Page 45 of The True Garza

“For water or for me?”

Lonny

Two evenings later, I justget home from work and am about to grab a shower and whip up some spicy Ramen for dinner when my phone rings.

True Garza calling….

The sight of his name both pulls a sigh from me and makes me lightheaded. Since he followed me home two nights ago, I haven’t seen or heard from him.

“I knew my good mood wouldn’t last,” I answer.

“Coming to get you in ten.”

“What? Why? I just got home.”

“You want to catch the mole or not?”

“Did you find something?”

“See you in ten.”

Stuck between using those ten minutes to either grab a shower or cook Ramen, I use one of those minutes to decide on taking a shower. If he’s “coming to get me,” then I’m going to be confined inside his vehicle, and in that case, I’d rather smell fresh and clean than have a full stomach. Maybe if my stomach growls out loud he’ll feed me again.

After showering, I don jeans and a racerback tank. I’m tying my hair back in a low ponytail when he rings me again to tell me he’s outside. On the way out, I grab my worn leather jacket and throw it on to hide my holster.

True is on his phone when I walk out and hop into the passenger side of his SUV, but his eyes remain on me the entire time. I wish I could crack his head like a coconut and pour out all his thoughts. He hides himself from me, yet every time those dark eyes are on me, I feelseen. How is that fair?

“Okay, got it,” he says into the phone as he pulls off from the curb. “I’ll meet you there.”

When he hangs up, I ask, “So, what did you find?”

“Was I looking for something?”

For Pete’s sake.Too hungry and tired to get into it with him tonight, I drop my head back against the headrest and close my eyes, opting to just wait for him to fill me in on why he called me out of the house.

I must have dozed off at some point because, when I open my eyes again, I’m alone in the vehicle, which is now parked outside a seaside establishment. “Salt Room Marina,” the lit sign reads. A semi-outdoor design that gives me a good view of the five men gathered inside, in deep discussion. Two of those men being True and Sacha.

Gravel crunches under my feet when I hop out of the vehicle and head for the building.

“’Night, boys,” I greet when I’m inside. The three unfamiliar faces return pleasantries, but Sacha just grunts and ignores me.

“Seriously? Are you going to stay mad at me forever?” I ask Sacha, pinching his arm. “Don’t you know we’re destined to be together?”

He continues to ignore me. Men sure know how to carry a grudge.

“So that’s it,” True addresses the men. “Obviously, I can’t be seen here during the operation, so Sacha is the head on this. Call meonlyif the fish swims into the net. Report all the minute shit to Guy, yeah?”

He dismisses the men, then turns to me, elbow propped on the bar. “Isn’t Sleeping Beauty supposed to wait for a kiss from a hot prince?”

I roll my eyes. “How long was I out for?”

“About two hours. Slept through the entire meeting.”

I punch his arm. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Sounded like you were having a good dream,” he replies with a shrug.

“What do you mean?”