“What’s he done?”
“Hurt someone I care about.”
I hear the crack of his beat-up piece of shit armchair and can almost see him reclining against the leather.
“I’ll make it up to you,” I press. “I know Julie wants you to take her to Saint Poirier that just opened up. I have two tickets for New Year’s and we’ll even take Lilit for the weekend.”
“Jesus, what did this guy do?”
I laugh and nudge the edges of my frying eggs with the corner of my spatula.
“He’s not a good guy.”
Alwin sighs. “No kidding. Am I just scaring him a bit or…?”
“As far as you need to go.”
He makes a soft humming sound. “I’ll send him a letter after—”
“Can you do it before Christmas?”
I’m pushing it, but fucker owes me. I’m the one who set him and his wife up and he has that beautiful little girl. Granted, I had no personal hand in Lilit’s conception, but without me, her parents wouldn’t know the other existed.
“Dom,” Alwin says, but he’s not talking to me.
I hear Julie in the background, most likely in her favorite sweats, auburn locks a chaotic bun at the top of her head.
“Wants me to look into someone. Trying to bribe a government agent with fancy dinner tickets.”
I roll my eyes.
In the background, Julie distinctly asks, “What dinner tickets?”
“That French place—”
“Stop!” Her excited squeal fills my ears. “Are you serious?”
I grin to myself, flip the egg. “Sure am. Got them for doing thatad for them for their grand opening.” I was going to take Nick, but he’ll understand. “I even threw in a whole weekend of Lilit duty.”
There’s a tangle of chatter in the background.
Alwin returns with a resigned sigh. “Apparently, I’m overruled. What’s his name?”
I don’t know shit about Isla’s dad, but I give his name and phone number. I also add his wife and stepchildren’s names. Their last location I remember Macie talking about.
Alwin grunts. “You owe me, fucker.”
I frown as I scoop the first egg into a plate. “Fuck you I do. You still owe me for saving your ass back when—”
“Yeah, yeah, shut up. Fine. We’re even.” I don’t miss the amusement in the comment. “You guys okay, though?”
Five years older, he never fails to treat me and Nick like his brothers. Given that he has six of them, I kind of understand, but it feels nice.
“Yeah, just ready to leave this place.”
“Nicky’s dad, right?” He pauses a moment before asking, “Isla there?”
I hear Julie immediately on the other side, asking if we finally made the moves in hushed whispers that make me chuckle.
