Page 13 of Play With Me

Aaron Cortez and his family used to run that town. But Cameron figured if we could find a way to get to him before he got to us, then why not? While he was out there, I was supposed to be here looking for the woman who’d sabotaged Cameron’s trade for a viable heart for our father. She blew up a van full of narcotics and black market organs, and our family got blamed.

I was so screwed. She was impossible to find, and my frustration over the case was reaching its peak. The leads I’d followed hadn’t gone anywhere. Add to the wound that for the past four months I’d been living with my mother, father, and two brothers, and I felt like I was going crazy.

Father and mother — back together in the same house.

I shook my head. Who wouldn’t go crazy living with two incompatible people who despised each other – who were beginning to exchange googly eyes? The limited space we shared was becoming more unbearable with each passing day.

Then there was Sophie, who loved having the entire family together again more than anything. Living with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Jack was way more entertaining than living with five grown men.

“She doesn’t know our little girl the way I do. I’m not sure she’d even give her a chance. I need Lola to like Sophie before they meet, and I’m not sure how to do that. I don’t know what to do.”

I’d already made too many mistakes as a father. Sophie was my only child, and raising her on what I liked to call instinct, I knew that I wouldn’t put her through another round of family chaos, no matter what. She’d been through enough.

“Marissa? What do I do?”

Once again I waited for a reply, but there was none. I could talk to my two younger brothers, Jax and Dean, but they were pre-occupied with Mom’s manservant business. They’d taken to that like two starving bears to a beehive. I’d even heard them say it was better than bounty hunting. I had to disagree with that. Nothing felt better than hunting down a scumbag and putting him behind bars.

I’d filled in for the occasional job or two as a manservant when I needed a distraction, but I didn’t want to do that anymore. The more I missed Lola, the more I realized that I didn’t want to have another woman’s possessive claws trying to push me beyond our agreed services. And boy, did they ever want to push.

“I’ll tell her about Sophie soon. I promise.”

I shifted on the bench just as a familiar figure passed in my peripheral vision. Slim with wider hips, the woman hurried past the front gate, and I shot to my feet.

Lola?

It couldn’t be her. She was in Pace, and she’d told me straight out that she wouldn’t be returning until her job was complete – which I knew it wasn’t because she would have told me.

Was it even her?

I stood up and followed the woman along the evening’s shadows, stalking her. As the distance between us shrank, the more the woman looked like Lola and the more she quickened her walk. When she disappeared around the corner I picked up my pace, regretting my haste as soon as I turned right. A strong jab connected with my cheekbone. My hands flew up to my eye and I turned away, covering it. Then a swift kick to my hip sent me flying forward onto the hood of a car. Its alarm went off, and I jumped back. The woman had some serious strength, but I should have known that already by the toned body I remembered in my arms.

“Get the fuck away from my car!” someone yelled from above.

I stepped away and twisted around, extending my arms in defense. “Lola, it’s me.”

“Brook? What the hell are you doing here?” She lowered her guard and rushed toward me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She peeled my fingers away from my face and made atsssound.

“You’ve got a strong jab. Why would you punch me?”

“Because I saw someone following me. I didn’t know it was you.”

“Well, it was.”

She took a step back. “What are you doing here? Are you spying on me? Did you do a fucking background check when we agreed—”

“Wow, Lola. Slow down, my queen. I was visiting my grandparents.” I wasn’t sure why I lied. Sort of, I guess. My grandparents were resting here, but they weren’t the only ones I’d visited tonight. I could have told her the truth, but something stopped me. I wasn’t ready for Lola to find out about that part of my past just yet. It was too early.

“Your grandparents?”

“Yes. I was at their grave when I saw you leaving the front gate. Why areyouhere?”

“Um, I was visiting someone too.”

Someone important?

How come I hadn’t seen her here before? Then again, I hadn’t come to the cemetery in a while myself. A loud scream came from the window above us, and Lola jumped up.

“Wow, it’s okay. It’s just a crying kid.” I put my arm around her and brought her closer to my body. “Sounds like someone doesn’t want to fall asleep, and it’s way past bedtime.”

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