Page 108 of Shadowed Obsession

“Hmm?” Her eyebrows shoot up as she approaches the passenger door.

“There isn’t a mark in there, right? Please tell me you’re not doing a hit tonight with me waiting outside,” I whisper-shout, glancing around to make sure no one can hear us.

She side-eyes me with a scoff. “I’m not. That’s all you think I’m good for, huh?” she asks, her tone riddled with annoyance. “Fifteen minutes, tops,” she says before disappearing into the building.

10:58 p.m. | 1 hour and 41 minutes after ‘the last incident’

Regina exits the building, eyeing me suspiciously until she gets in the driver’s seat.

That doesn’t make me nervous at all.

Two large men exit the building afterward, getting in the car in front of us. I notice one of the men is the lawyer that got me released.

Piñeros.

“What’s the lawyer doing here?” I ask, my brows pinched.

She ignores my question to present me with one of her own. “Since we’re being honest tonight, the fact that youthinkI don’t know about your little boyfriend being a PI is laughable, because I do,” she says with a smirk. “You know that motherfucker has been looking into me too? Were you ever going to tell me?” she urges.

“I didn’t know before tonight, Angie told me before the party ended. Then I confronted him and told him to run because I don’t want him to meet the same fate as Lawrence.”

“Girl. There’s a stark difference between César and Lawrence. I don’t have to tell you that,” she admonishes.

“Are you going to kill him?” I ask defeatedly as I blink away tears.

“I wasn’t planning on it. Do I need to?”

“I don’t think so, but he works for?—”

She cuts me off, finishing my sentence. “The Hales. He’s their in-house PI. They want to win that bid so badly, they fucked with the wrong family over it. They’ll learn.”

“Are you going afterthem?” I ask, worried because nothing causes a commotion quite like dead white people.

“Probably, but not before you win that bid,” she says nonchalantly.

My brows knit as I ask, “What do you meanI’mgoing to win?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, they’re terrified of me. So I’m getting in on this bid.

That motherfucker Dax might get angry, and I hope he does,” she says with a deep chuckle as she pulls off into the street. “There isn’t a war when the competition disappears.”

“I don’t understand. Why?”

“I’ll put up all the bread you need to invest in your dream,butonly if you feel comfortable,” she tosses out like it’s nothing.

“You’re serious? You want to help make things legit?”

“Yes. While my money isn’t cleaner than Uncle El’s, I’d still like to invest inyou.Ifyou’ll let me. You’re right that our kids should be able to have a choice unlike we did. What do you say?”

Holy shit.

“Uh—thank you? I have a lot of questions, but I am interested.” In partnership and in rebuilding our relationship.

“Good. We’ll talk shop in the morning. And I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but you need to fix it. I met with my lawyer in there,” she informs, tilting her head toward the church. “He assured me that hisfriendCésar is a good man. If Emiliano vouches for him, that’s enough for me.”

“But he lied, Gi,” I remind her.

“Men lie, and water is wet. Don’t act like you’re any better. Didyoutell him why your ex-boyfriend is dead?” she asks with a sideways glance before looking back at the road.

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