Submerged(Bound Together Book 1)(33)

 

Unexpected relief courses through me with her statement, and I take my first deep breath since she turned around in Roman’s office. “I’ll be there. Where do you live?”

 

“Same apartment. I’ll write down the address,” she says and starts to turn towards the interior of her car.

 

“No. I know it.” I’ve never forgotten. Carly seems surprised by my words, but just shakes her head in acknowledgement.

 

I watch as she slips fully inside the SUV and shuts the door. Her hands appear to have a slight tremor to them as she fumbles with the seatbelt. Once it’s securely fastened, she starts the ignition and throws it in drive. She sits there for a few moments, staring straight ahead, and I can practically see the wheels spinning in that beautiful dark-haired head of hers. Just before she pulls ahead, she turns and locks those stunning, conflicted brown eyes back on me. I almost pull open that car door and pull her into my arms. Almost. She focuses back ahead and pulls her vehicle forward. I watch as she drives down the drive, out the front gate, and out of sight.

 

I stand there like an idiot for a few more minutes, collecting my thoughts and preparing for the third degree I’m about to receive from the men in the office. Shit, probably more like tenth degree. I let my heavy legs carry me back inside the house and down the corridor. I throw on my mask before stepping back inside the room. When I do, three heads turn and stare holes into me. I can’t tell who is going to speak first, but I’m sure that it won’t be me.

 

“What was that?” Roman asks in his no-nonsense tone.

 

“Nothing.” I know he won’t let the subject drop, but I’m not about to start singing like a canary now. Two years of undercover work in this organization isn’t about to unravel because of an unexpected hitch. This whole job has been one unexpected situation after another.

 

“Carlina. How do you know her?” Roman asks, those dark brown eyes staring straight through me. If I were a lesser man, I would cave under his intense scrutiny. But, I’m, if anything, definitely not a lesser man. With the shit I’ve dealt with, I can sure as hell handle a few glares from Roman Hernandez.

 

“I met her a few years back. Haven’t seen her since. Just wanted to say hi.”

 

“Looked a hell of a lot more than just sayin’ hello,” Mattias adds.

 

“Nope. Nothing more,” I say without breaking eye contact.

 

Roman continues to stare at me for several minutes. We’re at a standstill, an impasse, and I’m not about to break. “Good. Keep it that way,” Roman finally says with a final look before gathering up the papers on his desk.

 

As soon as I walk out the front door, I pull out my cell phone. I refrain from dialing the number, though. I wait until I’m inside the car and driving down the road. As soon as I hit the open road leading through suburbia Las Vegas, I send the text message as fast as my fingers will type: Meet. Now.

 

The reply is almost instantly: 10 minutes.

 

I drive towards my shithole apartment on autopilot. Every possible scenario runs through my mind. Just how deep is Carly in this mess? When it comes down to the job or my connection to her, can I keep her separate? Can I do my job, even if it means taking her down with her father? Fuck.

 

I park my Camaro and slam my hands down on the steering wheel. What a fucking mess. I quickly slip out of my car and walk towards the familiar coffee shop a couple of blocks away. After ordering a black coffee just so I have something to hold in my hand, I slip into the available back booth with my back to the wall. It doesn’t take long before my brother is stepping through the glass door. I’ve already scanned the room for the past few minutes, but that doesn’t stop Luke from casually taking in our surroundings. Old habits and all that.

 

Cup of black coffee in hand, he slips into the booth across from me. I don’t even wait for him to speak. “Did you know about Carly?” I ask him, my agitation evident in my clipped tone.

 

“Who the hell is Carly?” he asks, his eyebrows shooting skyward over his green eyes.

 

“Don’t fucking mess with me right now, Luke. Carly. What do you know about Carly?” I ground out through gritted, clenched teeth.

 

“I don’t know who the fuck Carly is, Blake. What the hell are you talking about?” he asks quietly, matching my agitated state.

 

“Roman’s daughter.”

 

I watch as the words register on his face. Surprise. Confusion. Anger. It’s all there in spades, just like it was on my face when I realized we were missing something. A very big something. “Roman doesn’t have a daughter anymore.”