Page 89 of Lost Kingdom

“My phone!” I pounce from my chair and snatch hers from her back pocket, tapping the screen, swiping, tapping again, only to be met with passcode requests. “Dammit!” I shove the phone in her face and bypass the code when the camera picks up her face recognition, then I jump to the call log and find Felix’s name, three calls down. Hitting dial, my hands shaking, I drag the device to my ear and swipe beneath my eye. “I don’t even like him,” I choke out. “I can’t stand his egotistical self-importance and narcissistic?—”

“Archer’s gonna have a coronary if he finds out about the affair we’ve been having,” he teases. Smooth and ridiculous. “Business hours? That’s naughty.”

“Felix!” I burst out loud enough to draw eyes from my colleagues as they pass by. “It’s Aubree. Where are you?”

“Doctor Derrière?” His chuckle turns to a salacious snigger. “Hell, it’s my lucky day. What’s up?”

“Where are you?” I push away from my desk and stomp into Minka’s office for privacy.

“I’m in the car, cutie. Need something?”

“In the car, where?” I snarl. “Where are you, Felix? Who are you with? Paint me a friggin’ picture and stop screwing around.”

“That’s Aubree?” Tim’s voice in the background has the air backing up in my throat. Panic turning to fire in my veins. His voice, right beside Felix’s, is enough to bring my blood pressure painfully high.

“Tim?”

“Go away,” Felix grumbles. “She called me, not you.”

“Give me the fuckin’ phone.” Tim snatches the device and brings it to his ear. The calm in every storm. The sense, when not much else makes sense. “Aubree?”

“I need you to listen to me, okay? I know you’ll want to brush me off, but I’m asking you to take my word for it? This is really important.”

“I trust you,” he croons. “Always. What’s wrong?”

“Where are you? Why are you with Felix?”

“He flew in. Frank and I just grabbed him from the airport.”

“Why’s he in Copeland?”

“Because I asked this weak ass dipshit to take care of business while I was away,” Felix teases. “He passed, because he’s a bitch with a secret vagina tucked away in his shorts, so here I am. This dude owes us money, and now I’m back from my thing with Christabelle. It’s time to collect.”

“Turns out Felix’s pal is Jada’s pal. Who is probably Booth’s pal, too,” Tim adds. “I tracked her back to this house a couple of hours ago. Didn’t go in yet, because Felix called. But seems we’re heading in the same direction.”

“Two birds,” Felix jokes, “one handgun. Are you done checking up on him yet, Doc? You’ve been married for five minutes. Be cool with the obsessive, controlling stuff. It’s hot, but only in moderation.”

“Shut up, Lix!” Tim pushes his brother away, his growl rolling along the line and soothing my frayed nerves. Because Felix annoying Tim means he’s alive. Annoying, but alive. “Aubree, what are you trying to tell me?”

“I need you to turn the car around. Right now,” I rasp, my eyes coming up to Minka’s when she silently sits down on the edge of her desk. “Don’t go to that house.”

“Sorry, cutie pie. It’s time to collect,” Felix taunts. “If I don’t chase down those debts, motherfuckers think they get to screw with us.”

“Tim,” I groan. “You said you would trust me.”

He swallows, the sound audible and rolling through the line. “I trust you.”

“So turn the car around. Call in an anonymous tip to the cops. Tell them there’s something going down and they need to search the place. But you and Felix can’t go there.”

“Babe—”

“I told you, didn’t I? Everyone has a journey, and the roads that stretch out ahead of us change when we step left instead of right.” I press my free hand to my pounding chest. “I’m asking you to step left. Both of you, right now.”

“We’re two minutes out, Boss.” Frank’s voice cuts through the air. “Streets are pretty clear. No tail.”

“Tim,” I plead. “Don’t go there. Turn around and come to the George Stanley.”

“The bar,” Minka inserts quickly. “Take it to the bar. We can meet them there.”

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