Page 27 of Play With Me

And what the fuck was going on with Brook? What was his problem? Why did he leave the car? I didn’t need any more shit at the moment, and he was definitely full of it.

Stay strong, Lola.

Now that Aaron Cortez was back in the picture and had made it clear that he wanted Kate’s head, keeping her close to me was the only way to ensure her safety.

I checked the time on my watch just as the elevator door opened. Brook stepped out with long strides. He looked like he was carrying the world’s weight on his shoulders, plus another ton or two of mouth-watering hotness. The only missing ingredient was a long trench coat to match his Matrix-sized steps.

That and maybe a gun.

I double-checked the security of my piece in the holster over my hip, hidden underneath a sweatshirt.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, just needed to get some air. Think things through, you know. This whole situation with Kate and my brother got me thinking about the people I trust in my life. That list is getting smaller and smaller.”

Suddenly he was right in my face, looking deep into my eyes. Confusion, mixed with pain was painted on his face and alarms rang in my ears.

“What are you trying to accuse me of, Brook? Spill it out. I can take it,” I lied. I dug deep inside to put up that strong and uncaring front. I knew this was a mistake. I knew that having a relationship with someone I had to depend on was wrong. Life has taught me that lesson already and it was about to show its bitchy face again.

“I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m only making a note of liars. Lies ruin friendships. Lies destroy families and have the power to bring people down to their knees. Those are difficult to craft but even more difficult to execute unless you’re a professional. Tell me, Lola. Do you know anyone who could lie so convincingly?”

Why was he acting like he didn’t know who I was?

He’s figured it out.

I was only doing my job. I thought he respected that. Why was he trying to ruin the trust we’d built? He had to understand that I couldn’t answer the questions he had because they weren’t mine to answer. Instead of explaining that to him or acknowledging his kid-like behavior, I moved past him and went inside Cameron’s condo where I heard voices from another room.

“So Anna’s on Long Island? We need to call her. I have to make sure she’s safe,” Mr. Madden, Brook’s father, said to Kate.

“She’s fine,” I answered as I walked in, giving Kate a nod of comfort. I had her back. Despite keeping the truth from her, I would support her. I would help her move forward. Maybe now that she knew who I was, she could help me find Xavier, her father, so that I could finish the job Sebastian had started.

“You must be Lola. Brook has told me so much about you.” Mary, Brook’s eccentric mother, looked me over with approval, and I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what Brook had said to her about me to have warranted an introduction filled with praise.

“She’s still in North Carolina,” I explained. “Xavier hired me to look after Hope and get her to safety when needed. He told me to get in touch with you, and that’s how I found Brook.” Okay, so that wasn’t exactly true, but I was running on a hunch now. Kate, who had gone by her middle name Hope while hiding from Cortez, wasn’t ready to hear my troubles. Kate’s case was attached to my life, and I wasn’t about to start explaining our connection to anyone.

“Why is she in North Carolina?”

My gaze immediately connected with Kate’s. She bit her lip as she realized that her answer would reveal her secret. It would also widen the gap that had grown between me and Brook since this morning. Mary sat down beside Kate. She took her hands into her own, reassuring her.

“What happened?” she asked.

“She fucked us over, that’s what happened.” I saw Brook step through the front door. He puffed out a painful breath, as if he didn’t want to speak the words.

“Brook, watch your mouth,” his mother scolded.

It wasn’t until I saw the look in his eyes that I was certain he knew. He knew Kate was behind all their troubles, and he was going to tell them.

Don’t do it, Brook.

“There were half dozen unscheduled surgeries that night in all of New York. One of them was to remove a cancerous mass from the lungs. Now, why would such surgery be unscheduled? I found that odd, and what do you know? Joanna Black was listed as a patient. Except there were no other documents. No follow-up appointments, no record of chemo or radiation, and no doctor name who performed the surgery. Whatever happened in that operating room was illegal, or… did your mother have cancer removed, Hope?” His voice was filled with sarcastic venom.

I watched her mouth open and close like a guppy’s. “No, I… I was going to—”

“Wait until Cortez found us and killed us? Guess what? Now that you pulled off that little stunt, it’s only a matter of time before he comes for me and my family. Aaron Cortez will find us, and he’ll kill us all.”

I pulled Brook on his arm and dragged him back out to the hallway.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

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