Page 42

S arah

Boyd and I continue to find comfort in each other’s arms while he recovers.

But after more time passes, he can do more than limp around his condo. More than carefully take me to the bedroom. Then the day comes that I’ve been dreading. He gets dressed in a suit, tucks his Glock into his waistband, and gets ready to leave while I try my best not to cry.

“Don’t push yourself too much,” I whimper, leaning against him while adjusts his tie. “Seriously, Boyd. I know you feel a lot better now, but you still have to be careful.”

“I’m not going to rush things,” he promises. “I’m going to Salvalagio. Massimo said he’s got some simple stuff for me. We lost a couple Capos in the fire. I won’t be on the sidelines anymore. I’ve got to pick up the slack.”

“And you’ll do that from Salvalagio, right?” I ask. “You’re not going to be kicking down doors or anything, are you?”

“Not yet,” he says. “Work on your podcast while I’m gone. Aren’t you finally going to do the episode on those missing tourists?”

“Yeah, there’s not much, but I need content,” I say, glancing toward the other bedroom, where I’ve set everything up. “The quality will be better, since my mom shipped me all of my equipment.”

Boyd nods, turning and pulling me into his arms. “Guessing she still hasn’t warmed up to the idea of you staying in Las Vegas, even if she shipped you your stuff?”

“No, but she’ll get there. When I talked to her last night, she said she might come visit.” I shrug. “We’ll see if she actually does. You probably won’t get to meet her until I drag you to Pine Grove with me.”

“Ready when you are,” he says sarcastically.

“You’re not ready for a road trip yet, Boyd,” I sigh, shaking my head. “You shouldn’t even be going to Salvalagio.”

“Doc says I’m fine,” Boyd rumbles, kissing my forehead before letting go. “But we should hold off on any trips until we deal with Solitude and the Bratva.”

“Let me know if there are any updates,” I say, following him to the door.

“I will,” he says, kissing me one last time before he pulls away and leaves the condo.

I feel an emptiness inside me as soon as Boyd is gone. I distract myself by cleaning the kitchen, then I keep cleaning until the entire condo is spotless. It only kills a couple of hours, so I move to the second bedroom and sit down in front of my laptop.

“Let’s get this over with,” I sigh, adjusting my microphone.

I don’t feel like doing the episode live, even though Boyd doesn’t have to approve anything for this series.

I overheard the names at Rafferty’s, but beyond that, I don’t have any real leads, and I won’t be disclosing the reason why I think there’s a connection.

It’ll be presented as pure speculation. Armchair detective work, because that’s what podcasters are known for in the true crime circles.

“Hello, everyone! This is Sarah Parker, and it’s time for your True Crime Minutes !

” I force as much excitement as I can, then pause for dramatic effect before continuing.

“Missing tourists in Las Vegas? Did they wander into the desert and get lost after losing all their money? Or is something more sinister happening in Sin City? Stay tuned after this quick message from one of our sponsors and I’ll give you all the juicy details as well as my take! ”

I stop the episode, add in the sponsorship message from the one who pays best, and then dive right into the case.

It doesn’t feel very authentic, making this seem like a huge mystery, when there’s a much bigger one hanging over Las Vegas.

But Solitude and the Bratva have been silent since their clash with the Morandi family at Bellamy’s residence.

I can’t do recaps about that forever, and I don’t want to burn through all of my other stories too quickly.

Valerie, Catherine, and Sadie were the names I overheard at Rafferty’s.

Those are the only ones I know are truly connected, but I’ve been tracking every missing tourist that makes the news.

I’ve got profiles of them on the wall in front of me.

Boyd wasn’t too thrilled with it, but he’s supportive of my podcast, so I didn’t get spanked for messing up his pristine wall.

If he saw my bedroom in Pine Grove, he’d probably be more worried. I don’t have much space left.

“Is there a connection? The Las Vegas Police Department was unwilling to comment on it, but they confirmed they’re following all leads,” I continue.

“And while it’s not uncommon for tourists to disappear after one too many, then resurface after their bender, none of the families have heard anything.

If you have been following this case like I have, drop me an email, or reach out on one of the forums!

I always love reading theories from my listeners! ”

I mute my microphone and sigh before I wrap things up like I always do. After that, I end the episode, do some light editing, and upload it. I don’t even stare at it compulsively to see how many people listen to it the first hour, like I often do when I don’t do my podcast live.

There was a time when my podcast seemed like the most important thing in my life except for Lea and my mom.

Truthfully, I prioritized my podcast over them sometimes, too.

