Page 176 of Filthy Lies

Me: Interpol’s fine with sex slaves suffering while their agents dick around looking for evidence?

Goldstein: I don’t dick around. Shit like this is sensitive. It takes fucking time.

Me: She might not have had time, goddammit. I’m not going to argue with you. I wasn’t the only one who okayed the hit. I’ll assume you think it’s easier to get in my face than the Five Points’?

Me: I hate to tell you this but they’ll just kill you. I’ll bite your face off.

Goldstein: You’re a cannibal?!

Ah, my reputation had spread farther than anticipated. Ididenjoy scaring grown men.

Lips twitching, I tapped out:

Me: I don’t particularly appreciate seared ‘Goldstein face’ for my supper, but I’m handy with a knife and I know a dog who’d appreciate those sweet cheeks of yours.

Me: Back the fuck off and if you’ve got any complaints (I’d recommend that you don’t btw) then take them to Conor. He’s your liaison, isn’t he?

Goldstein: This is a career killer. He promised me a fucking promotion out of this.

Me: I don’t think he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t follow through with his promises if that’s any consolation.

Goldstein: I got a US senator killed so I’m game for conspiracy… That’ll help me get to sleep without Lorazepam.

Me: I like chamomile. Very soothing. Try it with Manuka honey.

Unsurprisingly, he didn’t reply to that. Chuckling around another yawn, I turned off the lights and did something foolish.

I sent Creed McCabe a text.

Me: You probably don’t remember me, Creed, but I’m Ollie’s sister. Cin? The chick you fucked in Ghurmach. Nili. Oh, and Chora…

Me: Just wanted to give you a heads-up. My cousin Temper is going to be in town this weekend. If I were you, I’d stay in the sandbox until she stops trying to date you. If you think I’m bad, she’s worse.

Because a strange sensation settled in my stomach, something that seemed, oddly enough, to be nerves, I put the phone on the nightstand and forced myself to rest my eyes.

I didn’t think about Creed on the football field after he and the school team won the state championship.

Nor did I think about the time I’d seen him climbing out of our pool after Ollie had dragged off his shorts in a prank that had gone very, very right.

Nope, Creed was just someone I wanted to spare from my horrendous cousin.

Just because I was a hitman didn’t mean I couldn’t be a good Samaritan too.

39

TEXT CHAT

Brennan:You still alive?

Conor:I can feel how much you care all the way from across the ocean.

Brennan:You were supposed to check in with us.

Brennan:You didn’t.

Brennan:Remind me to smack you for that when you’re back.

Conor:Why the hell would I remind you to smack me?

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