Page 44 of August

Her dark eyelashes rested closed, her cheeks tinged pink, and her hair was loose and tousled. The fluffy duvet piled around her made her look even tinier than usual. Rubbing his fingertips together, he fought the urge to touch her kissable mouth. Instead, he backed away to the armchair pushed against the huge window, where he’d left his clothes.

The beautiful view spanned as far as he could see. Sleeping city buildings hid some of the ocean, but what he could see of the water was breathtaking. Did Gigi like the beach? Probably. She’d been tanned before going into witness protection.

He stepped into his joggers and pulled a clean navy-blue T-shirt over his head. Fitting his arms through the sleeves, he contemplated closing the drapes so she’d sleep better, but the noise would probably wake her. He picked up his fully charged phone from the nightstand and left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

The coffee machine was already humming. Thankfully he’d set it the night before. He looked at his phone while the coffee brewed.

Shit. Lots of missed texts from Rami.

Dude, where are you? It’s important.

August hit the call icon, and the line rang in his ear. Rami answered on the second ring. “I was going to swing by. What the hell, man?”

“Sorry. I overslept. We’re fine. Gigi’s still sleeping.”

Rami grunted in an I-know-what-that-means tone. “I bet.”

August ignored that. No way he was commenting on his and Gigi’s relationship. Especially when he hadn’t yet figured out where they stood. “What’s so urgent?”

“Have you turned on the news?”

“Fuck no. Why would I watch that depressing shit?”

“Because Gigi’s old house was set on fire last night. Arson is suspected.”

August’s back tensed against the counter. “What?” His mind reeled.

“The place has been up for foreclosure since Todd and Gigi fled. Good thing it wasn’t occupied. I’d say our Mexican friends are sending us a message.”

“Christ.”

“Look, I’m going to do some digging and see if the police have any more information. Sit tight.”

“Lemme know.” August disconnected and rubbed his temple. Jesus. That was a pretty strong fucking message. His stomach twisted. Gigi’s old house. A home she’d shared with a man she’d loved. Would she be heartbroken?

The coffeemaker beeped. After filling a mug, he went to the island, his brain humming with activity. The smell of the black coffee filled his nostrils, waking him up further.

Now that he had Gigi safe, he had to get to the cartel and end this before they got too close. The attack on Gigi’s house was a show of power. They were making it clear they’d stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

And Todd, the cocksucker, was the bastard they wanted. Grabbing his phone, he called Taschen, who answered groggily. “Yeah.”

“Wake up, buttercup.”

“Fuck you,” he said mildly. “Is there a reason I’m hearing your cheery fucking voice this early?”

“I need your help.” He took a small sip of his warm brew. “We’re gonna need an army.”

Taschen chortled. “All right, you’ve got my attention.” The sound of blankets being thrown rattled through the speaker. “An army for what?”

“To draw out the fucking cartel and end this shit. The bastards set Gigi’s old house on fire.”

“So?” Taschen said, clearly still not firing on all cylinders. “She wasn’t in it.”

“It’s a message, dude. Get your lazy head out of your ass.”

“Hey. I was on a job that kept me out ’til 4:00 a.m.”

“Well, newsflash. Burning someone’s house down, whether they’re in it or not, is a threat.”

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