Page 45 of Throne of Secrets

“What’s so special about them?”

Her brows shot up. “The red soles.”Men.

“That’s it?”

“That’s enough. They’reLouboutins.” She emphasized the word.

Ethan shrugged. “Okay.”

“Men. Trust me—ask any woman about a red-soled shoe and ninety-nine times out of a hundred, they’ll know.”

Ethan shook his head, amused. “No, thanks. I’ll just trust you on this one.”

“Good. You should. Anyway, losing them pissed me off. So, I opened a trash can and hurled my shoe right in. And it landed—on the body. Or what was left of it.” Her voice cracked. “The expression on his face … I can’t unsee it.”

Ethan’s grip on her hand tightened, grounding her.

“I’m sorry I pulled you into this. I probably dragged you away from something important.”

Ethan shook his head firmly. “No. There’s nothing more important than you.” His voice softened. “Everything else can wait.”

She paused, a playful note in her voice. “But … what were you working on? If you can tell me. If you can’t, I understand,” Star said softly. “I just … I don’t want to think about this anymore.”

Ethan’s voice was calm. “Well, I was looking for your ‘friends’ from the hardware store.”

Star’s head snapped toward him. “My friends? You mean Pam?”

Ethan frowned. “Who’s Pam?”

“My friend from the hardware store. Who were you talking about?”

“The people you recorded.”

Star scoffed. “They aren’t my friends.”

Ethan shook his head. “Sorry I confused you.”

“It’s okay. I’m easily confused today.” She squeezed his hand lightly. “So … did you find anything on my”—she made air quotes—“friends?”

Ethan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Some details. Not sure they match what you recorded.”

Star turned in her seat, fingers burying into Thor’s fur as he settled between them. “What did you find?”

“I was trying to figure out why those guys were in Ditmas Park.”

Well, that didn’t answer the question, but she went with it anyway. “And?”

“And I kept coming back to the same question. Why would the Mafia conduct business in a small, local hardware store?”

“Most businesses around here are small and local. You said they were into drugs and prostitution.” She’d listened and remembered.

“Exactly,” he replied. “So, what’s the profit angle?”

Star’s brow furrowed. “Out of the city, low crime—perfect for anyone but the Mafia. Wouldn’t they prefer somewhere … chaotic?”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Ethan agreed. “But there’s a presence here.”

Star jolted upright, startling Thor. “Sorry, baby.” She stroked his head. “Do you think they’re … moving here? You know, with their families? People move here with families for a better lifestyle.” Her voice dropped. “That would be bad. But they wouldn’t start anything where they live, right? Too much risk? They wouldn’t want to involve their families, so it should be safe if the families are living here. Can you find that out?”

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