“Everything okay?”
“Yes,” he says, but the tick of his jaw tells me everything is very much not okay. “I despise that towel. Lose it.”
I laugh. “You can’t hate a towel. I gotta go. Charlotte is waiting for me.” I cut the call to avoid the awkward goodbye.
I’m taking in everything that is the retail space Charlotte just unlocked for me. It’s perfect, like insanely so. But I’m trying not to get too excited. I can’t afford something like this. The place is already fitted out. I wouldn’t have to do much.
“I’m going to leave you to look a bit longer. I’m getting coffee. You want one?” Charlotte asks.
“Ah, yeah, thank you.” I spin around and try to take everything in.
There is another room off the back with a small kitchenette and then there’s a bathroom. Who would have thought these spaces had their own bathrooms?
This shop is insane. It’s huge, probably three times the size of my boutique. And there are four dressing rooms.Four.I had one. I know Emmanuel told me to believe in myself, but I feel nothing but doubt right now.
“Nice space.” A low whistle has me spinning around.
“Can I help you?” I ask as my eyes instinctively flick towardsthe exit.
“Actually, I’m here to help you,” the stranger says.
“How so?” The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Something is wrong, very wrong.
“Agent Shawn Jerrerys. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to meet you, Miss Carter.” The man extends a hand to me. I don’t take it.
“Why?” I fold my arms over my chest.
“Your boyfriend. I want you to look at these.” Agent Jerrerys holds up a folder and then walks over to the counter and opens it.
I don’t move. “You need to leave.”
“You need to look at what the man you’re fucking is capable of doing. You are in danger, Miss Carter. I can help you,” he says.
I laugh. “I don’t have a boyfriend. I have no idea who you’re referring to.”
“Emmanuel Lopez, leader of the De La Sangre Cartel? Ring a bell.”
“No.” I shrug a single shoulder.
“You do know… the crimes he’s going down for, you’ll go down right alongside him for them. Are you prepared to spend the rest of your life behind bars for this man, Miss Carter?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Please get out of my store.” I aim a manicured finger behindthe agent.
“Nice place. Tell me… how does someone like you afford a spot like this? From what I hear, your own store burned down just days ago,” he says. “Arson is what they’re calling it.”
“Is everything okay?” Charlotte walks in, two Starbucks cups in her hands.
“This man was just leaving,” I tell her.
“Mrs. Giuliani.” The agent nods at Charlotte as he swipes the folder back up and walks out of the store.
“I’m sorry. I have to go,” I tell Charlotte.
“Evie, what’s happening?”
I hug her. “That was a fed. He wanted me to talk about E,” I whisper into her ear. “Do me a favor? Ask Louie to text Emmanuel, tell him to meet me in room 666.”
“Um, okay,” she says.
