"There.Was.No.Bullet hole."I take a step forward.Into his space."You want to accuse me of something, Paco, say it plain."
For three seconds, maybe four, neither of us moves.
Then Paco smiles."Let's go have a conversation with my driver.See whose story holds up."
"Let's."
He heads for the door.I grab my jacket, check my gun.My hands are steady but my pulse is hammering.
This is a test.Has to be.Paco or Marquez or both.Seeing if having Adena here is making me soft.Seeing if I'm still solid.
I glance back at the couch.At the Bible hidden underneath.
I'm glad Adena went shopping.She doesn't need to see what happens when you call a man a liar in this world.
She's seen enough of this side of me already.
Adena
I weave through the chaos in Jackson Square to a coffee cart, order black coffee, and position myself where Jake can see me.
When his eyes shift to me, I smile."You know 'I'll Be Seeing You'?"
He gives me the slightest of bobs."Sorry, love, just about to take a break.But I'll be back in ten."
"Too bad," I say before turning on my heel, walking at a leisurely pace so he can follow.
I head down Decatur Street, past the shops selling hot sauce and voodoo dolls and beads, and find the boutique that sells overpriced designer clothing.
Ten minutes later, Jake walks in.Rather than head directly toward me, he starts at the other end of the store, spending time looking at men's watches before he drifts to the rack next to mine.
He doesn't look at me as he speaks."You're giving Silas an ulcer, you know."
A smile tweaks at the corner of my mouth."You can tell him and everyone else that I'm fine."
"Definefinefor me and I'd be happy to pass on the message."
As briefly as I can, I give him the information that will keep both Hightower and the DEA happy.
I pull a red dress off the rack.Too short, too bright.
Jake's amusement is evident in his voice."Never wore anything like that when we were undercover."
I purposely fumble with the dress, dropping it on the floor."That's because the last two times we were pretending to be sleep-deprived parents with fake babies."
He snorts, just barely, not loud enough for it to carry.
I stand again and smooth the dress back on the padded hanger.“I need another location to communicate.I can’t keep coming here.”
“I’ll pass that on,” he mumbles.
Jake shifts behind me, fast enough that all the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Using my peripheral vision, I spy the cause of his sudden departure.
Simone, still splashed in gaudy animal print and makeup way too thick for daytime.
She's by the handbags, arms crossed, looking at me like I'm something she stepped in.
