Page 35 of Wrath
He turned to find an older woman staring at him as she pushed a strand of bright blue hair behind her ear. Next to her stood a younger woman, also in yoga attire. Her round eyes seemed familiar—he jolted with recognition. It was Lilo, Griffin’s girl. The reporter.
He blinked away his shock. She didn’t know what he looked like, or who he was. Did she? Even if she did, what did it matter that his family knew he was here? Probably nothing. Evan had already found him working at Misha’s family restaurant.
“Are you okay?” Lilo asked, brow furrowing.
Hell, he’d been staring while his brain went into a frenzy.
She kept talking, but Wyatt zoned out as he checked Lilo up and down. She seemed nice. Attractive. Her hair was a mess, and she had mascara smudged at the edge of her eye. The strap holding the mat slung over her shoulder was knotted. She was a disarray, not the kind of girl he thought Griffin would date, but then again, Misha wasn’t the kind of woman he pictured himself with.
Wyatt tapped the words on the glass door, hoping his intention was clear.
“It’s closed.” The blue-haired woman’s gaze turned suspicious. She no doubt wondered what a black clad man who rode in on a motorcycle would want with a yoga studio.
Not missing a beat, Lilo caught the tattoo on his wrist as his hand came down from the glass door. Her intelligent eyes darted to the scar on his throat, then back up to his eyes with a gasp.
“So,” she said, with an incorrigible smile, “this is going to sound strange, but are you by any chance related to Griffin Lazarus? Because you look so familiar and, my goodness, you both have similar features, and that tatt—ahem—I mean you have… you know what? Never mind I asked.” She cut herself off when her eyes landed on his tattoo again and she glanced warily at her friend.
She was mindful of their family secret. Wyatt respected that.
Lilo waited for him to answer.
He nodded. Yes, he was related.
Her eyes lit up. “Oh my God, so you must be Wyatt. You’re the only brother I haven’t met. I’m so excited to meet you. Griff said you were on, um, you were on sabbatical or something—”
Right. Sabbatical.
“—he’s going to be so excited you’re back.” She gasped again. “Oh, and Evan. He’s always talking about you. Have you been home yet? Is this a surprise? Should I keep my mouth shut? I don’t want to ruin anything. Although, I must admit, I’m pretty terrible about keeping secrets, aren’t I, Bev?”
“It’s true. She’s terrible.”
“Unless the secret is super important.” Lilo held up her pointer finger. “And then I’m like a vault. So tight, that you could put state secrets in there, I swear.”
Wyatt was stunned into silence. She talked. A lot. He blinked back at her, taking it all in.
There was a pang in his chest when he realized he’d missed so much in the months he’d been running. This woman sounded so familiar with his family, more so than him. And apparently, she was good friends with Misha.
He tapped the door decals again.
“Here,” Lilo said, whipping out a tiny notebook from her bag. “I always keep a notebook. You know, reporter thing. I work for the Cardinal Copy. Write down what you’re asking. It will be easier.”
He wrote Misha’s name down.
Surprised eyes hit him. “You know Misha?”
He nodded, then wrote:Do you know where she is?
Lilo bit her lip. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone, but I guess you’re family.”
Wyatt’s heart clenched.
“She’s gone to her other job.” Her voice held a conspiratorial tone.
Other job?
Unease prickled the back of his neck.
“If you hurry, you might catch her.” Lilo pointed down the road. “She takes the monorail. But please don’t tell her I blabbed. She’ll have my cajonies in a vice. She can be quite…”
