Page 138 of South Beach Bodyguards

Wester eyed me. “Do you know for a fact that he was involved in illegal activity?”

“I’m ninety-nine percent sure. He mentioned things.” Usually bragging because he always thought he was smarter than everyone else.

“Do you really think she didn’t know anything then? I mean, most people know if someone they’re having sex with has secrets.”

The reminder that Miranda had been Max’s first made my blood boil. I didn’t want to think about her having sex with him. Her body was mine now. The jealousy made me want to reach for her, but I held back the urge.

I had always assumed that Miranda was kept in the dark by Max. He never straight out told me anything. So why would he tell her, who was on the straight and narrow? It didn’t seem like something she would just be cool with. “I don’t know. She doesn’t seem the type to stay with him if she knew what he was doing.” But it made me think.

What did I really know about the past?

It made me want the information from Mickey even more. It also made me want to pick through all of Max’s old shit. All of that was at my parents’ house. I would head over there tomorrow after work.

“What was he doing at the time he went missing?”

“Like the specific day? I have no idea. I never asked.” I didn’t.

When Miranda had called my parents frantic after a day or two of no contact with Max all I had felt was relief. Total relief.

But that wasn’t what I felt now.

Now I was eager. If Max was around, I could finally slam my fist into his face and tell the motherfucking weasel what exactly I thought of him.

“Maybe you should ask Miranda what she knows.”

“Maybe I will.” Did I really want to go there though? Did I want the truth even if it was an ugly one?

I yanked open the back door and came face-to-face with Miranda pointing a gun at me.

eight

“Do you hear that?” I asked Olivia as we chatted in the kitchen. “I hear something next door.” Carefully I moved across the linoleum floor and put my ear to the wall.

“What? No, I don’t hear anything.” Olivia moved closer to me.

“It’s someone walking.” I moved back. “Someone has been in there this whole time. I need to tell Alejandro.” But first I was going for my gun. “Wait here. I’ve got to grab something.”

“Okay.” Olivia sounded bewildered. I wondered if she thought I was totally nuts because she seemed like someone I could actually be friends with. I needed some new friends in town. Nor did I want people to think I was a crazy woman.

But I couldn’t worry about that right now. Something was totally off next door. I wanted to know what it was because damn it, I had rented this duplex for twelve months. I did not want someone destroying my peace of mind. But I also knew that tonight I wouldn’t be able to sleep there. Aside from the fact that I was freaked out, the bed wasn’t even in place and I had no clue where the box with my sheets was. The latter part of the move had not gone according to plan thanks to Conrad the cat guy.

Before that, Alejandro had been more than a distraction. He had shattered my world. My body and my mind.

Feeling anxious, I texted Lola while I was looking through the boxes in my bedroom for the one I needed. She texted me back right away giving me the response I wanted. She was a generous and kind person who didn’t mind sharing her success and I had been counting on that.

Spying the box I wanted I tore off the tape and dug through it for my lock box. The key was on my key ring so I took the whole box into the kitchen and opened it. I wasn’t going to bother to load the gun. I just wanted to scare Conrad if he appeared to be threatening Alejandro.

The back door to my kitchen went flying open and without hesitation I spun and pointed the gun straight at the intruder.

It was just Alejandro eyeing me.

“That better not be loaded,” Alejandro said. “Because I don’t feel like taking a bullet today.”

I lowered my arm. “Why would I shoot you? I thought you were Conrad or whatever the hell his name is.”

He was still just eyeing me like he’d thought I had lost my mind. “Why do you have a gun?”

“I’m a single lady. I need to protect myself.”

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