Page 107 of Faded Gray Lines

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Houston isn’t that big,amigo. I have no interest in helping a Carrera, but, unlike your boss, when it comes down to anotheroficialor anarcopolitico, I side with my own.” A hint of hostility crept into his voice, but I listened intently without interjecting. “You need to ask yourself who had the most to gain by shutting those two up permanently. Seems to me your problem is our fine mayor.”

His insinuation hung in the air. “Lilith Donovan may be corrupt, and she’s definitely aputa—but a murderer?”

His feet shuffled again. The next time he spoke, his voice was so close it sounded less than an arm’s length away. “Three of your men knew she liked to walk on the wild side. Two are dead. I’d ask the third before he is too.”

No. Only five people knew about that.

“You’re lying.”

He muttered under his breath. “You should know better than anyone how power can close steel bars. You think I’m facing twenty to life because I’m careless? I made a deal that went bad. Two guesses on who it was with.”

Thirty-Six

Leighton

I wore white.

What seemed like a perfectly logical idea walking in now felt ridiculous as I exited the courthouse dressed in the abomination that now flapped in the breeze like a giant virginal flag.

Such an over-the-top gesture was unnecessary, but I’d walked into the clerk’s office with my head held high and asked for Melinda, speaking with conviction while signing both mine and Mateo’s names to a Declaration of Informal Marriage form. My hand didn’t even shake as I paid the obligatory thirty-one dollars, slipping Melinda two crisp one-hundred-dollar bills for her trouble.

Now, standing on the steps outside, I glanced down at my outfit with distain. The long-sleeved, baby doll dress was covered in so much white lace I looked like an oversized toddler, but it was done.

In the eyes of the state of Texas, Mateo and I were married.

“Leighton? Do you want to sit down?” A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, dragging me out of my fog.

“No,” I said, letting out a resigned breath. “They’ll be here soon to pick us up.”

She squeezed my shoulder then settled her hand over her small belly. I snuck a glance out of the corner of my eye. Other than looking like she’d swallowed a toy ball, Eden Lachey hadn’t changed much. She still had shocking bright red hair that was piled on top of her head, but it was the black dress she wore that made me laugh. Sexy and form-fitting, when paired next to my sacrificial virgin costume, we looked like the living embodiment of yin and yang.

“You’re right,” she said, staring straight ahead with a slight nod. “I probably wouldn’t get back up without a crane anyway.”

I appreciated that she didn’t push me. Marriage may have bound us into some twisted sisterhood, but it would take a lot more than a piece of paper for us to link arms and start calling each other “bestie.”

However, I was curious how things were going. Brody had insisted that I meet him at his apartment, so he could drive me to the courthouse himself. I humored him, not expecting to find Eden and the Carrera kingpin himself sitting in his living room.

“Do you think Val found someone to post the money he put up for Mateo’s bail?”

“Absolutely. One thing you’ll learn is that most everyone can be bought. Usually, the ones with the highest moral compass are the ones with highest price tag.”

“That’s depressing.”

“It’s reality,” she countered, cocking her chin with a sympathetic stare. “Something tells me you know more about it than you’re willing to admit.” I stiffened, and she let out a sigh. “Look, Leighton, I know what it’s like. You feel like you can’t trust anyone. There’s a voice inside you telling you if you take your foot off that ledge and leap, you’ll lose the only part of you that’s ever made any sense. Because what our men do?” She shook her head. “I’ll never try to convince you it makes any sense, but I’m here if you need a friend.”

“Then why did you leap?” I had to know why a perfectly sane woman would leave everything behind to follow a criminal.

“Love.” She smiled as a black Land Rover pulled up by the curb. “I considered the consequences of living a life with Val or without Val. The reward of being with him outweighed any risk waiting for me in this life or the next.”

The window of the Land Rover rolled down and Valentin Carrera poked his head out, his eyes shielded by reflective sunglasses. His hair was shorter than Mateo’s but just as dark, the longer strands at the top slicked back.

“Cereza, get in the car,” he called out. “We have a groom to collect.”

Eden grinned, grabbing my hand and leading me down the steps. Just before climbing in, I caught Brody’s eye. Forcing a smile, he tightened his hold on the steering wheel and blew out a nervous breath.

Me too, big brother. Me too.