Chapter Thirteen
I wake with a notecard stuck to my face, the first light of dawn peeking through the blackout curtains I failed to shut last night.
Wonderful, I think, as I yank the paper from my skin.
A new paper imprint on my face, of which I have had many.
With an extremely ladylike grunt, I push up on my hands and find I’m alone.
Kane never came home but the truth is I never expected he would.
Some women need their man close. Some care more about where he buried the body, if he buried the body. That’s me. I’m that girl.
I throw my sneaker clad feet over the edge of the bed, and walk outside the bedroom, glancing over the railing to find the living room remains quiet.
By the time I’ve retrieved my phone, my messages are blowing up as apparently sunlight has awakened the slumbering beast called my brother. How early can we meet?
I don’t answer. He’ll think I’m asleep and that works for me.
I walk into the closet, pick out clothes for the day and then rush through a shower and my routine.
By the time I’m in dress slacks, boots, and a teal blouse, my messages are several deep from Andrew.
I start with the last one first which is likely the only one that matters: Wake up already.
Dad’s moving into the governor’s mansion today.
His team feels like it has better security.
That doesn’t happen for months after the election in most cases. What the heck is going on?
Of course, my father managed to get to the proverbial castle in the sky as soon as possible. Another text pings, proving my brother is forever a nag. Lilah, damn it! I’m coming to you if you don’t answer. He’s already calling me. As if I’m going to answer before I’m ready.
I walk to my nightstand, place one earbud in my ear, and the other inside the case and in my pocket.
Next, I slide my blade into a cozy spot on my person, slip on my holster and firearm, and then walk to the closet and remove a jacket from a hanger that I slide over my blouse.
I’m dressed as if I have a case to solve and until I’m presented with a dead body, that isn’t Roberto’s, I’m going to find out where he’s been these past few years.
And look for Junior.
That means Jay needs to get his lazy ass up.
I head for the hallway, walk down the stairs, and Jay, my oh so marvelous protector, has snuck in while I was dressing.
He’s presently on my couch, on his belly, his cheek pressed to the cushion, and his mouth twisted in some weird half open spectacle.
I walk to the coffee table in front of him and sit down.
When he snorts and snores, I pull my blade and press it to his cheek.
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.