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The timing of our acquaintance is either horribly unfortunate or fortunately providential. There are countless reasons why anything between us is a terrible idea, so it’s probably a good thing that, according to my last conversation with my attorney, the odds of me going to jail are trending upwards.
The sniffles have abated, there’s movement against my shirt, and I think the nightmare’s trauma is ebbing. Annalise’s face swivels up. “Will they find the body?”
My eyes dart. “Excuse me?”
“Tanner. I’m thinking they won’t, because between a federal agent and a sheriff’s deputy, y’all ought to be able to dispose of a body right.”
I feel a grin on my lips as I give her shoulder a weak pinch. “Hey now, we also know how to dispose of pesky witnesses.”
She giggles. “Poor kid.”
I snort. “Snotty little twerp is what he is. Did you see his hands all night? He’s lucky they’re still attached to his body.”
I get a cute little snicker. “Well, I’m sure you boys took care of things.”
I sigh. “We did our best to put the fear in him, but I’m not sure it’s enough to overcome teenage boy-brain.” Not based on personal experience or anything, but I’m certain it isn’t. I have equally as little faith in Rachel on this point, and that bites, because jail or no, I’m not going to be around to keep an eye out. Worse, after the news Adolfo laid on me tonight, he won’t be either. I want to be happy for him and Maria, but the timing stinks.
I massage my jaw as if that will ease the ache.
“Marco?”
Though the light is weak, my breath catches at the sheer beauty staring up at me.
“Is everything alright?”
I give a final squeeze and put a sliver of space between us. “Yep.”
She squints at me for a moment before edging toward the armrest.
Smart lady. I’m not quite the bastion of self-control I might appear.
“You sure? You seem—”
The trailer rattles, and we both turn. Arms folded across her nightshirt, Rachel stops at the end of the sofa. “Ugh, you’re such a hypocrite.”
Of course she means me, but she’s being rude, nonetheless. “How so?”
A snitty look shapes her face as she darts her finger between me and Annalise.
“Easy there, twerp,” I say in a lighter tone than what I’m feeling.
“Umm…” Annalise stands. “I’ll leave you two…”
My impulse is to stop her, but that’s nonsensical, so I wish her goodnight, watching until she closes the bedroom door, then turn my attention to Rachel, who plops down in her vacated spot.
“I’m mad at you.”
I settle against the cushion. “Get in line.” Seriously. The end of the hate-Marco-Gonzalez line is wrapping the block somewhere back in Dallas.
She stares at me for several long moments until I begin to see a shimmer in her eyes. “Is it true? Is there really a chance you’ll go to jail?”
The shift threatens my equilibrium. I don’t want to fight with my sister about her handsy boyfriend, but I also can’t tell her what she wants to hear about my future, so kind of, I wish she’d continued with the silent treatment she dished out when I returned with Adolfo earlier in the night.
She’s only sixteen, but babying her on this is counterproductive. “About fifty-fifty at this point.” I hedge a tad in spite of myself.
“That’s not fair!”
“I killed someone, Rache.”
