Page 4 of Sawyer
The inside was worse.
Way worse.
Stale air hit her first. When was the last time this house had been aired out? Walking through the house, she opened every window. Lucky for her, there were no curtains to get in the way. All she needed to do was go back outside and take off the bars covering the front windows. She attempted to do this for what seemed like hours. Unfortunately, the swelling of the wood wasn’t enough to loosen the screws. It looked like so for now, the bars stayed. How depressing. Maybe they would loosen over time.
To brighten her mood, she sat down on the floor to make a list of things she needed. Her focus was so complete, she didn’t hear the front door open.
“I have no idea why you would want to live here.”
Lele yelped, leaping to her feet, ready to flee when she realized she recognized the voice. Hand fisted on her hips, she glared at Hector. “You need to make some noise before you give a girl a heart attack!”
He cocked his head. “You mean like stomping on the front porch and knocking on the door?”
“Yes, exactly like that.”
Hector leaned against the door frame and crossed his ankles. “I did. You didn’t answer.” His pleasant expression turned to a scowl. “I also thought you were going to call me as soon as you got here.”
Had she said that? She probably had, though she couldn’t remember. It didn’t matter anyway. “I have a phone, but after threeyears in storage, it’s dead. And before you ask, no, I didn’t take a charger in with me, so I didn’t have one coming out. Still don’t.” She waved her dead phone in the air as proof.
Hector frowned. “I didn’t think about that. I brought your scooter with me.”
Lele pretended to be affronted. “I’m pretty sure I’ve told you it’s a mini-motorcycle, not a scooter. But thank you for bringing it with you. I’ll need it to get to work tomorrow.”
Hector laughed. It was the first time she’d heard him do that in over three years. “I’ll do my best to remember. And I’m glad to hear you’ll be coming to work tomorrow. Best to hit the ground running. That leads to one of the reasons I stopped by, other than checking on you, of course.”
“Of course.” Her lips twitched. Another thing that hadn’t happened since they’d shown up at her front door all those years ago. She hadn’t had a lot to smile about recently. “Do tell.”
His smile died, so she braced. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to talk about the past. Not at work or anywhere else. People will forget eventually, but they’ll forget sooner if you don’t remind them. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
That was Hector. He always looked out for her. Still, she couldn’t hold back her question. “Are you ashamed of me?”
He scowled. “Never.” He strode to her and gripped her shoulders. “I could never be ashamed of you. You’re my sister.”
“Will you have any blowback if I work for you? I know you’ve finally taken people’s advice and are running for mayor.”
He snorted. “Somehow, I doubt being mayor of a town of two thousand people will launch my political career.”
“It has to launch somewhere. I’d never do anything to mess that up. Not after all you’ve done for me.”
“Well then, let’s say leaving the past in the past will work better for both of us. Deal?”
It was an easy thing to agree to. He was her brother. Not tomention her only friend in Elk Jaw and her boss. She smiled again, an act that seemed foreign to her face. “Deal.”
Hector stepped through the door but turned around for just a moment. “And by the way, that TV in the living room, it’s a welcome home gift from me, so take good care of it.”
She ran up and gave him a big hug. “You’re the bestest brother ever.”
He winked at her. “Just taking care of my little sister, like always.”
She stood in the doorway and watched him leave. What had she ever done to deserve a brother like that?
CHAPTER 2
Two and a half years later…
Reid and Sawyersat at the darkest corner table and watched the woman with long corkscrew curls behind the counter as she served drinks to the patrons of Videotopia, Elk Jaw’s only adult gaming bar. The lighting was dim, but her bright smile made up for it.
Lele Cortez’s smile grated on his already frayed nerves. How could a woman like that still wear such an innocent smile?
