Page 49 of Black Wave

“Yes,” she replies. “Do you think it’s okay and safe for me to continue working at the hospital?”

I want to answer no, but I can’t have her at the club with me all night. In the daylight, she is safer. Monsters come out to play at night. That is what Julian is—a monster.

“What if we change your shift to nights? Would that work? I would know where you are for those few days, and I can have extra security around for you without drawing suspicions. I pick you up from work, and you sleep at our place. We will be spending a lot of quality time together.”

I smile at her and bring her hand up to my lips. I lightly press an open-mouthed kiss to her hand and bring her finger into my mouth. I suck on her finger and lightly bite her. She pulls her hand back and laughs.

“I like the plan,” she says. “But right now, I’d like to not think about the plan.” She smiles mischievously at me.

I stand up and shrug off my jacket. “I agree. No more talking in general. Just you screaming my name.” I lunge at her and bury my mouth in her neck. She shrieks with laughter, and a wave of happiness washes over me at hearing that sound. A sound I hope to hear for years to come.

CHAPTER 27

Emma

“Hey, sis, are you ready to go?” Evie jumps up on top of the counter with excitement.

I swat her ass with my cleaning rag. “Get off the counter. We have customers.” I place my hand on my hip, and she laughs.

Evie looks around at the only customer in the corner of the cafe with AirPods on, typing away on a computer. She snorts. “Nice mom impression, Em. And you have, like, one customer. For real though. I’m starved, and I’m thinking…” She pauses as if there is anything to think about. “Street tacos?” She says this like it's a question, but we both know that she has her sights set on the Me Muero Por Los Tacos food truck. It literally translates to I’m dying for tacos. This spot, located across from the park, has become one of our favorite places to eat and is super inexpensive. The truck is run by a young couple who have quite the following. In the summer, they also go to the beach and do fruit cups, paletas, and liquadas. My mouth waters at the thought of the frozen sweetness on a hot Texan day.

“Hmm.” I give my most pensive look, staring out into the vast emptiness of the cafe. The traffic from lunch ended as quickly as it started. “I suppose we could do street tacos.”As I say this, my treacherous thoughts quickly go to craving some elote. Their street corn covered in crema and spices is orgasmic.

We hear the door’s chime, alerting us to another person entering the store. We avert our gaze to see Jackson walking in, interrupting our heated debate about elote versus their spiced potato wedges.

He throws his bag behind the counter. “Ladies, looking ravishing as usual.'' He gives us a wink, and that causes Evie to laugh. He looks her way and eye fucks her slowly, and bites his lip to stifle a moan. I almost laugh at his playboy act. We all know Jackson is a fun guy. You just have to realize that there isn’t more to him. If you are looking for a romp in the sack with nothing meaningful, then he’s your guy. Many girls have tried to get him to commit, but he is upfront with them all. If they think they can change him, they will be sorely disappointed with the outcome.

Of course, Evie isn’t falling for his womanizing tactics. She rolls her eyes. “Still not going out with you, Jackson.” She looks him up and down, clearly not liking what she sees.

“Eves.” He clutches his chest and band T-shirt with his hand. “You wound me with your cruelty.” His hair falls into his face, and he brushes it back. I have seen this move hit its mark with the ladies, and I can’t say that he doesn’t have rizz. The boy is extraordinarily charming, and he knows it.

“Please,” she counters, “that’s why I saw you come out of the dressing room with Katrina wiping her mouth at The Naked Contessa boutique.” She arches an eyebrow, begging him to deny it.

The look in his eye says he enjoyed that encounter very much. “You are too much, Eves, but it’s time for me to clock in and for you guys to have some fun.” He waggles his eyebrows as he walks off.

”That guy is a piece of work,” Evie mutters.

I laugh. “I think you like him, Evie. I see the way you look at him. He is kind of hot.” She doesn’t deny it.

“Em, I don’t mind sharing. I just don’t want to share my men.” She smirks and jumps off the counter. “You know what I mean?” She isn’t looking at me but at Jackson, who stands there with his mouth open. He quickly closes it as I look between the two of them.

“I have no idea what that means.” I toss the cleaning rag over the counter and grab my bag as Jackson rounds the corner. He recovers from whatever that expression was that flashed on his face, getting straight into work mode.

“Have a great day, ladies.” He gives us a little wave but doesn’t look back at us as Evie and I exit the shop. Weird.

We walk arm-in-arm laughing about what we did today. “Let’s cut through here,” Evie says. “I’m so hungry I could chew my arm off.”

We cut through the alley instead of walking around the blocks to get to the food truck, electing to take a more direct route. We are so enveloped in our conversation as we reach the end of one alley to enter the next one that we don’t notice them until we come face-to-face with two men. We recognize both, and I’m immediately frozen in place. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

I feel a tug at my arm and hear my sister speak up. “What do you want, Julian?” He takes his gaze off me, and I feel as though I can breathe again, if only momentarily.

“This doesn’t concern you, Evie. This is between Emma and me.” He steps closer to me while maintaining eye contact with my sister.

“Of course, it concerns me,'' she counters. “Emma is my sister. My twin sister,” she states defensively. Julian just snorts.

“Well, even that can be changed, Evie.” He nods at his driver, urging Marcus forward. Marcus grabs Evie’s hand and tries to drag her away from me.

“Marcus, what are you doing?” I turn to try to help my sister.

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