“Oh, geesh.Tell me now before I go off and marry him, spend a lot of money on bullshit, or something dumb like I did with Johnny.”
“I never said anything about Johnny because… well, you seemed happy and it all happened so quickly that I didn’t really get a chance to talk to you about it.And then you were off to Vegas and I offered to watch the bar, but you know what?That fucking hurt.We’ve been best friends since second grade, and you cut me out like that.”She snapped her fingers.
She was right, I had.“In second grade you tried to wax the floor with my face.”
“See?Friends.If you were an enemy, I’d have accomplished that feat.”
“What did you dislike about Johnny?”
Kat hesitated again.“Do you promise to let me tell you everything and not interrupt?”
I couldn’t.
“Okay, you’ll interrupt, but don’t youdaredefend that baby-faced bastard.”
Considering he held me at gunpoint last night?He could rot in Hell.“I’m ready.Hit me.”
Her eyebrow went up as if contemplating my turn of phrase.
“Not for real, ‘kay?”
Kat held up her first finger.“That mustache.”
I rolled my eyes.It was on the tip of my tongue to defend him.I mean, genetics isn’t a character flaw.
A second finger went up.“He dressed flashy, but trashy.”
That didn’t make sense.“What?”
“Walmart shoes and Armani?Please.”
Okay.“…But Armani?—”
“He shopped his father’s closet or a thrift store for that suit.”
“Next.”
She lowered her hand.“The way his eyes roved when he was with you.”
The morning Dianora left his apartment flashed through my thoughts.“That witch stole my hoodie.”
Kat pushed up each sleeve.“Where is she?Imma gonna get it back.”
I laughed.“In lockup somewhere in Italy.She tried to kill her father, wait, succeeded in killing him.And she killed her brother here.Well convinced—” I cut my words off because the FBI agent who’d been shadowing the bar walked in.
“FBI Agent Perkins.You’re visiting us early.”
Kat stiffened but managed to plaster on a wide grin.“One of Chicago’s finest of the finest.Wow.I didn’t know we werethatpopular.”
Her gaze took in the two of us.“I’m not here on business.Vodka grapefruit if you have it.”
It was barely two in the afternoon.“One Salty Dog coming up.”I pulled a monster-sized grapefruit out, sliced off a nice wedge, and then juiced the rest.At least Agent Perkins was getting her vitamin C with her booze.
Meanwhile, Kat asked, “What’s wrong?”
Perkins shook her head.“I need that drink first.”
I strained it into her glass and set the garnish.Then, I poured a shot each for Kat and I from our special stock under the bar.It was iced tea with just a splash of premium lemon vodka to taste.I lifted my glass and quickly toasted, “A bird never flew on one wing.”
