Page 154 of Coff

“What?” Sarina glances at everyone on the deck. “Dammit, I counted wrong.”

We all take off our coveralls and place them in a bin.

“Hey, don’t think I’ve forgotten about that welcome party,” Rover says to Coff. “As soon as it’s safe to do so, I’m on it.”

“Thanks,” Coff says.

Coff is all smiles around these guys. I tried calling him Matthew, but I couldn’t do it. It doesn’t suit him. But Coff does. I’m happy this has all worked out. And yes, he’s been here three months, but we held off on doing anything in public, like a welcome party at a bar, until we are certain no one is searching for us.

“Huh. My brother sent a text telling me to call him right away,” Coff says, staring at his phone.

He takes a few steps off the back deck as he makes the call. “Yeah, she’s here.” He turns to look at me. “All right.” He pulls the phone from his ear and turns on the speakerphone. “It’s my brother.”

“Jolene?”

I walk closer. “I’m here.”

“Good. I have news I want to share with both of you.”

I glance at Coff, and he’s frowning at the phone. “What’s going on?” he asks.

“There was an explosion last night at a warehouse just south of San Diego. I’m not sure how, but Ruiz was inside, along with all of his top men. And there were quite a few members of one of the Mexican cartels. In total, thirty-three men died.”

My mind is racing. Were they murdered? Was it an accident?

“Why were they all in the same building?” Coff asks.

Brian sighs. “That’s a very good question. Unfortunately, we don’t have the answer, and we probably never will.”

“Was it an accident?” I ask. There’s no way it could be with so many top players in there.

“No. It’s still early, but it appears a truck loaded with explosives was inside the warehouse, and it blew up. Harding says her agency picked up on communication that indicated a rival cartel is responsible.”

I sit down on the steps of the deck as I process what he is saying.

“Another cartel is taking over what Ruiz covered?” Coff asks.

“It appears that way.”

Coff sits next to me and puts an arm around my shoulders. “Okay, thank you for letting us know.” He ends the call.

I wipe my eyes. Over the past three months, several of my dad’s enemies have died. According to the FBI, each one was a drug deal gone wrong. While I want to believe that, I can’t. All those men lived for years, and then, in the span of a few months, they died. And now this.

“You okay?” Coff asks.

I shake my head. “Are you behind all this?”

How could he be? He was with me all last night.

“All of this?” he asks.

“They are all dying.”

He takes my hand. “I’m not the one behind it.”

I whip my eyes to his. “But you know who is?”

He shrugs. “I have a suspicion.”

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