Page 119 of The Twins

“Be concrete,” he demands.

“That’s all.” I sigh. “Please, Charles. I’ve got it under control.”

“Got what under control? Is Hollywood coming after us with mobsters?!” Charles asks.

I shake my head frantically. “No! No. It’s… Fuck. Tara. She’s mixed up in some things that I don’t appreciate.”

“Cartel things?”

I nod.

“Tara?” His eyes find her in the water near Grey. My brother gives them a show, doing acrobatics in the water. The women cheer him on. Grey’s horny for my brother. It’s in her glossy eyes and in the tender biting of her bottom lip. Meanwhile, Tara sulks. She claps for my brother, and she cheers half-heartedly.

Her eyes are bottomless.

“We’re not assigned to any cartel, though,” Charles says, and I nod. “Are we?”

“Charles, you’re the head of the task force. Of course we’re not assigned to any cartels. We’re investigating local gangs and their involvement in child prostitution, remember?”

“I know,” he deadpans. “Cartels aren’t involved. How the fuck did she get mixed up with one?”

Charles takes another sip of his beer, observing Tara from afar.

“She’s dating a guy.”

“Dating? She’s fucking a cartel guy? Is she fucking serious? Fuck!” he hisses. The distance between us and the water doesn’t hinder Grey from noticing that her men are upset. She glimpses at us from afar, and I give her a nod. Keep swimming. I’ve got it under control. She blows me a kiss, shifting her attention to my brother. “She’s dead. She’s a walking dead woman.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” I say, but Charles is already scheming in his mind. “He says he loves her.”

“She’s dead!” Charles empties his beer bottle, and he grabs mine. He curses when he tastes the nonalcoholic beverage, but he drowns the contents of my bottle, anyway. “Dead. Not breathing. Dead. She’s not going to be my baby’s godmother. Never in a million years!”

“Grey and Vegas made her a promise,” I remind him.

“Fuck no.” Charles smacks his forehead, erupting in curse words only he understands. “How do you know he loves her?”

I shrug. “I may or may not have hacked all of her devices. I cross-examined the data. He uses a burner phone, but she occasionally slips and calls him by his name. He comes to LA for business. I put two and two together, asked some friends in high places about possible connections.”

“Why did you do that? That’s a lot of work, Remo. We also don’t want to attract any unwanted attention. Did you protect yourself?”

I exhale. “This is my family, too. I… I noticed that something was off about Tara, so I researched the matter. I stayed safe. And… Well. He can be sweet to her when he wants to. It’s cute. You know what I mean. The broody cute you’ve mastered.”

“I’ll order my suit for Tara’s funeral,” Charles says, taking out his phone. For a moment, I fear that he’ll do it right now. He smiles at the screen instead. “The kid sent messages in the group chat.”

I check my phone.

Carey Jean:

My management booked me a three-week European tour! Wanna join?

Carey Jean:

All expenses paid, of course.

Carey Jean:

Please?

Charles:

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