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“I got a text from you.”
I feel like my brain has short-circuited. Last night. Red. Creamy flesh. The sweet smell of lavender. It’s holding poll position, and that’s a problem all by itself.
“Brad?”
The Escalade. I gather myself and stand, walking to the edge of the terrace. “There was a drive-by.”
“What?”
“Outside the club. Drake got the license plate number. I’ve sent it to Otto.” I’m not mentioning the dancer with two phones until I need to. If I need to. I need to get those phones to Otto.
“What the fuck’s going on?” The tone of his voice has changed dramatically. It’s got The Enigma all over it.
“I don’t know, but I do know you’re gonna be short one ballbag if you don’t take Beau on a honeymoon soon.”
“Is that humor I hear, Brad?”
Twice in one morning. I smile. It drops the second I remember what’s currently hiding in my bathroom. “No.” I take one last drag of my smoke and stub it out. “Your empty apartment,” I say, wondering why I haven’t thought of it before.
“What about it?”
“Can I move in until the work on mine is done?”
“I was thinking Beau and I should move in there.”
I still, caught off guard. “Since when?”
“Since this house started bursting at the seams with people.”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter, looking back at the bedroom again. “But given the intel we learned yesterday, haven’t you changed your mind?” There’s no way James will leave Beau in an apartment alone.
“All the reason why you shouldn’t be out on your own too. Are you trying to avoid someone, Brad?”
I laugh—not in humor—as I peek down at my arm. At the scratches and marks she’s left behind. “What are you talking about?”
A long, loud sigh. “There’s not a chance in hell any of us are moving out of this mansion until the new shitstorm has passed. I’m heading for the boatyard to stock up. Might have a run out on the water while I’m there.”
Stock up. We’ll all be stocking up, now it’s confirmed we all need to be. The bunker won’t be jam-packed for much longer. “Beau going?” I ask tentatively. I need to plan whatever bullshit I’m spewing to the men when they find out a woman was in here, because I’m sure as shit Beau will be telling James.
“No, she’s got a meeting with a lawyer. I’m banished.”
“What for?”
“Something to do with her mother. It’s a sore subject.”
I flinch. Yeah, I can imagine. “She’s taking Fury, right?”
“Don’t ask stupid fucking questions, Brad.” He hangs up. The girls will not be happy. Bye-bye easygoing, relaxed killer husbands. At least until we find out who the fuck’s fucking with us.
I hear the bathroom door open behind me, reminding me of another problem. “Fuck.” I head back inside, just catching sight of Pearl dipping out quietly and closing the door. “Pearl,” I call, going after her. I pull the door open and search the corridor. No Pearl. But I do find Otto.
“What’s up?” he asks, looking me up and down.
“Nothing.”
He raises curious eyebrows as he keeps walking.
“Wait,” I call, backing up and going to my jacket, pulling out the phones I found in Ella’s backpack. I hand them to Otto. “See what you can find from these. And don’t mention it to anyone else.”
