For the next few minutes, I zone out in the peace and safety of the condo. Exhaustion gradually overtakes me.
At some point, Kri rises and resumes her earlier pacing. I watch her in my peripheral, fighting my eyelids.
“If it’s okay with you, I’m gonna take a nap. The last few days are catching up to me.”
“Go get some rest, sweetie. I’ll be here. Aaron is checking in with me every fifteen minutes while patrolling the premises. You’re safe.”
I slip off to the bedroom. After sending a quick text to Reed so he isn’t worrying about me, I hit the sheets.