“He likes all those spy documentaries!” I shot back.
“That doesn’t mean he knows how to get on the dark web. Now look who’s stereotyping!” Mikey whined. “That’s worse.”
“They’re both bad,” Nikki said with a sigh and a shrug.
“Everybody out,” Sorrento said, waving off everyone around us. When no one budged, he put a hand on my shoulder and steered me to the hot tub. “Let’s hit the tub.”
I quickly pulled off my pants under a towel and headed for the hot tub. I slipped into the water, facing Sorrento and his absolute carpet of chest hair. “What is it you need?” he asked.
“I need to find a guy.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Who?”
“Mara’s ex.”
“The guy from the kids’ rink? The one who was supposed to be on some woo woo retreat?”
“Yeah, definitely him. He’s not on the retreat anymore, if he ever was.”
“Shit,” Sorrento breathed.
“Yeah, shit. He’s been lying to Mara and the kids. And he disappointed Aspen on his birthday. He has to pay.” I was already hot from being in the hot water, but my face flared that much hotter, clenching my fists to contain my rage.
“Pay how?” Sorrento asked. I wasn’t quite sure, so I just stared back at him. “Look, I do know a guy, but you can’t be getting into trouble. And you didn’t get this from me.”
“Why do you know a guy?”
He sighed, looking around to make sure we were still alone. “Jeanine’s ex has always given me a bad vibe. He still lives close to her parents and works on their farm. Before we were going up to see her parents and taking the kids, I wanted to make sure he wasn’t a child molester or something.”
“So you hired this guy?”
He nodded. “A private investigator. But I’m not sure he uses all above-board methods. But even with that, I just found out he’s a boring little shit. His search history was so pathetic.”
“Yeah. That’s what I need. I need to know where he is and what the hell he’s doing there.” I leaned in. “I think he’s on Catalina.”
Dylan grimaced. “Island? Like where you get the ferry from Long Beach to go look at whales?”
I rested my head back against the lip of the tub, letting my ass drift off the seat. “Yeah.”
“And you’re not going to go take him out?” Sorrento’s voice was a low scrape.
I popped my jaw, my muscles still tense thinking about the shit that was Mara’s ex. “What were you going to do to Jeanine’s ex?”
Dylan ground his teeth. “Fair point. I’ll send you the guy’s contact.”
FORTY-FIVE
MARA
MARCH
“Hey,can we check out that brunch spot tomorrow morning?” I walked up behind Jack as he got ready for bed, coasting my hands up his tattooed pecs from behind. “The kids will be in school and daycare, and you’re off. Maybe we could have a little date day?”
Jack’s face fell. “Fuck. I wish we could. I’ve got something to take care of.”
“Oh.” A little twinge of disappointment panged in my stomach. “Can I come with you?”
Jack turned in my arms so he could face me, the smell of his warm skin surrounding me. He held my chin and bent to plant a feather-soft kiss on my lips. “I wish I could bring you. It’s an . . . annual fishing trip I take with Rome.”
