Page 37 of Unconditional

“The trial,” she said, connecting the dots.Of course she was following the case.“He doesn’t want Milo to testify.”

“Ding, ding, ding,” I said sardonically.“But I think there’s more to it.Kyle’s always been secretive.He keeps a lot of the details of his business close to his chest.”

“And he thinks Milo knows something?”

“No, it wouldn’t be Milo.My guess is it would be the detectives that Milo has been working with.Some of the shit that they had on Kyle to begin with was way above my brother’s pay grade.Milo gave them a means to get the ball rolling; search warrants, probable cause, blah blah blah—but there’s got to be something else that they’re keeping quiet until the trial starts.”

“But if Milo doesn’t show up to testify…”

“Then there’s a chance any evidence he’d brought in as an informant will be canned.”

“And what if it isn’t?”

“It seems that’s a chance that Kyle is willing to take.Not that this will come as any surprise, but Kyle’s losing it.Every time I talk to him, he’s more and more unhinged.And if it’s gotten to the point that Kenna hasnoticedhim, he’s really slipping up.”

It was oddly freeing to talk so openly about everything with somebody.Even with my siblings, I’d had to keep up the illusion of the asshole, gives-no-fucks hard ass.Unless it was anger, I revealed nothing to them.It was remarkable how easy it was to let go of the violence and just be myself with Misely.

“Why don’t you help Milo?”

I scoffed, “And risk Leo?How do I make that choice?My brother or my son?”

“Who said you have to choose?Tell the DEA what Kyle has you doing, about his threats.”She sounded so earnest, straightening in her seat with barely restrained eagerness.I couldn’t sit there and call her naive, not after watching her with her foster cases.She’d been exposed to some dark shit, she knew the horrors in the world.

My mind raced.“I just…there’s a lot on the line, Blondie.”

“Don’t you think I realize that?”she snapped, her demeanor changing in the blink of an eye.It was remarkable how quickly she could switch gears.“I know what’s on the line.It’s not just you, and it’s not just your son.It’s Birdie and Milo, my family,mylife.All of us dragged into Kyle’s orbit whether we wanted to be or not.”

Taking a steadying breath, she centered herself.“I can’t stand it.I can’t stand that this one, scrawny piece of shit can have such an impact on so many lives and just get away with it.Iwant him to pay, Talon.For all the harm he has caused, I want him tosuffer.”

Her last sentence sat with me for several miles.She’d said it so softly but with such conviction there was no mistaking her sincerity.Saying nothing else, she leaned her head back, facing out the window to the snowy fields we passed.

twenty-six

Misely

Showeringinatruckstop bathroom was admittedly, not on my bucket list.We’d been driving in companionable silence for hours, and at some point, our trip had bled over into Idaho.Our stomachs had begun to growl and my skin had begun to feel prickly from not removing my makeup the day before.I dreaded to think about the clogged pores and inevitable break out acne that was bound to happen.

Talon pulled into the truck stop shortly after nine, and we asked the gas station attendant for the key to the shower.

“Do you want two?Both are open,” the woman asked, popping the bubble gum in her mouth.

I spoke first, flashing her a polite smile.“That’s all right.We’ll just take the one.”

I felt Talon’s eyes on me, but I didn’t turn to face him.Instead, I smiled brighter at the attendant, who arched a bleached brow between the two of us.

“O-Kay.”She sounded out the two syllables, passing us a key with a long plastic tag attached to it.

“If you wanted your own, I wouldn’t have stopped you.”Talon sounded a little awkward, but I shrugged.

“It’s all right.Unless you wanted your own?”I was picking at my cuticles.Why was this so weird?Maybe we could have benefited from a little space to think.Things had begun to feel…intense.Like we were on the precipice of something new and scary.A short time apart might have given us both time to clear our heads, but still…I found I didn'twantthe space.

“No, no, sharing is fine,” he said a little too quickly and I breathed out a silent breath of relief.

He locked the door behind us as I unfolded the baby changing station on the wall to create a sort of counter for my bags.You couldn’t pay me money to let my belongings touch the sticky floor beneath our feet.I shuddered at the idea of my pink velour track pants getting stuck to the grimy tiles.

I turned the water handle to scalding, then lined up my shower essentials on the interior bench—shampoo, conditioner, exfoliating body scrub, shaving razor, shower oils—until there was no room left.Talon’s eyes widened slightly but, like a smart man, he kept his mouth shut.That was, of course, until I began to strip out of the pants I’d pulled on earlier.At that, his lips parted and his eyes hooded, but still he said nothing.

He just watched until I was bare before him, seemingly transfixed to the spot.I cocked an eyebrow at him, letting my eyes trail down his still clothed form as I stepped under the steaming spray of water.I was playing with fire by seducing this man again and again, but I wanted it.I craved the burn.Moments later, Talon’s heated skin pressed against my back as he slid in behind me, his palms tentatively resting on the dips of my hips.

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