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Her voice doesn’t waver. “Is that not the term? Fine. Who do we need to kill?”

“Kill?” Lou says. “You? No one.”

“I’m serious. Who are we murdering?”

“We?” I ask.

I’ve never seen her more stern. “I’m in this. Who do we murder so we don’t have to pretend you’re dead? Who’s fault is this and if you say Enzo, I’m going to lose it. That bad penny has got to be rubbed out.” We laugh again. “I’m serious.” Her fists are balled up at her sides, her face red and angry.

My grin flattens as reality smacks us in the face. “Yea, Gingersnap, he’s the bad penny. Enzo and his boss Cady. They cornered me and were looking for you. I needed to put all our assets in a place they couldn’t legally or illegally get them. Took me a minute to set things up, but I should have gotten to you first. My apologies for being late.”

She pushes me down in the chair behind me and straddles my lap. “The Suit?”

“Yeah. The suit assholes drugged you girls.” She rocks on my lap and I wish to god my dick had better manners. Not quite the time to stir, but he missed Poppy’s perfect pussy, a fuck of a lot.

She kisses me softly and pushes her hips forward slightly. I put my forehead to hers and she says resolutely, “Then they die.”

“Yes,” I whisper as I kiss her rosy, soft lips. I slide my tongue along the seam and move my hands up her back to pull her closer and Lou clears his throat.

I look over at him. “Tell me we got time?”

“No, my brother. We have to go.” I stand up and she’s wrapped around me like a koala bear. I peel her off and put her on her feet.

“That’s some kind of outfit you have on.”

She plucks her t-shirt. “I was clubbing.”

“I’m aware. Also, tattoo arm guy is lucky I have bigger fish to filet. Or he’d learn about touching what’s not his.”

I see her lips curl up, but I’m dead serious. The asshole who hit on her. He’s lucky I’m on the run.

“Oh. My. God! Where’s Tabi?”

“On a plane back to Sonoma.” I take her hand and guide her out of the room.

“Won’t she know? She’ll come back for me. You know her. Wait, can people know? Everyone has missed you so much. Elle is going to lose it. She refused to get married again in the wake of everyone being so sad and…” Poppy places her hand over her heart. “Her daughter has no name.” Her eyes fill with tears.

“She does, Gingersnap. Her name is Sally.” She gasps. “I know it all and it busts me up, but no one can know. And Tab won’t come looking for you. She’s been given a story to tell, and even Bax won’t hear the real one.”

She’ll be sure enough not to say anything. I trust that wildcat with my secrets and even if she tells Bax it will stop there. I never thought I’d miss that entire crew. Being away from Poppy was painful, but being away from all of her extended world was sad. Watching them mourn a man like me in earnest changed me. They felt a bit like redemption, and that’s not something I thought I’d ever get. Now I have to fucking earn it.

Poppy puts her finger to her lip. “Wait, why won’t Tabi look for me?”

I wave my hand. “I gave her a cake. It will be fine.”

She tosses that pouty, angry look. She thinks she’s tough, fuck I’ve missed her with every flipping breath. Both on the inhale and the exhale.

“What does a bakery item have to do with this?”

I gesture my hands around. “It’s a like a cinnamon bomb of a cake, but it’s called a fanouropita. It’s the cake of Saint Fanourios, it’s for lost things. He’s a Greek saint of shit like that, lost and found souls and items. I may have texted her in Greek on a burner. I’d bet my life she tells them she didn’t find you.”

“Stop betting your life.”

“Understood.”

“I think only Brick knows where I am. I don’t know how. She lied to come find me so the rest of them wouldn’t---”

“Drag you back. Got it. We’re good, but we’ll talk later. Now we have to go.” She needs to stop yammering and move her cute ass.