“Yeah, Elio’s his brother.”
She stopped. “You’re dating the brother of your fuck buddy?”
“Yup—well, Devil’s not my fuck buddy anymore. We ended it.”
“So, you moved on with his brother.”
I shrugged. “I mean, you’ve seen his brother.”
“Ihaveseen his brother, and I see why, but girl, you move fast.”
I laughed. “Is Daiyu in?” I asked.
“Yup, with all you need.”
My smile slipped off my face as I nodded.
“The operation is a go then?” she asked, and I shifted on my feet.
“Yup.”
“Are you okay? To carry it through?”
I shook my head. “No. But if Daiyu’s lead is right, and Handlers are really on the cruise, I don’t care about anything else. Those kids need saving.”
“Oh, God—he’s gone.” Julio’s words came out cautiously from behind me, cutting our conversation short.
I turned with a sly smirk. “And you scream like a girl. What have I taught you, Julio?”
“Shush.” He’d placed ice on his wrist, cautiously stepping out from behind the door, looking around like Elio might pop up with a gun to finish him off. “A little heads-up would have been nice. Where the fuck did you find him anyway?”
“Brother of the fuck buddy,” Tatty supplied with a smirk.
Julio turned his head to look at me, staring blankly, the catalog tucked under his arm. “Why am I even surprised? Only you would pull something like that; family dinner must be eventful.”
“Ha,” I chortled, and grabbed the catalog when he turnedhis shoulder, gesturing for me to take it, seeing as he was busy icing his bruised wrist. “No family dinners yet, but hopefully soon. I’ll get popcorn, record the whole thing, and send it to you,” I said, opening the catalog.
“What does he do?” Julio asked, leaning on the counter.
“Eh… politics, inside politics, business shit.”
When I noticed their quietness, I looked up and between both of them before adding, “You know, that serious-people shit that helps the nation?”
Julio nodded.
“Yeah, that’s what he does.”
“Must be loaded,” Tatty said, leaning against the counter while I looked back at the catalog in my hands, flipping page after page of the designs.
“He is,” I agreed. “Hit the jackpot with that one.”
Julio’s laugh was mocking. “Not like it’s any use for you. You have a whole ci—”
“We don’t—” I looked around, my heart lurching as if Elio would pop out of nowhere. “We don’t talk about that.”
“I forget. Apologies, ma’am.” Julio smiled.
“That gloved-hand friend of yours was here,” Tatty cut in.
