Page 35 of Illicit

“What does it say? Will he meet with us?”

Rocco unlocks the phone and reads the text.

He exhales before dragging a hand down his face.

“Oh no. Is it bad?” I grab the cell and read the screen.

Unknown Caller – Tonight. Location and time to come. Be ready. The girl better be there.

I smile for the first time since I opened my eyes after sleeping tangled up with Rocco. “This is great.”

Rocco snags the cell from my hands. “Do you mean great like Jed, or great like a lowlife who arranged for an old man to disappear who also has a fascination with you has agreed to meet with us? Because both make me irate.”

“Great that he agreed to meet us. See, I manifested this. You’re welcome.” Now I really need to get away from him. “I’m going to take a shower. When the message comes in, we need to be ready to hit the road.”

I turn for my bag, but I’m stopped once again by Rocco’s warm grasp on my skin. He turns me to him, and his focus is lasered in on me. “If he doesn’t want to meet in a public place, I’m not going without backup, and you’re definitely not going at all.”

When I look up at him, there’s something smoldering behind those light brown eyes that I don’t recognize. It’s not playful or easy natured. It’s not even angry, though I’ve rarely seen Rocco enraged.

Whatever it is, it’s intense to an extreme. I’m not sure what to do with it. I definitely don’t know how to handle it. But there’s one thing I know for sure, I’m going to this meeting.

“Please. You saw Stella with your own eyes yesterday. If that were someone you loved, you’d do everything you could to find them. I’m not stupid. I can’t do this by myself. I need you.”

His jaw goes taut before he gives in. “I have phone calls to make. I was going to do this shit off the record, but I also want both of us to live to see next week. I need an op plan and backup.”

He didn’t argue the fact that I’ll be by his side tonight, so I smile. “Tim would be proud.”

He shakes his head. “Tim is going to kick my ass. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

“I won’t allow it.” I don’t ask if it’s because Rocco is allowing me to meet Robichaux or because he kissed me. “You do your agent thing. I’m going to take a shower. This is exciting stuff.”

I grab my things off the floor and head to the bathroom as he mutters, “This is not exciting. This is hell.”

8

FICTIONALLY FUCKED

Rocco

Twenty-two months, one week, and four days ago.

But who’s fucking counting?

Me, that’s who.

Because that’s what you do when you’re in hell.

This is the last fucking place I want to be at three in the morning. This might be New Orleans, but the city finally starts to settle down around this hour.

But not this place. This place is just getting going for the night.

I pull out my badge and pass my creds through the window to the attendant. “I’m here to post bail.”

The woman pushes her cold cup of coffee to the side as she looks from my ID to me and frowns. “DEA agents usually put people in jail, not pay to get them out.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “This is a first for me. I’m here for Teagan Coleman. She was processed a couple hours ago.”

She turns to her computer and starts to type away. “Ah. Underage. Wonder what she did to get the full treatment in the middle of the night?”

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