“At least answer this, why didn’t you tell Mila?”
“Did ye?” I shot back.
Some of the power went out of her. “No. She’d be hurt if it isn’t true. Family is important to her. Gaining a sister is a big deal.”
At least in this part, she had me wrong. I lied anyway. “Exactly. I need facts not guesses before putting her through more upheaval.”
She went quiet for another long while, the darkness outside the car complete now we were in deep countryside. “How long will it take to get a DNA match from the hairbrush?”
“Three days.” I’d struck lucky with them finding a hair with a usable follicle.
She tutted. “Shade can do it faster. Why not ask him?”
“One more person who would know unnecessarily.”
“Tell me again why secrecy is important? I understand not wanting to hurt Mila, but why not tell me? Or your crew?”
“I’m a temporary member of the skeleton crew. Like I said, I think she’s in danger because of that secret identity. One that, if I’m right, she’s kept hidden for years. The more people who know, the more who can blab to whoever wants to hurt her.”
Lovelyn recoiled. “And you included me in that?”
The hurt in her voice stirred something inside me that made me regret my words. But why? I didn’t care about this woman. It was probably because having her onside was more useful than not.
I also sensed that she didn’t fully believe me. I couldn’t find an easy way around that. I was still lying to her, and she’d already picked up on other mistruths.
One thing was for sure, I needed to take control of the conversation. “What did you find in the tech you stole from Dixie’s house?”
She coloured pink again, visible even in the low light of the car. “You know about that?”
“Apparently we’re both good at secrets. What did you find?”
“That you’re exhausting?”
“Seriously.”
Lovelyn blew out a breath. “I didn’t find anything on it.”
“Another lie?”
“Fuck you, Kane.”
I choked on humour and the dirty joke that wanted out of my mouth. Right now. In a field by the side of the road. From behind with her bent over a fence and my dick driving into her so hard both of us yelled.
My damn heart pounded, sending blood south.
Her words came out tight-lipped. “I’m serious. I didn’t discover anything on the tablet.”
“Then you’ll give it to me?”
That shut her up.
Not for long, though. Lovelyn’s phone rang in her bag. She pulled it out and answered it, turning away from me. The faint voice of her caller met my ears anyway.
It was a woman. Her words hesitant. “You help women with boyfriend problems, right?”
What the hell was this, an agony aunt hotline?
Lovelyn confirmed that she did, and the woman continued.
