Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 224(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 224(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
“Mila,” Skippy says, “this is where we have to part ways. I can’t be any help in Miami. Not my security equipment.”
“My glasses will still work there, right?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“Good. If I disappear, be sure you get the footage to the police.”
“Mila,” Skippy says, “be careful. Miguel Gusano comes off as a polite businessman, but he can be ruthless, too.”
Still don’t understand why Sofie’s been coaching thugs.
“Thank you, Skippy. I’ll be careful.” I end the call and look at Logan, who’s still in his white robe.
“How do you feel about Miami?” I ask.
“No, Mila. It’s too dangerous. We’re calling the police and telling them about the hidden camera.”
I give it some thought. “You’re right. We’ve done all we can. Plus, you have your mom to worry about and all this.” I wave my hand around his studio.
“I’ll call them now,” he says.
“I’ll call Sofie to see what she can do about the exposé.” I head out to the lobby and dial her.
“Hey, why haven’t you been answering my texts?” she asks.
“Sorry. A lot going on. I need to talk to you.”
“What’s up?”
I tell her how I was mistaken about Logan and Carter being the same guy, and how Carter was taken by Miguel Gusano’s brother after borrowing a large sum of money and not paying it back.
“Seriously? Are you sure?” she asks.
“Carter got it all on his little shirt spy camera. By the way, what the hell are you doing with Miguel as a client, Sofie?”
“Oh God. I didn’t want to tell you, because I knew you’d freak out and worry about my safety, but Miguel started seeing me recently. Said he wanted to turn over a new leaf and help his brother, Roman, do the same. He felt really guilty for enabling his dream of becoming the world’s greatest narco.”
Aspirational, for sure.
“Miguel convinced Roman to come see me, too. He’s really been making progress, overcoming his need for violence, piles of cash, and complete control. He’s been working on investing in legit businesses. Real progress.” She pauses. “Or, at least, I thought he was making progress, but if he’s kidnapped Carter, clearly I have more work to do.”
“How the fuck does Carter know Roman?” I ask.
“You’re going to kill me.”
“Sofie…” I growl.
“Okay. Okay. When you first met Carter in Jamaica and told me he was the one, I was so excited. I’d never seen you so happy or talk about a guy like that. So when he bailed on you that second day because his financing fell through, I made a few calls to see if I could, you know, give him a helping hand behind the scenes.”
“You called a drug lord?”
“Ex-drug lord. Sorta. But, hey, Roman is a pretty nice person once you look past the gold grille, bullet scars on his face, and ice-cold stare of a ruthless murderer. Plus, he was really interested in going legit. I thought I was helping kill two birds.”
“Sofie! Why would you inject a man like that into Carter’s life?”
“I thought I was helping you! I knew you’d kick him to the curb if he exhibited any signs of being hard up for money, and I wanted things to work out. I wanted you to give him a real chance.”
“I don’t judge people for their bank accounts.”
“No, but you can’t stand slackers. You only respect men who have their complete shit together. Why do you think you’re still single? Nobody’s that perfect.”
“I am not like that.”
“Yes, you are. Look at how you reacted after you had to borrow money from your parents: like it was the end of the world. And let’s not forget that you are your number one critic for not having it all—the house, the job, the man.”
Crap. Maybe Sofie’s right. “Okay, well, you might have a point, but I still would have given Carter a chance.”
“Maybe, but I knew if Carter got his financing, he’d have more time to pursue you. No guy wants to start a relationship when his big dream is going down the drain. So I called Roman and told him about a legit investment in a rising indie filmmaker. Roman liked it, reached out to Carter, and set up the meeting here in Dallas.”
Ohmygod. That’s why Carter came back to town.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you the truth, Mila. But how was I supposed to know he’d turn out to be a lunatic and try to film you? Or that he’d be Mr. Sticky Nuts?”
“He’s not.” I sigh. “Logan is.”
“Logan?”
“Yeah, and I think I’m in love with him.”
“Yes!”
“How is that a good thing?” I scoff.
“I told you that you needed a sexual deviant in your life to shake you from your tree.”
I refrain from telling her what I just did with pickles on Logan’s livestream. “Well, the problem is that he’s never going to trust me after screwing up his life. And, also, he wants me, too. I think? But I’m not sure we’re going to be able to get past this.” Lust is one thing. Love is another. And starting a relationship after the mess I’ve made is basically life on another planet: up for extreme debate.