Page 119 of Clinch'd

“Why? What’s going on?”

She grabbed a washcloth off the counter and dropped it in the sink. “I didn't know who he was, Min. I swear but he was so charming and well…we got together, you know? Only after, did I realize, and it was too late.”

“After what?” I whispered, following her lead. When did this all start?

“You were in Vegas. We partied. He was loaded and it was fun but then I got scared and I bailed. When Cooper came around, I jumped at the chance to hide, you know? But then he mentioned you working for Sal, and it all made sense.”

Ignoring the trickle of annoyance that she could stand here and speak to me about shacking up with my ex-lover as though it were no big deal, I nodded for her to continue.

“Anyway, Sal asked me about my family. I thought it was innocent, but I guess he knew who I was the whole time.”

Her miserable expression was lost on me while I contemplated her words. Did he search out Lorri knowing she was the real threat? And then what? Fucked her instead? I mean, I knew men fell over themselves for her, but this was next level. Although maybe it saved her life.

“And the man? What does he have to do with it?” I asked.

She dropped her gaze, and a shiver ran down my spine. Grabbing the washcloth from the sink, I went through the motions of washing my face. Why? I didn’t know but maybe I was hoping it would ease Lorri’s anxiety.

Which seemed to work because after a moment, she said, “It was the only way. My baby’s innocent, Min. You understand?”

Did I?

Unconsciously, I cupped my belly and whispered, “Yeah.”

As it stood, if I had to choose, I wouldn’t be able to lose the precious life inside of me. But could I sentence a man to murder?

“Who was he? Why was Castinetti so keen to show me?” I asked.

“He was testing you.” She grabbed the cloth and proceeded to finish wiping my face.

“How?” My cheeks stung from the hot water, but I ignored it. I had bigger issues to worry about and the surreality of preparing for my sister’s wedding, dressed in a fucking prom dress would have to wait.

“I told him you didn’t know but he wanted to see for himself,” she insisted, and I grabbed her hand.

“Know what?”

Shrugging, she pulled away and tossed the towel in the sink. “That Cooper’s brother is an undercover cop.”

At her casually spoken statement, the world dropped out from under me, and I staggered back. That was Cooper’s brother? Fuck me.

When I met Minnie’s wide-eyed stare once more, I shook my head. I couldn’t let her know I knew, even if I didn’t know he was a cop. Shit. I didn’t know if I could trust my own sister.

Instead, I said, “That poor man.”

When she eased, I bowed my head, hoping to get through this stupid as fuck wedding unscathed.

I had to warn Cooper. I just hoped that I wasn’t too late. Where did they take him? How badly was he hurt? He looked half dead to me and that was thirty minutes ago.

“Will they kill him?” I asked and Minnie licked her lips.

“Of course, don’t be stupid.”

It took everything in me not to react and only biting my tongue so hard I tasted the copper slide of my blood coat my throat, got the job done.

Did she not care about the innocent man about to die?

I had to be fucking casual about this though so, I rinsed my face in the water, and said as she handed me a towel, “How did you know?”

“I lived with him. It wasn’t hard to snoop. He mentioned his brother was a cop and I saw a picture of him on the mantel.”

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