Angelica shakes her head, then blows out a breath through pursed lips. “Not...really.” She shifts her weight to the side, then steps over to me, putting both hands one of my forearms. Her eyes are wide in the darkness. “My brother is having some trouble.”
We’ve talked about her brother before, but she didn’t mention the fact that he lives in the city.
“He’s in the city?”
She hesitates for a split second. “Yeah. He lives here. It’s just—life has always been more difficult for him than it is for me, and he’s going through a rough time.” Angelica leans down and kisses my arm between her hands. “I didn’t want to bother you,” she says softly, and my heart turns over in my chest.
“It’s all right.” I kiss the top of her head, then put my arm around her shoulders. “Is your brother going to be okay?”
“For tonight, yeah. I told him things would be better in the morning.”
“Good advice.” I start walking us back toward the bedroom. “I think we should sleep on it.”
Angelica laughs, sounding tired, relieved...and something else that I can’t put my finger on. “I agree. So much.”
We move through the darkness of the penthouse together, Angelica leaning her head against my shoulder. It feels so right my heart nearly explodes.
And yet....
Something pricks in the back of my mind. It’s odd that she decided to sneak out without leaving a note, or even sending me a text that I’d see when I woke up. She was trying so hard not to make any noise when she came back....
I try to shake off the doubt, and when she strips off her clothes and climbs back into bed next to me, I almost succeed.
Almost.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Angelica
I meet Charlie three blocks from Jett’s penthouse in front of a bagel shop that’s open twenty-four hours. He’s lurking in the shadows, hidden away from the light that pours through the front windows, wearing shorts and a black hoodie. The sight of him sends a shiver down my spine, and it’s not pleasurable. I’m glad for the yoga pants and three-quarter length shirt I pulled on in the dark of Jett’s bedroom.
Get this over with.
I’m next to him in seconds, shoving the flash drive into his hand. “Here.”
He clicks his tongue. “Someone’s in a pissy mood.”
“It’s almost three in the morning.”
Charlie shrugs, spreads his hands wide in front of him. “You’re the one who blew me off earlier.
“Yeah.”
This is too God damn much. The sneaking around in the middle of the night, lying to the man I love—
The man I love....
I can’t. I won’t. Charlie doesn’t know where Adam is, and I’m not going to tell him, and maybe he’s a big-time thug in New York City, but I doubt he’s going to send someone to search the rest of the country. So what if Adam has to start over somewhere else? It’s a great big world, for Christ’s sake.
I turn to go, but Charlie follows. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“I’m done with this, Charlie. You got what you wanted. My brother’s debt is paid. This is fucking ridiculous.”
His hand is instantly wrapped around my arm in a vise grip, and he jerks me around to face him. His mouth is twisted, teeth gritted together, eyes flashing.
“Are you sure you want to say that?” he hisses.
I shake my arm as hard as I can, dislodging his hand. “Get. Away. From. Me.”
Charlie glances to the left and right, but the sidewalk is empty. “You’re a stupid bitch, aren’t you?”
“Not as stupid as you.” I turn away again, start walking toward the penthouse.
Charlie is by my side in an instant. “Think about what you’re doing.”
“I’ve thought about it.”
“How does your mother like living in Elsie?”
My shoe catches on the sidewalk as soon as his words register. My mouth goes dry. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, Charlie.”
“Elsie, where your mother lives. In Michigan. You grew up there. Your brother’s visiting her right now.”
My heart pounds against my ribs, and I have to swallow down an acid burst of panic. He knows. He knows where they are, and where they live.
But that doesn’t mean he can get there.
Does it?
How far does Charlie’s empire extend?
“I don’t know who you got your information from, but they’re an idiot.”
Charlie laughs like I’m a stand-up comedian. “You’re a bad liar.”
I spin to face him, crossing my arms. “If you’re going to threaten me, then do it.”