Chapter 9
VIKTOR
Dante hangs up before I can get another word in.
How typical.
I stare at my phone for a second, shaking my head before tossing it onto the passenger seat.
The engine’s already running, so I pull out of the spot and head toward Everleigh’s location.
When I get there, I park across the street from the bookstore and stay in the car.
That’s exactly what this place is.. a bookstore. It just happens to have a coffee bar tucked inside.
From where I’m sitting, I can see through the front windows. Everleigh and Mira are at one of the small tables, laughing about something I can’t hear.
Probably whatever nonsense girls their age talk about.
Boys. Definitely boys.
I lean down in the seat as much as I can while keeping my eyes on them, doing my best not to get spotted.
Dante might pretend he doesn’t care how pissed she gets, but I know better. And if something happened to her while he was busy playing double agent with the feds, I’d never hear the end of it.
Mira sits across from her, talking animatedly with her hands while Everleigh swirls her cup in the air, mixing whatever she has in it. Even through the glass I can tell she’s only half-listening to Mira.
She’s wearing the same expression she’s worn since we were kids when something is bothering her.
I lean back in the seat, resting an arm on the steering wheel. “Congratulations, Dante,” I mutter. “Your problem is safe.”
Everleigh finally laughs at something Mira says, tipping her head back slightly. The tension in her shoulders eases a little, but I can tell it’s just to convince Mira that she’s enjoying herself.
Dante sounded a little off on the phone. More direct than usual. That’s normally how he gets when he and Everleigh have been at each other’s throats.
Knowing those two though, they’ll be back to being buddy-buddy by tonight.
I glance around the street out of habit, watching as a young couple walk past with their Siberian Husky.
Two college kids are sitting on a bench in front of them as they walk by.
Luckily, everything seems normal. Which is exactly how I like it.
I look back toward the window just as Everleigh stands, heading toward the bookshelves to the left.
She stops at the first shelf, running her fingers along the spines.
She’s not just browsing.
I already know what’s coming.
A second later she starts pulling books from the shelf, stacking them in her arms. Mira leans in beside her, grabbing a few more from the row like she’s helping add to the damage.
I shake my head. “Called it.”
Now that right there is the real problem.
Damn book hoarder.
I settle deeper into the seat, my eyes drifting between the shop’s windows and the street around it.
Dante’s got his operation tonight.
Which means until then, keeping an eye on Everleigh falls to me.
Lucky me.
I love my sister, but damn. She’s not exactly who I’d choose to keep surveillance on all day.
I already know how this is going to go. The second she leaves here, she’ll head to another store.
And then another one.
All on our father’s dime.
I’m not sure if he spoils her, or if he just doesn’t care enough to question it. The money’s practically endless, so he lets her spend it however she wants.
Mira adds another book on top of Everleigh’s stack like she’s helping build a tower.
I let out a quiet laugh under my breath. “Unbelievable.”
The cashier starts ringing them up while Mira leans against the counter, still talking a mile a minute. Everleigh nods here and there, but her attention drifts back to the shelves again.
She’s already looking for more.
I shake my head and glance down at my phone, half-tempted to send Dante a picture of her mountain of books just to prove to him that I knew what I was talking about.
But I don’t.
He’s probably already knee-deep in whatever mess my father has him handling.
Inside the shop, Everleigh finally hands over a card.
After she pays for her addiction, the cashier bags half the books together, but there’s not enough room, so he ends up putting the rest in a separate bag.
He had to use two bags. Two bags.
“Jesus,” I scoff in disbelief.
A couple that’s walking past my truck glance over when they hear me.
I forgot my windows are rolled down slightly, so I lean back further in the seat and pretend I’m not doing anything questionable.
Across the street, Mira grabs one of the bags while Everleigh takes the other. They stop near the door, still talking, and for a second Everleigh looks out through the window.
Right in my direction.
I hit the button on the side of the seat and start lowering it, trying to hide my face before she looks too hard in this direction.
The damn thing starts reclining at the speed of a dying turtle.
Damn electric seats. Real convenient until you actually need them to move fast.
“Yeah, take your time,” I mutter under my breath as it slowly inches back. “It’s not like I’m trying to avoid getting caught or anything.”
After a minute or so, I slowly lift my head, just enough to peek over the edge of the window.
I frown slightly, sitting up a little higher.
Where in the hell did they go?
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I grumble.
I straighten the rest of the way, scanning the sidewalk. I don’t see them anywhere.
Great.
I drag a hand through my hair, already picturing Dante’s reaction of when I tell him that I lost track of her less than an hour into this little babysitting job.
I lean forward, about to reach for the door handle so that I can get out and look down the street, when a knock suddenly hits the passenger side window.
I freeze, not making a single move to glance in that direction. I continue to stare out the driver’s side window and say, “Sorry, I don’t have any cash on me today.”
The glass rattles slightly with the second knock. “V, you asshole. Roll this window down now.”
Slowly, I turn my head toward the sound.
And there she is.
All five foot nothing of her standing right outside the car, one hand braced casually against the roof like she owns the damn vehicle. The other taps lightly against the glass again.
Her head tilts slightly as she looks down at me through the window, one eyebrow raised in clear amusement as she waits for me to lower it.
Mira stands a few steps behind her on the sidewalk, both bags of books hanging from her arms.
She seems to be trying to hold in a laugh.
Everleigh leans down a little more so that she can see me better through the glass.
“Well?” she says, her voice cutting through the small opening in the window.
I stare at her for a second before clicking the button to roll it down.
She rests her elbow on the window frame the second it’s open, now instead of looking entertained by it all, she looks pissed.
“Before you say anything,” I mutter, already rubbing my temple, “this isn’t what it looks like.”
Her lips curve into a slow sinister smile.
“Oh?” she says. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks exactly like my brother is hiding in a vehicle across the street spying on me. All I’m trying to do is enjoy my coffee in peace.”
Behind her, Mira finally loses the fight and laughs out loud.
I shoot her a look and turn my attention back to my sister, “Drinking coffee, huh? Those two bags of books Mira’s struggling to carry say otherwise.”
“Stop judging,” she says without hesitation.
I sigh and lean back in the seat. “Dante called.”
Her facial expression shifts from embarrassment to anger.
Why did I agree to this? I know things between those two can be complicated as hell.
And now I’m in the middle of it.