Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
“I am aware of that. I want this guy who is after Faith. What is his name?”
“Darcy Rivers. Was that the name of the witness?” he asked
Smith didn’t reply.
“Apparently, he’s tall and thin with a tiger tattoo on his neck,” Reuben said.
She still couldn’t tell what Smith was thinking. But he nodded once.
“Your hands are tied,” Reuben added. “You can go after him for a false report. Using a false identity. But you will need proof to arrest him for the murder of his sister.”
“Then I will get that proof. I want five minutes with Faith. Alone.”
“No.” Reuben drew her closer to him.
“Reuben,” she said quietly. “Please.”
“Your people will be free by the time I bring her out,” Smith promised.
Reuben stared down at her. “Five minutes. You yell out if you need me, I’ll be right outside.” Then he kissed her and strode out of the room.
Smith waited until he was gone to gesture to her. “Come here, Faith.”
She walked into his arms. She might not have seen him in years, but she remembered him coming to family functions when she was a kid. Faith had always thought he was so cool. Her big cousin.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine, I promise. I love Reuben and he loves me.”
“Do you know what he’s into, Faith?”
She leaned back to smile up at Smith. “I know the man he is. That’s what matters.”
Smith sighed and frowned. “I can’t go easy on De Leon because you’re friends with his wife.”
“Do what you have to. I get it.” She patted his chest. “But just know that they’re good people who care about me. And I won’t be used against them.”
Smith gave her a wry grin. “Got it. Just as long as you promise to come to me if you ever want to leave him. If you ever feel unsafe. You come straight to me.”
“I will.” She turned toward the door.
“And Faith?”
She spun back.
“Talk to your parents. They love and miss you. I’ve tried several times to convince them to come out here to see you, but they don’t think you’d want that.”
Not sure how she felt about that, she walked out of the room to where Reuben was waiting for her. He watched her for a few seconds before opening his arms. She moved into his embrace immediately. A tight knot unraveled in her stomach.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I should have told you. But I didn’t know it was a big deal in the beginning. And then everything else kind of happened. I would have . . . I was going to tell you. And I would never have told him a thing.”
“Hey, baby. It’s all right. Take a breath for me.” He drew her back, so he could place his hand on her chest. “Breathe in and out. And listen to me. I never thought for a second that you were spying on us. All right?”
“That’s good,” Smith said from behind her in a low voice. “Or I’d have had to kick your ass for believing something like that about my sweet baby cousin.”
She turned to gape at Smith. She hadn’t heard him leave the room behind her.
But Reuben turned her back to face him. “Everything is all right, okay?”
She sagged against him, and he held her tight. “I need to take her home. She needs rest.”
“Look after her,” Smith told him. “Or you’ll answer to me.”
Reuben held her tight against him and she only turned back once to smile at Smith.
“Where’s Cat? Alejandro? Rafael?” she asked.
“They’ve gone home. I didn’t want them lingering around the police station. It might give the cops ideas and Cat needed to go home.”
Faith nodded. “Was all that true in there? Lou and her . . . her brother want to harm me to hurt you?”
“Yes,” he said grimly.
“That’s so hard to get my head around.”
“All because Abel Venturo’s son was a child abuser.” He explained everything as they headed out of the police station. It blew her mind. He didn’t tell her how he knew all of this, and she didn’t ask.
“How are we getting home?” she asked.
“Steven is stuck in traffic, but he’s not far away. And the Scot is coming home with us.”
The Scot seemed to appear out of nowhere. Had he been following them? He gave her a wink and she smiled back at him. She’d been worried that they might all think she’d kept her relationship to Smith a secret on purpose. Or, worse yet, that they thought she was some sort of spy.
Not that Reuben ever told her anything about Alejandro’s businesses. But still . . . it was good to see that the Scot didn’t think that.
They waited outside for a few minutes, then Steven pulled up about fifty feet away from the front of the police station.