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“There’s something about him,” I finish. Can’t put a finger on it, but it’s there.
“Yes. There is,” she agrees with a sly smile. “But you’re so hell-bent on crucifying Felix Daxon. I didn’t think whatever makes him so intriguing…” She picks up her coffee. “Well, I didn’t think you’d be affected by him. Then again, he is closer to your age. And you haven’t had sex since coming to Florida. What has it been four, five months?” She smirks at me from the rim of her coffee as she takes a sip.
I roll my eyes. “He’s a year younger than me.”
“I don’t think a year will make a difference when it comes to a man like Felix Daxon. That boy seems experienced beyond his age, and I’m not just talking about in the bedroom.”
“You mean Lix,” I correct her, dismissing any thoughts that includes sex and Lix Daxon. “And it’s been six months since I’ve had sex. I’m fine.”
Or maybe I’m not. I kissed him. How stupid was that?
I can’t tell Selina about it. And I’ve been telling her everything since college. We’ve been friends for eight years. When she told me about Felix Daxon, I knew it was time to come to Florida to find the unanswered questions that have haunted me for years.
I stayed with Selina for four months until I got my own place. I love Selina, but I need my own space.
“Right? Lix?” She walks toward me. “It’s perverse, isn’t it?
“Yes. Like him.” My cheeks flush with heat thinking about his mouth. His warm lips. The promise in them from that brief yet impressionable kiss.
I hate the man!
“When he first introduced himself and told me his name…” Selina shakes her head. “Well, the one he wants to be called. He’s a piece of work, but he does have a sort of charm about him. If you didn’t hate him so much, I’d have to admit I kinda like the kid.”
“Yeah, well, this kid is going down.” I gather the papers on the table.
“You don’t know if he’s the one.”
When I hear the seriousness in her tone, my eyes flash to hers. “No. But I’m going to find out.”
Her thick eyebrow lifts. “And what about the escort service? It’s a good thing they’re doing, helping those women.”
“If I need to take it down to get my answers, then so be it.” I slap my hand on the pile of papers, knowing Selina is right.
But I can’t stray from the plan.
“Like my father always says, do whatever you need to get the story. Tell the facts and don’t concern yourself with who it might affect, hurt, or destroy. My job is to report the truth. For this particular story, I’m going to use my father’s cutthroat advice.”
“Chosen.” Selina says my name in her stern, authoritative voice, the one I imagine she uses on the perps on the street.
I glance up. Even with her hair pulled back tight and lack of makeup, it’s hard to believe she’s ten years older than me. She’s a beautiful woman, no matter how hard she tries to stifle it.
“Your father is an ass.”
“Listen, Officer Starr.” My lip quirks. She hates when I call her that. “My father is an ass. But we talked about this. If the police want to turn a blind eye when it comes to the Daxon brothers and what they’re doing, that’s fine. But if I can use it to find out the truth…” I shake my head. “I need to know.”
“I understand he meant a lot to you.” Her tone softens. “I know you want to find out who killed him. Just be careful.”
“I am. I just need to get close to Lix. If he thinks I’m going to ruin his life, or if I can befriend him, maybe I’ll get the truth out of him. Who knows, he could be doing the escorts for penance for what he did when he was younger. He could be helping those women to redeem his past sins.”
“He could.” She pauses for a second. “Or he could have nothing to do with your uncle’s death, and you’re about to ruin a decent man’s life. You’ve done the research. You know where Felix Daxon comes from.”
“Yes. That’s why I must do it this way. His mother killed his father right in front of him when he was eight. He was in and out of the system. He lived on the streets and was sentenced to live out the last years of his youth in juvie. And now he’s some fucked-up hero who thinks he’s above the law. Hell, the police won’t even touch him. He thinks he’s invincible. He’s never going to trust me. He’ll never tell me the truth.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have a plan.”
“Is this your plan?” She waves at the scattered papers remaining on the table. “He wasn’t the only one there that night. There were four other boys.”
