Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Kane snaps up the paper and stuffs it into his pocket. “I’ll see what I can do, but let me do it, Lilah. When you start asking for these guys by name, it has to be done right, or they get trigger-happy.”
“That’s how I feel most mornings.”
My phone buzzes with a text message, and I finish my donut before I grab it. The message is from DD: Thanks for loaning me Jay and for believing in me, though I have to say I’m not sorry Homeland pulled me off the case.
I grimace at this news, irritated times ten. Homeland wants me on the case but has now stripped away anyone I trust. I do believe I owe Ellis a call, but right now we have to talk about the elephant in the room. “We still have no plan. What are we doing about your father?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Kane replies but says no more, which is starting to feel like intentional avoidance.
“And?” I urge.
“I need to keep thinking.”
I rotate to face him. “What are you doing about your father, Kane?”
“I’m thinking, Lilah.”
“Kane—”
“Lilah.”
“What aren’t you saying?”
Kit’s phone rings and I’m aware of him answering, even as Kane replies with, “Go do what you do. We’ll talk later.”
“Lilah,” Kit says, and I swear I want to hit him and Kane now.
“What?” I demand, but my gaze is locked on Kane.
“There’s someone named Rich on the phone for you.”
Chapter Eighteen
Kane’s expression is unchanging, unreadable, but his energy is nothing short of fury.
He hates Rich. He threatened to kill him at one point, which was just one of the reasons I didn’t believe I could be with him. But damn it, right now I want to kill Rich, too. As for how he got Kit’s number, that would be Tic Tac, which means I’m going to have to kill him as well. Why is Rich calling Kit instead of me when my phone is right here with me?
“You want me to tell him you’ll call him back?” Kit asks.
“No,” I say, still holding Kane’s stare. “He’s guarding Tic Tac, who’s incapable of protecting himself.” I eye Kit and motion him onward with my fingers. “Give me the phone.” He slides it across the counter.
I grab it and do the only thing I can do in this situation. I answer on speaker. “What the hell, Rich? Why are you calling Kit?”
“When you use me and abuse me, Lilah, you need to pay the price. Everyone in your life needs to know you came to me. Kane needs to know.”
Kane’s jaw tics and his eyes narrow in a barely perceptible, but oh-so-lethal way. “And here I thought you did this to help Tic Tac,” I reply.
“I’m helping him, Lilah, but I find it very interesting you called me. I think Kane will, too.”
He’s such a dick, I think. “And why exactly did I call you, Rich?”
“You tell me.”
“Because you are so high on your badge, you never break the law. You aren’t dirty. But sadly for us all, you have the high and mighty stick so far up your ass, you can barely breathe, and neither can anyone else around you.”
“There are two people who aren’t going to buy that bullshit, Lilah. Kane and me. When he finds out, you can explain how—”
“I’m right here, Rich,” Kane says tightly. “Why don’t you explain it to me, whatever it is you think you know that I do not.”
There’s dead silence on the other line. Long seconds tick by before Rich says, “One thing I’ve learned over the years is that Lilah can speak for herself.”
“I’d rather hear it from you,” Kane assures him.
Rich detours in a big way. “The word on the street is Murphy crossed the Russians and this was a one-off. There are no other targets.”
Seems like Ellis has been getting his cover story out there. “Yet to be determined. Tic Tac needs to stay undercover for at least another twenty-four hours. If you can’t bring yourself to protect him, put him on a plane to us, but I don’t suggest you escort him.”
“Or,” Kane adds, “you can escort him right to my doorstep, where you and I can sit down and have a long overdue conversation.” The air crackles.
Silence ticks in return. “We’re off the radar,” Rich finally replies. “I’ll call in tomorrow morning.” He disconnects. I hand Kit his phone and Kane lifts his chin at him.
Without another word, Kit stands and exits the kitchen and then the apartment.
Chapter Nineteen
Kane stands up, a sign he’s so agitated his mood can’t be contained while seated.
I join him on my feet, and we end up facing each other at the counter. “You know why I did it,” I say.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Lilah?”
“I would have. I never got the chance, and it wasn’t top of my list, considering all that went down. He’s nothing to me.”