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“Answer the fucking question, Felix. Was it you?”
“It wasn’t me. But I did hit someone today, in a different city, different jurisdiction. Ya know, if you need me to add credibility to my denial. Now answermyquestion. How’s she doing?”
“She’s tired.” I drop my head back and press my thumb and finger to my eyes. “She works too hard and sleeps too little. Her shoulder is healing, but it’s fucking slow-going, man.”
My brain is sluggish, and my thoughts jump between Kyle and Minka, but realization eventually registers in my brain. “Wait.” I snap my gaze open once more. “Who’d you hit today? And why?”
“Do you actually wanna know?” he laughs. “Aren’t you then morally obligated to arrest me?”
“Morally?” I counter. “Or legally? I’m pretty sure it’s both.”
“Potato, potahto,” he sniggers. “But since you asked, it’s just some chump who thought he could skip out on paying his dues. Like Dad’s descension into hell would be distraction enough for the new management, AKAme, to forget to collect. Fat chance. He was warned. We even tried asking nicely.”
“Mmhm,” I drawl. “Bet you did.”
“We extended as many olive branches as we could muster—which was generous, consideringold managementwasn’t fond of warnings at all. But it would seem Pedro thought my leniency was weakness. So when our friendly counsel wasn’t taken seriously, I had my men bring him to me so we could chat.”
“Okay.” I crush the heel of my palm against my eye socket and groan. “Don’t tell me any more. Copeland really wasn’t you?”
“Nope. But eyes, huh? That’s interesting.”
“Sure is. I’m pulling matching MOs from our database at the station, but so far, I’m not picking up much of anything except unsolved crimes. And, asshole, I know you and your kin were responsible for most of them.”
He giggles, childish and giddy, so the sound is like nails on a chalkboard in my exhausted brain. “True professionals. But you want me to ask around and see who’s moving and shaking over there? If someone’s looking to imitate us, I might consider that a direct threat.”
“Nah.” I draw a deep breath and glance across when Minka’s shod feet touch my thigh in her sleep.
She’s stretching out and looking for warmth. Comfort. So I scoop her feet up and settle them on my lap, making quick work of unbuckling each shoe and peeling them off to give her that next layer of relaxation.
“There are too many differences to be a copycat,” I tell him.
Though I can’t pinpoint when, exactly, Felix and I became chit-chat buddies. Last I checked, he was the enemy. He was someone I had no desire to know, and a target I was willing to take out if he came too close. But then he went and fell in love with my wife, platonic and caring and exhibiting all the right feelings. Now I can’t seem to shake him.
“I’m thinking this was a coincidence,” I admit. “The torturers wanted information—and taking a man’s fingers isn’t exclusive to you idiots. So now it’s my job to figure out the who and why behind this guy’s punishment. But why’d you call me?”
“I need a reason?”
“Always. Tell me what it is, and I’ll consider staying on the line and letting you rack up precious minutes. If you’ve got nothing of interest to me, then I’m hanging up and spending time with my wife.”
“But you said she’s asleep.”
“She is.”
I lower my hand to her thigh and study her face in profile. A somewhat sharp jaw, and her pointed nose. Pouty lips, and long lashes, both natural because she so rarely messes around with makeup and enhancements. Her shoulder is wrapped, and her forehead wrinkles from pain, even in unconsciousness. But for as long as she rests, she heals. And as long as she heals, I can ignore the weight of the world sitting on my shoulders and stressing me out.
“I probably should take her on a real honeymoon sometime, huh?” I murmur.
“You haven’t yet?” My older brother scoffs in the back of his throat, disgusted. “You got her to marry you and didn’t even take her somewhere to celebrate?”
“We’ve been busy.”And that busy-ness tends to lead to one of us getting injured.
This is what happens when you pair up a couple of workaholics and expect them to find balance in their lives. Theydon’t.
“I should plan something,” I decide.
“You should come to New York.” Felix’s voice grows a little quieter. Gruffer, like he’s sitting down and relaxing. “I’d like to see her. You can have an entire wing of the house to yourselves. I’ll probably even let you fuck without asking to join in.”
I roll my eyes upward and shake my head. “There’s something wrong with you.”
