Page 105 of Sin With Me

Chapter27

Cameron

When my brother’stext message came in, saying he had new information on Cortez, I hoped that this was the clue we’d been waiting for. I hoped that along with the FBI connection Jax and Dean sought, we could work with the authorities to find the cartel and get rid of them once and for all. Maybe I could finally put the Cortez drama behind us. After resisting Kate’s heated stare about a thousand times this morning, I put on a pair of sweats and a shirt. She remained in bed, scrolling through the phone I gave her. I grabbed a sweatshirt as well and jogged to my brother’s, who lived a couple of blocksaway.

I found him sitting on the patio with a cigarette in his hand. It had been a while since I’d seen him smoking.

“What’s going on? Why the sudden urge to tempt lung cancer?”

Brook only smoked when he was stressed, and from the look on his face, he needed much more than a cigarette. He looked like he needed a full pack of that poison just to take the edgeoff.

“Women.”

Ah, that would explainit.

“What do you have forme?”

“There’s no record of a Michael Williams or a Michael Hernandez anywhere, not even adoption agencies. I’ve checked everywhere and tapped out all my resources.”

“Shit, I was hoping we’d find something. Kate would be ecstatic if she found her brother.”

“Well, I did find something else, and I don’t think you’re going to like it. I went on a hunch and searched adoption records for a Michael Cortez. He was adopted by a family in New York over twenty-five years ago. I just got a call this morning that he goes by the name Mike Donaldson. He changed it when he was eighteen.”

“You’re serious?”

“Get this – he’s a detective, and he leads Kate’s precinct.”

If it had come a few days ago, the news would have brought comfort; I would have been excited that I’d found someone connected to the Cortez family. But all I felt now was anxiety. At least Kate was safe at home in my bed, and until I found out whether Mike Donaldson’s intentions toward her were genuine, that’s where she’d stay. So far, my gut was sending me a warning. The level of my suspicion was on high alert, blinking orange and red in mymind.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“That we should pay Mike Donaldson a visit.”

He grabbed his car keys and we headed out the front door. I watched my brother take his gun holster.

“You drive.” He threw the keys at me and then shrugged. “I had a drink aswell.”

By the time I turned on the ignition, Brook already had the holster around him, concealed by a leather jacket. For the first minute or so we drove to Kate’s precinct in silence. My brother lit another cigarette and opened the car window. I hated the smell of smoke and he knew it. This only meant that whatever was bothering him was serious.

“Want to talk aboutit?”

“I don’t know. She’s driving me crazy.”

“It’d help if I knew who shewas.”

“You know exactlywho.”

Lola.

“All right, why is Lola driving you crazy.”

“She’s stubborn, obnoxious, and crazy. Make that double crazy.”

“Exactly your type, then.” I glanced to the side at my brother. At least I got that frown off his face. “You want some advice from an older brother?” I asked.

“The one who fucked a woman as a priest?”

I gave him a warning look and the only reason I didn’t swerve off to the right, park the car roadside, and beat the shit out of him was because he didn’t need it right now. Actually, neither of usdid.

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