Page 43 of Little Sunshine

“Already on it.”

Usually, questioning his skills to hack into anything would be an insult, but there was no offense or cockiness in his voice. It was nothing but determination—once again showing how close her history was to his own.

How deep it cut.

“Try not to get busted.” My words turned distracted when I saw Mila’s bed being pushed through the double doors at the end of the hall. “I don’t have time to bail you out.”

“I was trying to be nice, but now you’re just being outright rude.” He gave a dramatic sigh that was undercut by another burst of rapid typing. “I’ll send over what I have so far.”

Cole and I—along with Marco—worked for Maximo Black. Not as employees of Black Resorts, but for him personally.

Juliet called us his goons, and she wasn’t far off.

Marco put his immense knowledge of causing bodily harm into being his bodyguard.

Cole was a fucking computer nerd—not that I’d ever seriously call him that since he could ruin my life with three clicks of a mouse. He kept all our tech updated and top of the line. Including, of course, Maximo’s stalker cameras.

And I was his second. His right-hand. Driver. Bodyguard. Intermediary. Enforcer. Scheduler, fill-in, and, on previous occasions, math tutor to his wife.

We’d earned our places in his small inner circle by being the best at what we did.

Which was how I knew Cole would have the files within days.

If not before.

“Get me the footage from the lobby today, too,” I said.

“On it.”

I clicked off and opened the door before stepping aside so they could push the bed in. Since they’d been gone a while, I expected Mila to be awake and ready to give me hell. But when transport got the hell out of my way, I saw her eyes were still closed.

I thought she was asleep, but the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders gave her away.

“I know you’re awake, baby.”

Her voice may have been soft, but it was filled with venom when she gave me the expected hell. She just did it in a way that hurt worse than hurled insults. “You broke your promise.”

It’d been for her own good, but fuck, I hated hearing the betrayal in her words.

“Technically, it was the doc.” I didn’t hesitate to throw him under the bus. Or at least drag him down with me.

“He didn’t promise. You did.” She paused for a moment, a few tears escaping her closed lids. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you.”

With that sucker punch, she rolled over and curled into herself, looking even smaller. Vulnerable.

The murderous rage knocked at my sternum harder, eager to be let out.

Dr. Pierce moved into the doorway and jerked his head.

I brushed Mila’s hair from her face. “I’ll be right back, baby.”

“Take your time,” she said sweetly. “A hundred years will be too soon.”

“I’ll aim for fifty.”

It was small and quick, but I caught the curve of her lips before she smothered it.

I would take it.

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