A Dirty Business (Kings of New York #1)(112)

We both were quiet, letting that sink in.

I murmured, “You were at my house all day.”

“Yeah. Bear brought your mom home there late afternoon. He knew I was there.”

“You were there until late evening.”

We were both arriving at the same conclusion.

“He’s not the leak—”

“—or they would’ve come for me at your house.”

“Yeah.” Shit. Shit!

“What does that mean?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea.”

“You sure you want to stay at Leo’s house? I could do with feeling reassured there are no bullet holes in you all night long.”

“Me, too, but no. I need to stay here for my mom. It’ll be fine. Leo’s family.”

“Okay. I love you.”

I said the same and put the phone away. I was replaying the conversation in my head, opening the door. The hallway was dark. The light was on in the living room from the television.

“Jess?”

A shadow flashed across the living room, and my mom came to stand in the doorway, looking down to where I was at. Everything was dark except the living room, so I moved forward a step.

“Mom?”

“Oh, there are you.” Her relief was clear. Her hand went to her chest. “I must’ve dozed off and just woke.”

“Oh. No.” I held up my phone. “I went to call Trace, but I thought Leo was with you.”

“No. He’s not. I got scared. You both were gone.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “What?”

She gave me a look back. “What?”

“Leo left you?”

She nodded, motioning behind me. “He’s gone. I don’t know where he went. Looked through the house, but I couldn’t find him.”

That was . . . That was not right.

My gut shifted. Something was wrong.

Something . . . I couldn’t put my finger on it. He wouldn’t have left her. Maybe be in a room away, but within earshot. He wouldn’t have totally left. He wouldn’t put her through that, if she woke and no one was around.

“Mom,” I murmured, distracted, and starting to look around.

“Hmmm?”

“Do me a favor?” I began guiding her backward. “Go into the bathroom.”

“Bathroom?” she echoed, sharply.

“Yeah. Just to be safe.”

“Be safe?”

I moved her back, found the door to the bathroom, and pushed her inside. “Stay here.”

“Jess—” She grasped onto my hand, as if to hold me in place.

I needed to find Leo. Something was off. I needed to figure it out. I said to her, trying to be gentle, “I’m going to close this door. You’re going to be fine.”

“What are you doing, Jess?”

I couldn’t explain. There wasn’t time. I moved back, shutting the door, and I whispered through it, “Lock it. Just to be safe, Mom.”

“Jess—”

“Lock it!”

I heard the lock click into place, and then I turned.

Leo was family.

She said she looked through the house. So, he wasn’t in the house.

I started for the back, mulling in my head.

Leo was family, but so was Bear.

And Bear wasn’t the leak, but someone was leaking information to the police. That could be anyone.

But Leo was family. Bear was family.

What was I doing? I was making a mountain out of a molehill.

But where was Leo? He wouldn’t have disappeared on her.

Leo had told me he checked on my mom. Bear had said the same. Both had lied. Trace had said it himself.

“What is your problem with me, Travis?”

“Nothing except I don’t like dirty cops.”

He’d looked at Leo as he’d said that.

Leo.

Not me.

Leo.

Leo was dirty.

But, no. No. That was crazy.

Right?

I looked down.

My gun was out. I didn’t remember pulling it, but I grasped it with both hands and started thinking.

Jesus. I wanted to be wrong. I needed to be wrong.

He’d go where he couldn’t be heard. Outside. His garage. He kept a fridge out there, a ready-made excuse if he needed one.

He must be. I was betting everything on it, but my heart was pounding.

This wasn’t like last time. I’d just gone through this. The adrenaline spike had hit me, carried me through shielding my mom. The shock had hit me later, then had worn off, and right now my body was tired. It didn’t want to go through this again, but as I eased to the side door, my heart began speeding up.

The sound was loud in my eardrums.

My breathing sounded like it could shatter glass.

One foot. Two. Three. I kept going, reaching for the door, finding it unlocked.

I was right. He’d gone out this way.

I opened it, and it made sense. It was the quietest door; there was no sound.

I eased out. No lights were on outside, but there was one in the garage. I saw it and moved toward the building.

Gun drawn. I didn’t have my phone this time. There’d be no backup. It was just me.

After moving to the side of the building, I stood so I was as small as I could be, heading for the door.