I go into his bank accounts—his passwords are saved in his browser, and he doesn’t have his computer locked, dumbass—looking for evidence that he purchased the flowers for Daniela.
Within seconds, I’m scrolling through his transactions, my pulse ticking up with each click.Groceries.Gas.A few restaurant charges—cheap diners, nothing that matches the tone of a romantic gesture.No florist.No delivery service.Not even a suspicious PayPal note that could hide the truth.
Either Jordan’s clean…or he’s smarter than I gave him credit for.
I scroll further back, months of mundane spending blurring together.Nothing.Not even a whiff of cash withdrawals timed to coincide with the day Daniela got the bouquet.
Frustration coils tight in my chest.
I glance at the clock.He’ll be back from church soon.No time to dive in any further.If the flowers didn’t come from him, then who the hell sent them?And why do I still feel like his hands are dirty in all this?
I close the tabs, wipe away any trace of my presence with my bandana.
My mind is already spinning, building the next move.
Jordan may not be guilty of this.But that doesn’t mean he’s innocent.
He sure as hell looks at Daniela like he wants to eat her for lunch.
What am I missing?
I leave quickly out the back way, looking for anyone who might be aware of my presence.If anyone stops me, I’ll tell them I’m with the cable company and looking for access to the boxes in the neighborhood.
But no one is around, and no one asks me anything.
I’m still not convinced Jordan is wholly innocent.Is he a good churchgoing young man who plays in a praise band and knows way too much about pipe organs?
Or is that all just an elaborate ruse to hide his true nature?
Could be either.
But I don’t have any evidence, so it’s time to look somewhere else.
Hernando Reyes.
The next likely suspect.
26
DANIELA
Sunlight cuts through the blinds.
I turn away from it, groaning, and reach for my phone.The numbers on the screen jolt me upright.
Eleven a.m.
No.That can’t be right.I never sleep in like this.My body is heavy, sluggish, like I’ve been swimming through molasses all night.The truth is, I can’t even remember falling asleep.
And then I do.Hawk.His place.Our lovemaking.
Our love.
I drag my hair over one shoulder and stare at the phone.Raven and Vinnie must be losing their minds by now.I should’ve checked in.
I scroll down to Vinnie’s name and call him.He picks up on the second ring.
“Where the hell have you been?”His voice is low, restrained, but the steel underneath is impossible to miss.
