Page 208 of Sins & Secrets

“So, that’s where his son got his charm from then?” Sue asks sarcastically then mouths she’s sorry when she sees I’m not amused.

“I’ll just tell him I will, but I can always bail,” I reason out loud as if I need her approval.

“Yeah, that’s a good way to handle it.” She nods with pursed lips then looks me up and down. “You should probably put real clothes on.”

“How fancy?” I ask her, setting the phone down as I realize I’m still in sweats and a baggy T-shirt.

“Let’s go fancy, fancy.” I hope she can see how the thought of getting prettied up makes me perk up. I could really use a night out, feeling beautiful and carefree. I’ll just pretend I don’t feel like falling asleep at the table.

“Fancy-pantsing it up tonight?” I ask, already feeling better than I did before she got here.

“You know it.”

CHAPTER 12

Evan

All I can focus on are his tells.

You learn them fast in the line of business that led me to this moment. The sweat on his brow. The way his right foot won’t stay still. His dilated pupils and quick breathing.

He’s one of two things: high as a fucking kite, or going through withdrawal.

Judging by the look on this prick’s face, James Lapour is fiending for his next hit.

I peek over my shoulder. His office is on the first floor. There are apartments above us and plenty of witnesses in case some shit goes down. More importantly, just outside those doors is Mason, sitting in his car and waiting for me in case I need him.

I’ve got two goals in coming here like this.

Warn him to back the fuck off.

Get any evidence I can.

Seeing as how he’s in his office, goal number two will have to wait unless I can get a confession. The tape recorder in my pocket is already running.

It takeseverything in me to keep my hate down, but the memory of Kat from my night terrors is all I can see. I can’t sleep; I can’t do anything without thinking about losing her. It’s as if my sanity is steadily eroding. Blinking away the image of her, I prepare to do what I have to. For her. For us. All I want is for this to be done and over with, so I can be with her and be the man meant to stand beside her.

I walk into the office, the wooden floor beneath my oxfords creaking eerily as I do. I’ve been standing outside the open door watching him for a few minutes. He didn’t change the locks and there’s no one else here on a late Wednesday night. Just him and me. Well, not quite, there are a few broads in the far back. I can hear them from here. Maybe they’re waiting for him with exactly what he needs. I wouldn’t be surprised.

“Taking a break from the snow?”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he sneers at me, ripping his red-rimmed eyes away from the computer screen. With the city lights peeking through the drawn blinds, the room is bathed in a diffuse glow. It’s darker than I’d like it to be in here with only the lamp on his desk illuminating the space.

“What I really want to know is, why?” The question leaves me coldly as I stalk closer to him.

“Why what?” he asks me, leaning back in his seat and I can faintly hear him pulling out a drawer, ever so slowly.

Racking the slide on the gun in my hand, I raise it slowly. “Uh, uh, uh,” I reprimand him. It’s been a long fucking time since I’ve aimed a gun at someone. I’ve never wanted to pull thetrigger more, though. “I wouldn’t do anything stupid if I were you.”

He raises his hands slowly, cocking his head and letting out a sick laugh. “So, you here to kill me now? Is that it?”

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