Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
One thing we haven’t quite been able to figure out is where Enzo fits into the Chicago family. He’s relatively new to the area, having come here from Miami only a few months ago, where he lived a rather outlandish playboy style life. Maybe he was summoned by his father for bringing too much attention to himself. Maybe he’s finally ready to prove his worth and take a place in the higher ups. I can’t be sure, but one thing I’ve realized is that he doesn’t seem to travel with any sort of protection, which leads us to believe he’s not quite as important as some of the other players in the game.
Once Mira is almost to the restaurant, we head out and get into a van we have parked nearby. I can’t risk Enzo seeing me again and while it kills me not to know what Mira looks like tonight, this is how we’d typically listen in.
“How’d you get away with getting us this for the night?” Evan asks then shakes his head. “Never mind. Better I don’t know.”
“You and me both,” Diego says under his breath. He knows I said we were checking out a lead, I just didn’t go into detail. I settle in and put on headphones.
“Checking in,” I say into the microphone. “Can you hear me?”
“Yep,” Mira says back. “Now shut up so I don’t look like I’m talking to myself.”
Diego and Evan laugh and shake my head at them. Enzo is already there and he greets Mira.
“Thank you,” she says and I assume he pulled out the chair for her. They chitchat a little about their day and Enzo asks Mira how her sister is doing. Right. She said she couldn’t meet last night because she was going to her sister’s. She does have a sister, and she posted an Instagram story with her nieces last night.
“It was good. My nephews are the cutest.”
“Oh yeah? Are they young?” Enzo asks, his voice a little echoey. I turn up the volume and do a little adjusting, trying to block out the background noise.
“Six and four,” she tells him, which are the ages of her nieces. She’s good at this, keeping details close to home so she’s less likely to forget. It sounds simple and easy but people are surprised how quickly they slip up, especially when they’re under pressure. The date goes on and it would be a total drag if it wasn’t for Mira carrying the conversation. Enzo forgot that Mira is a vegetarian when he ordered an appetizer, and then again when he tried to order dinner for her.
The guy’s an idiot and has no idea how lucky he is to be on a date, even a fake date, with someone like Mira Martin.
“Everything okay?” Mira asks, getting all of our attention. Diego motions for Evan to listen in. He grabs a headset.
“Yeah,” Enzo replies. “Business call. I gotta take this.”
“Oh, okay, of course.”
We hear a chair scooting out and then nothing.
“Talk to me, Mira,” I say, wishing I could see what’s going on.
“He got a phone call,” Mira replies softly. “On a different phone. He has two.”
“Did you see who was calling?”
“No, but it had a seven-three-three area code, so someone local. And yes, I’ll try to dig but not obviously, Agent Mulder.”
“Like I’ve never heard that before.” I smile, aware of the looks I’m getting from Diego and Evan. A few moments silently tick by before Mira says he’s coming back.
“Everything all right?” Mira asks.
“Yeah, yeah,” Enzo replies. “Just some family drama.”
“Oh. Your parents? You said you’re an only child, right?”
Enzo hesitates. Did he forget the story he made up? “Right. I did say that. And yeah. My parents are always in my business.” His tone has shifted and I’m going to take a stab that he’s confessing something right now.
“Keep this going,” I tell Mira and put one hand on the headphones, pressing it against my ear so I can hear better.
“Ugh, that’s so annoying. Are they bugging you about being single?” She laughs. “My mom asks me all the time if I’m going to give her grandchildren.”
“If you want children, I can help with that.”
My lips curve into a smile thinking about Mira wanting to gag after hearing that line. “It is a fun thought. Is that what your parents are pestering you about?”
“Not this time.”
“Oh,” Mira says and pauses, waiting to see if he’ll go on. He doesn’t. “So what are they on you about?”
“Business,” Enzo says shortly. “They own a bakery and called to complain about a mess in the kitchen.”
“That you made or no?”
“Not this time, but they tend to put the blame on me.”
“Aww, Matt,” Mira says and I imagine her reaching across the table to put her hand on his. She’ll probably circle her thumb against the pulse point on his wrist too. “If I didn’t know better I’d swear you're the middle child with an older golden boy brother and a little sister who can do no harm.”