“That could have been an email.” Lailani busies herself in her kitchen making coffee. For herself.
“I didn’t want a drink. It’s okay,” I tell her when she sits down across from me.
“Great, whatdoyou want?” she asks.
“I really did just come to check that you were doing okay.” I lean forward, my forearms resting on my thighs. “You seem… happy?”
“Orgasms have a way of doing that to a girl.” She smirks.
My entire face screws up. “Don’t hurt him.”
“What if he hurts me?”
I laugh. “I’d say I’d kill him, but you’d beat me to it.” I stand and walk over to her. “Stay focused. I’m leaving town tomorrow.”
“I’m always focused,” she counters.
“Good chat,” I say with a wave of a hand and walk out of her apartment, making sure not to be seen by anyone. I don’t need my friends knowing that Lailani works for me. Not yet anyway.
My mind is playing tricks on me. I’ve finally lost it and now I’m fucking seeing things. Because standing just a few feet away from me is… Laura. My Laura. Which is insane because my Laura is dead. I’m seeing dead people.
She’s standing with Louie and Charlotte—judging by the pictures in the file I have on her. Louie’s back stiffens the moment he spots me.
I keep my eyes firmly fixed on Laura’s ghost, afraid she’s going to vanish if I look away. But the closer I get, the more I realize it’s not her. No, this woman might be Laura’s doppelgänger but she’s nother. What she is, is breathtakingly beautiful. And there’s a look in her eyes that’s holding me captive. She’s hiding something and I instantly want to know what it is.
“Louie, are you going to introduce me to your friends?” I ask, stopping a few feet short of his entourage.
“Emmanuel, this is Charlotte, my girlfriend. And this is Evie.” He makes a point of putting extra emphasis on the woman’s name. He knows as much as I do exactly who she looks like.
I look to his girl. “Well, Charlotte, it’s a pleasure to meet the woman who’s captured this old bastard’s heart.” And then my full attention turns to the gorgeous strawberry-blonde in front of me.
Evie.Her name rolls around on my tongue. I like it.
“Charlotte, take Evie over to the bar. I’ll meet you in there,” Louie says. I’m about to order them to stay. I’m not done looking at this girl when Charlotte’s thick southern accent has me glancing her way.
“Sure. It was nice to meet you.”
“You too.” I nod, before returning my gaze to Evie.
Louie spins around, blocking my view. “Don’t,” he growls.
“Don’t what?” I lift a single brow. No one—and I mean fuckingno one—tells me what I can and can’t do.
“I know that look. I’ve seen it before. Evie isn’t her,” he says.
“Isn’t who?” I tilt my head to the side as I brace myself for what he’s about to say. Her name. My friends all know better by now.
“Laura.”
I feel my jaw twitch as I look Louie dead in the eye. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Right, and I’m fucking Father Christmas. Don’t fuck with my girl’s friend, Emmanuel.” His words are meant to be a warning. But come off more as a challenge to me.
“I have no intention of fucking with her. Now,fucking her… that’s not off the table.” I smile at the thought before I make my way over to her.
Evie is like a fucking siren, calling me to my death. And yet, I can’t turn away.
I squeeze myself between her and Charlotte and pivot in the seat. “Sorry, mi alma, we didn’t get properly introduced. I’m Emmanuel.” I hold out a hand.