Lea and Massimo wouldn’t even be together if I hadn’t pushed her to stalk him.

All I wanted was something I could turn into content for my podcast. I didn’t take a moment to consider how much danger my best friend could be in if he caught her, which he did.

“Alright, if Boyd’s gone for the entire day, I need to find something to do,” I mutter, reaching for my phone. “I’m sure Lea doesn’t have any plans. Massimo is probably as busy as Boyd.”

Sarah: Hey girl! Want to get together? Boyd went back to work today.

Lea: I’m at Salvalagio with Cadence. I could stop by, but I’ll have an entourage. Massimo won’t let me go anywhere alone right now.

Sarah: That’s fine, bring your bodyguards. Bring Cadence, too! I haven’t seen her since Boyd got hurt.

I put my phone down and take a pull from my vape, exhaling the sweet and slightly bitter taste of cranberry grape.

I’ve stayed in contact with Lea and Cadence, but it will be nice to see them.

After I get a confirmation that they’re on the way, I go to the kitchen and fix a charcuterie tray, filled with cheeses, meats, and crackers.

My phone lights up with a message, and I go to the elevators to wait for them. I expect to see an army pour through the doors when they open, but I only see Lea and Cadence.

“No bodyguards?” I ask, hugging Lea first, then Cadence.

“They’re staying in the lobby,” Lea says. “I like Rowan, but I’m getting tired of having him follow me around everywhere. I can’t even go to the bathroom outside of my house without him waiting by the door.”

“I wouldn’t mind the meanest motherfucker in a kilt following me around,” Cadence laughs. “But I’m sure you’d prefer if Massimo is the only one who watches you pee.”

“About the only time I get privacy,” Lea groans. “But I get it and I’m grateful to know someone is looking out for me, especially with the baby on the way.”

“Getting closer every day,” I remark, leading them into the condo and motioning toward the kitchen counter. “I made snacks. Can I get either of you a drink?”

“Wow, you… made this?” Lea asks, looking over the options and grabbing a piece of mild cheddar cheese. “You never used to feed me when I came to visit. I had to fend for myself.”

“I’m getting better at being a host,” I giggle. “Trying lots of new things these days. I even started cooking!”

“And you haven’t set the kitchen on fire yet?” Lea laughs, glancing at the stove.

“Not yet,” I say.

“I’ll take a drink, if it’s not too much trouble,” Cadence says, stacking some things from the charcuterie tray on her plate. “I’ve barely eaten since I started working for the Morandi family again.”

“Don’t like buffets?” I question, walking over and opening the fridge.

“No.” Cadence shakes her head and wrinkles her nose. “Have you seen the guests at Salvalagio? They touch everything .”

“Yeah, I used to be one of them,” I admit. “Alright, for drinks… I got tea, soda, water, beer… or if you want something stronger.”

“Stronger.” Cadence smiles. “Definitely stronger. And I’ll take Lea’s drink too, since she can’t have anything.”

“Fine by me,” Lea says. “Can’t wait until the baby is born and I’m done nursing. Salvatore sent a crate of the wine they named after me, and I can’t even drink it.”

“Soon, Lea. Soon,” I laugh, walking over to Boyd’s bar area. “Cadence, you prefer vodka, right?”

“Yep,” she confirms. “Don’t even have to pour it. Just hand me the bottle.”

“I’m going to pour it,” I say, turning over a glass. “But I’ll make it a double, since you’re having Lea’s too.”

It’s not my place to question Cadence’s drinking habits, but her asking for the bottle does cause a twinge of concern.

Not that I’m one to talk. I used to down drinks pretty fast at Salvalagio when I was counting cards.

I fix Cadence’s drink, slide it across the bar, and take a sip of my water before nibbling on a cracker.

“So, any updates?” I ask. “Boyd said there’s nothing going on at all right now.”

“Business as usual, again,” Lea sighs. “Except everyone is on high alert and they’ve turned poor Cadence into their personal slave-hacker.”

Cadence shrugs and takes a drink of her vodka. “I don’t mind, honestly. At least I get paid when I’m doing work for the Morandi family. My freelance coding gig isn’t doing so well lately. AI does a lot of it for free now.”

“I’m guessing you haven’t cashed in your personal favor yet?” I ask, leaning against the bar as I continue nibbling on snacks.

“Nah,” Cadence scoffs. “Doubt I ever will. I wasn’t looking to get anything out of it. I was just helping one of my favorite podcasters. But I won’t complain about all the work it’s brought my way. No offense, Lea, but your husband’s tech team is… um, not the best.”