She collected their empty plates, started cleaning up, but he turned off the faucet, clasped her hands.
“Talk to me, Britain.”
“Call your dad’s handler,” she said, changing the subject.
“Talk to me about us,” he said.
“Us? There is no us.”
The sadness in her eyes broke him. He had to tell her the truth, or he’d lose her.
No way in hell would he let that happen.
“I’m gonna call it,” Brit said. “Thanks for letting me crash here.”
Before he could respond, she vanished down the hall. For the moment, he’d give her the space she needed.
He unearthed his phone, scrolled through his address book. Rather than call his dad’s handler, he wanted to talk to the Special Agent in charge of the case.
“Hello,” Simon answered.
“Hey, Simon. Joaquin Dillinger. How have you been?”
“Joaquin, it’s good to hear from you. I heard you left the Bureau. Is that right?”
“Yeah,” Rebel said. “I’m focusing on my businesses. Got a minute?”
“Of course. What’s going on?” Simon asked.
“I want to pick your brain about the drug case my dad was workin’ before he got killed.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Tell me about the arrest.”
“It happened at a rest stop in Prince George’s county,” Simon began. “Clark had agreed to drive an eighteen-wheeler filled with carnival-sized teddy bears stuffed with fentanyl tabs to a drop-off point in New Jersey. He’d gotten close with the kingpin’s top two, but your dad said he wasn’t gonna take the job unless he could meet the ring leader. They agreed, met at the rest stop where the bears were being transferred from a dozen U-Hauls into the rig. We had a team move in to make the arrests. We assumed the leader got tipped off because he never showed. I arrested your dad, but instead of loading him into the van with everyone else and taking him to the station, he asked me to drive him to the warehouse.”
“So, you did?” Rebel asked.
“I was against it, but your dad was confident the leader would be there,” Simon said. “The place had been cleaned out. I’ve never seen your dad so angry. He’d worked the case for two years and the drug lord just vanished.”
“Did Candyman’s guys talk?”
“Not a damn word,” Simon replied. “They stayed loyal to him.”
“What happened to everyone who worked for him?”
“They served their time and got out.”
After Rebel spent a few minutes catching up on Simon’s career, he ended the call.
I’m comin’ for you, Candyman, and when I find you, I’ll show you no mercy.
Rebel instructed the computer to turn out the lights in the kitchen and living room. Now, comforted by the darkness, he stood in front of his windows, his sights set on the buildings across the river.
His thought about how his dad’s death had changed his life and the lives of his family. Then, his thoughts floated to Britain. She was unlike anyone he’d ever known, but he’d closed off his heart. Could he lean into something with her? Could he let go of the past and begin again? Only one way to find out.
Go talk to her.
