Page 36 of Saving Bonnie

“Come in and make yourself comfortable.” I run damp palms along the front of my apron.

Cord presses his lips together and gives me a nod then takes careful steps across the kitchen, using the balls of his feet.

“I’ll set up over here, in a booth, so I stay out of your way.”

Instead of the table where Tino spends the night. Nearly at the place where he stood behind me that first night.

“Do you need me to give you a hand with anything?”

“No. Today was a slow day, so we shut down early.” I untie the apron. “I’m about to head upstairs.”

“All right, ma’am. If you need anything, you just let me know.”

If I wasn’t so annoyed, this would be laughable. This guy is polite, setting me at ease before intruding into my life. He’s thoughtful of the fact I just finished cleaning. And he’s attractive, to boot. The kind of guy I may have gone for at some point.

Meanwhile, I’m choked up about the guy who came striding into my life, leaving a body count in his wake.

It’s a sobering thought.

*****

Tino

It’s no use trying to sleep. Working out got me nowhere. A couple of days of free climbing will turn things around. Nothing like relying on your physical ability during a climb to keep your focus on the task at hand. With any luck, I might even forget Cord will be with her from now on.

I punch the buttons on the phone, dialing Dante.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Dante replies, answering my call.

“I sent the marshal to the café,” I announce.

“Okay.”

Dante’s simple reply just adds to my annoyance. I don’t let shit like this get to me. Yet, right now, I need to let loose on something or someone.

“I have something I need to take care of.”

“You have a lead?” he asks with interest.

Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut? “No. Not with Conrado.”

“Hrmph.”

I thought long and hard about what to do and what to say to him. While I could tell Dante I need some sleep, I’m not going to. I’m also not going to tell him about her. Instead, I’m going to find a good outlet for the anger brewing inside me.

With an inward groan, I admit, “I need a couple of days on my own.”

“I see...” he replies, leaving something left unsaid. Tejano music and hammering fill the silence.

Dante’s never been one for patience. Having to wait for a lead on Conrado is testing his limits. If he didn’t have Iris with him, this would be like dealing with a caged animal.

“Hang on,” he states. “Let me head outside.”

His sharp footsteps echo in the storage area of Iris’s store. The door opens with a squeak then the crunch of gravel as he checks around the corner of the building.

“I take it you haven’t talked to Iris.” It’s been well over a week since we found her father.

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