Page 131 of Reasons We Break

“I overheard.” TJ’s voice is flat. “Your mom and mine were talking. Loudly. My mom was pissed.”

Simran keeps her eyes closed. “I’m sorry.”

Silence. Then, all at once, she finds herself crushed into a hug. Simran’s eyes fly open. “You’re...not mad?”

“I’msomad, Simran.” TJ’s voice cracks a little. “But I understand now. God, I finally,finallyunderstand.”

Simran sniffles. Before she can help it, she’s sobbing, sobbing into her cousin’s beautiful embroidered suit, clutching onto the fabric for dear life. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she babbles, but TJ only holds her tighter.

“I know. I know.”

Her voice is exceedingly gentle. TJknows. The secret is out. And Simran can finally breathe. “My mom had her surgery,” she tells TJ. “We...have an appointment with the oncologist coming up, to talk about next steps, but it’s not as bad as it was.”

“My mom knows all the oncologists here. She can help.” TJ grabs a paper towel and delicately dabs the makeup under Simran’s glasses. “You should see them out there now. My mom is holding your mom’s hand. Weirdest thing I’d ever seen, at least until I came here and saw you letting Rajan Randhawa hike up your skirt.”

Simran pulls away from TJ at the mention of his name. Right, there was that whole thing a second ago. Why did he show up here, anyway? He said he came for the ledger, but he left in a hurry without it, as soon as he heard those men in the lobby...

It hits her.

Meanwhile, TJ is still talking. “How long have you two been a thing?Pleasedon’t tell me you were hooking up in high school and I just didn’t notice—What are you looking for?”

Simran’s desperately ripping open her purse. The zipper of the largest compartment is undone. She unzips it all the way.

Empty.

Her face burns. All those touches...just a distraction. He must’ve suspected she had the ledger on her. But it doesn’t make sense that he took it for Nick. Didn’t Nick say Rajan was ignoring his calls?

She’s getting a bad feeling about this. With fumbling fingers, she texts Yash to ask if he’s heard from Rajan. Then she calls Nick.

He picks up first ring. “Simran, tell me why Rajan thought it’d be a good idea to steal all the ledgers. Because Manny’s putting a hit out on him right now.”

Simran shuts her eyes. Her worst fears, confirmed. “He didn’t talk to you either?”

“Simran, I haven’t spoken to Rajan since he left. And I definitely can’t help himoryou when he does shit like this! You don’t have anything to do with it?”

“No.” Her phone buzzes; she briefly pulls it away to see Yash’s reply:He hasn’t called me back either...

There’s no way Rajan would ignore his youngest brother. Simran’s fingers tighten around the phone. “Nick, I think Rajan’s in trouble.”

Rajan pays for his detour. He’s doubled over on the floor of this shithole they brought him to, still coughing, when Snake Tattoo hauls him back upright.

“I’ll ask one more time. Where were you those minutes you were gone?”

“Who cares? I got you your last ledger, didn’t I?” He braces for another blow, but then the door opens.

Zach. “Stop.”

Snake Tattoo shoves him into a chair. Rajan attempts not to breathe too deeply as they loom over him.

It wasn’t a good plan, but he had no choice. He told them to drop him off at the place rightnextto the banquet hall. A large fabric store, which he explained had a back room the Lions used. It was just absurd enough to be true. He finally succeeded in losing his tail in the lace section—they were hesitant following him, which might’ve been funny in another situation—and slipped into the banquet hall through the inside corridor. But they caught on too quickly and followed him there. He’d heard them, when he was with Simran. That was when he knew he’d stayed longer than he should’ve.

Snake Tattoo turns to Zach. “He’s still not answering our questions. We should kill him now, cut our losses and go. We have the ledgers, that’s enough.”

But Zach shakes his head. “We got this far. Just imagine the looks on everyone’s faces when we bring back our ledgersandthe Lions’ bookkeeper. Not those other assholes they have on the job—us. Let’s not lose focus here.”

Hat Stealer nods slowly, and after a moment, Snake Tattoo does, too. Rajan understands something right then. Nobody, outside of the people who’ve been interrogating him the past few days, knows Rajan is here. These Aces are operating on their own.

While he’s processing that, Zach comes up to him. “Last chance, buddy. Because honestly, I think you know who the bookkeeper is. Axel’s concussion is so bad he doesn’t remember much from that night, but it’s got you written all over it. Tell us and maybe we let you die quickly. Maybe we don’t hurt Kitty after all.”