Page 131 of Last Man Standing

“I’m always right, bitch. How long until you and Mills meet?”

“Ahh…” He silences for a moment. “I’m pulling in now, and Mills should be here in ten. I wanted to get a lay of the land before we talk to him.”

“Good.” I bring my focus back to the window and watch Scarlett draw an intricate design into her forearm. Distance makes it impossible for me to see the finer details. I can’t even tell if she’s using one of those glitter pens she enjoys so much, or a plain, boring, blue BIC. “Get it done. Don’t die.”

“Why? Would you miss me, Sebastion?”

“Don’t call me Sebastion, you fuckin’ bitch. And no. I wouldn’t miss you.”

But Scarlett would.

In fact, I’m not sure she’d survive losing you.

“Just don’t do anything dumb. Call me when you’re finished. Make it swift, make it clean, and if you have to, make it permanent.”

He balks, choking on plain air. “You want me to delete a cop? I prove he’s our problem, so then I kill him and walk away?”

“If you don’t, I will.”

The crackle of my radio scratches against my brain. Nineteen sensors have been fixed, rewired, or replaced completely. Fifty-one remaining. But Lincoln says nothing, and Scarlett doesn’t smile when our eyes meet. She doesn’t tell me she loves me, except that one time last night, and Mav…? Well, that motherfucker’s ready to take my seat the instant Scarlett kicks me out.

“I’m down to nine minutes,” Linc grits out. Because he refuses to audibly acknowledge my threat on a cop’s life. “Catch you on the other side.”

“Yup.” I bring the phone away from my ear and jump across to my texts, but where Detective Mills told Scarlett about his daughter and the baby that may arrive today, I see no responses.

When he texted earlier and asked how she was doing, she didn’t reply.

When Linc tried to call his sister three times, and then resorted to texting a pointed what the fuck? She never replied to that one either.

Nothing.

Narrowing my eyes, I drop my hands into my pockets and wander across the crackling grass until I come up on Mav’s left. “I’m not getting her text replies anymore.”

Confused, he meets my eyes, then shoots a lock across to the window. “What?”

“She’s receiving texts. And phone calls. But she’s not answering the calls and not replying to the texts. Or…” I drag my phone out of my pocket and offer it. “She is replying, but I’m not seeing them.”

Taking it, he unlocks it with a simple swipe of his thumb and navigates to my inbox.

“Is it possible she kicked us out?”

He snorts. “No. It’s much more likely she just doesn’t wanna talk to anyone.” He plays around in my settings and rolls his bottom lip while he works, but coming up empty, he locks the phone again and hands it back. “You’re still seeing her incomings, which proves you’re not kicked out. I’d say she’s just sick to death of people.” He flashes a bright grin and folds his arms. “I get like that often. And let’s not ignore the fact that you only reply to one out of every five messages I send.”

“Cause you’re always sending dumb puppy videos.”

“Puppies are cute!” Laughing, he reaches up to the radio on his shoulder and turns the crackling volume down a fraction. “Puppies are fuckin’ adorable, man. You don’t even deserve those videos.”

Probably don’t deserve the girl either. But that won’t stop me from wanting her.

“Stay sharp today while the sensors are glitchy,” I grumble. “Dad’s working with the guys on the perimeter, La Bruja and Adelita are both here, and I’ve gotta head out in a little while.”

“Out?” Stunned surprise sends his brows shooting high. “You’re leaving the property?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotta head into town for something, which means you’ll be the big dog on campus till I return.” I slam my shoulder against his and start toward the house. “Or until Koda shows his face again. Then you’re back on the bottom.”

His playful laughter pulses in the air, and the two middle fingers I don’t see, but I feel, prickle against my back. “Fuck you, Bas. Fuck you two times.”

“Pass.” I lift my hand in farewell, then trudging across the yard and onto the salted walkways, I push through the security-locked back door and into the warmth inside.