AllFreeNovel
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The last person I took care of was Ivan himself. He’s who the MDP picked up, and before he was fully booked in, I had him out. It was a mistake by a rookie cop who didn’t know the set of rules made specifically for the De Leon family.
There are certain concessions made for them. Miami doesn’t want a bloodbath.
Moreover, it was his mother who called me in the middle of the night asking for help, not a girlfriend. I’ve accepted a lot over the years, but fidelity is the one thing I won’t question.
Ivan knows where I stand.
What I’d never accept.
Dropping her hands into her lap, she wrings them together in a nervous action. More tears fall—faster—leaving behind black tracks of mascara in their wake. She’s also a little more jittery. “Please. I don’t know what else to do.”
Coming around to Karen’s side, I take the seat beside her, patting her back gently. “Please try and get a hold of yourself, Miss Lopez. There’s not much I can do for you if I don’t have the information necessary.”
“Tissue, please.”
“I’ve already laid the box out for you.”
“Oh.” That’s it, but she does calm down. Creepily at once. “Didn’t see them there.”
“It’s okay. I can see you’re under a lot of stress.”
“I am.” She grabs a tissue from the box and dabs her eyes. Another to blow her nose. “They ruined our engagement celebration.”
“Who did?” Trying not to cringe at the way she places the dirty tissues atop my desk. Nasty.
There’s a knock at the door and Anita walks in with a manila folder, a bottle of water, and my coffee in a Styrofoam cup. “Here you go, miss.” She places the water down first and smiles at Karen after she mutters a low thank you. “My pleasure. Please let me know if you need anything else.” The rest is put beside my closed laptop before she walks out. Yet, before reaching the door, she tilts her head toward the folder, meeting my eyes.
Message understood.
A quick nod from me, and she exits. “Please continue, Karen. Who ruined your engagement?”
“I’m sorry, but can I have a coffee instead?”
“Sure.”
Standing, I pause just outside my door and whistle. “I’m sorry, Anita. She’d like a coffee, please.”
“Of course.” Chiming comes from the front, and she rushes to greet whoever entered.
However, when I turn, I find a nervous woman. Pale. A little sweaty. Once again scratching her arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Clears her throat. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Because your fiancé is lost?
“No reason.” When I take a seat this time, it’s back behind my desk. This is when I notice the papers peeking out from the folder, and the fact the coffee lid flap is open. The staff here knows I like the latter closed—keeps in the steam. What the hell are you playing at? “By the way, someone came in and Anita is helping them. It’ll just be a few minutes for your coffee.”
“Of course. No worries.”
“So about your fiancé…”
“Oh, yes.” Opening her water, she takes a deep enough pull to empty half the contents. “As I mentioned, we were out last night celebrating at a bar when we were attacked. We’d had a couple of drinks with some friends, nothing over the top…” she leans over as if sharing a secret, and I keep up the façade by grabbing a pen and opening the folder “…when some guy accused me of taking his keys. Mind you, I’d been sitting on Ramon’s lap the entire time.”
“Ramon is…”
“My fiancé.”
“And his last name?”
“Isn’t that in your paperwork already?” Bingo. You looked.
