"Want me to get it?" Bones asked.
As my bodyguard, it was his duty. But we both knew I had a better chance of keeping it from exploding.
"No, man, I got this."
I handed him the scanner, got on my back, and slid under the front of the car. Sure enough, a bomb was attached to the undercarriage. It wasn't even a good bomb. Sensors angled at the driver's and passenger's sides. One good look at the cheap piece of shit, left no doubt I was looking at the work of the wiseguys Bones and I had picked up from the airport. Since I'd seen the specs, I knew how to disarm it. The Pelinos had to know this. Did they think I was stupid? Why the fuck would they warn me?
"Sloppy piece of shit," I muttered, cursing the bomb, its makers, and the whole Pelino family for that matter.
"Can you get it?" Bones asked.
"Yeah. This is... this is bullshit." My tools were in the Hummer. Since I couldn't open any of the doors without exploding the vehicle, I whipped out the pocket knife I kept strapped around my ankle and cut the sensor wire. Then I severed the rest of the connections and pried the piece of shit from my engine. I climbed out from under the Hummer, gently handing the bomb to Bones.
Bones held it as far away from his body as possible. I climbed into the back of the Hummer and he passed it back to me. I disassembled the rest of the bomb and stashed it in my bag while Bones loaded up the luggage.
Bones stayed with the vehicle while I went back for Markie. She was out cold, making me wonder what was in the drugs she'd taken. I carried her back to the Hummer, belted her into the passenger's seat so I could keep an eye on her, and then we got the hell out of there. I don't think I breathed until the lights of San Diego faded from my rearview mirror.
Markie slept and Bones and I sat in silence, both of us keeping watch for a tail. I stole glances at Markie, wondering what to do about her. I tried to imagine her in my apartment, and with my family, but couldn't. The disassembled bomb in the back of the Hummer tugged at my thoughts, reminding me of how selfish I'd been to put her in harm's way to begin with. Scenarios of her opening a car door and triggering an explosion played in my mind. I forced myself to see every one of them, hoping they would change my mind. Hoping they would somehow give me the strength to push her away. Instead, I reached down and laced my fingers in hers. She stirred, but didn't wake.
I could always tell her. I could come clean about my family and let her decide her own future.
But knowledge about my family would only put her in greater danger. I needed to process, weigh my options, and figure out what the hell to do.
Markie woke up right before we reached the Vegas city limits.
"Hey, how you feeling?" I asked. Her skin had returned to its normal sun-tanned hue and her eyes were once again bright and lively.
She stretched. "Much better, thanks. My head still hurts, but it's manageable now."
Her stomach growled.
"Hungry?" I asked.
"Yeah, breakfast..." She rubbed her stomach. "...didn't exactly stay down. I can just whip up something when I get home, though."
I was still holding her hand, and didn't want to let her go. Knowing I'd need to so I could go meet with Father, I asked, "Am I taking you to your sister's?"
"Let me check." She released my hand and pulled her phone out of her purse.
I missed the contact, and immediately regretted asking the question.
She sent off a text, and then a few moments later her phone buzzed.
"Ari's working. Any chance you can run me by The Pelican so I can get the key to her apartment?" she asked.
"Yeah, of course," I replied.
"What does she do at The Pelican?" Bones asked, leaning into the conversation.
Markie turned in her seat. "She waits tables at the restaurant just inside the front door. Not exactly what she came to Vegas to do, but it's a job."
"She come to be a showgirl or something?" Bones asked.
"Not exactly. She wants to sing."
"Like everyone else in Vegas," Bones groaned.
"You don't understand, she has a phenomenal voice. And I'm not just saying that because she's my sister. She's really talented, Bones. Matt was supposed to set her up with some auditions, but..."
