Page 118 of Sin With Me

“I’ve been in the business too long to not recognize bullshit when I hear it, and you’re shitting me like an asshole. Open the vault!”

“Fine, fine. Just take it easy with thegun.”

Brook remained hidden, and if I wanted to get Mike away from Kate, I had to get the detective closer to the vault. I braced against the stone, pushing with all my might, wondering how in the world Anna had done this almost thirty years ago. The lid finally gaveway.

“It’sopen.”

“Take out the money.”

“I can’t see anything.”

He shuffled his feet closer, and just as he lit another flare, my brother tackled him from the side and struck his leg in the same fashion I’d had done to Mateo. Mike’s legs buckled. His hand flew up, and he fired his gun into the chapel floor above us. The distraction gave me enough time to push Kate aside and take him down. Brook helped me stabilize him, and we tied his hands behind hisback.

Brook pointed his gun to Mike’s head. “Don’t move!” Then he proceeded to secure him further.

I rushed toward Kate. She was barely alive. Her breaths were short and frequent. I lifted her into my arms and felt something wet on the inner thighs of her leggings: blood. Brook tended to Father John. Anna seemed torn over whom to comfort, and her attention darted from Father John, who was still bleeding from the gunshot, to Kate and then to Mike. I couldn’t even begin to imagine her mental torture. I couldn’t imagine how she’d held on for so many years, on the run from the Cortez cartel. Kate felt so frail in my arms that I was worried we didn’t have enough time to get her the medical attention she needed.

“Anna, help Father John. I’ve gotKate.”

“What about the money?” she asked.

I shone a light inside the tomb. “There is no money anymore. It’s all rotted.”

“All fifty million?”

“The critters don’t count when theyeat.”

“Good. All that money’s done is brought trouble in my life. What about Mateo?”

“We’ll send the authorities to get him. It’ll do him some good to spend time with thedead.”

I carried Kate upstairs, Brook dragged Mike, and the rest followed. Outside, Lola was sitting on a nearby rock. At her feet was Aaron Cortez, tied up in rope. From the fancy knots all around his body, I’d say that she’d had too much fun with herjob.

Lola rushed toward me as soon as I came out of the chapel. She pulled out a bottle of water from a side pocket in her utility pants and put it to Kate’slips.

“It’s beautiful.” Kate said, barely able to keep her eyesopen.

“Whatis?”

“The Milky Way.” I followed her gaze up, then looked down at her face. Her eyes closed, and she lost consciousness.

“Hurry!” I yelled, and began the long journey back home, praying that time was on ourside.

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