Page 87 of The True Garza
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Brook appears inmy line of vision as I’m on my final rep of weight-training workout in her basement gym.
“Can you train me?” she asks, while snacking from a giant bag of Doritos. “I need to tone up. This cellulite on my thighs is getting out of hand.”
“No.”
She frowns at the cable machine as if she’s never seen it before, even though it’s hers. “Why not?”
Finished with my rep, I return the dumbbells to the weight rack. “Because the last time I tried to train you, we ended up not speaking for two weeks.”
“That’s because you were too harsh! I’m older than you, so you’re supposed to be nicer to me.”
“No, you wanted to keep eating junk and were always stopping in the middle of a workout ‘because it’s too hard,’” I remind her as I dab sweat from my face with a hand towel. “Hire a trainer, ’cause I’m not doing that with you again.”
“Whatever,” she mumbles around a mouthful of Doritos.
“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you….” I hook the towel around my neck. “Do you know the Castellos?”
She takes a seat on the workout bench. “You mean the twin kings of Vegas?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve heard of them,” she answers. “Never anything good, though.”
“So, you’ve never interacted with any of them? Like when you were in criminal defense, maybe?”
Her eyebrows meet as she thinks on it. “Not that I can recall, no. Why? Are you in trouble with them?”
“Nah, it’s nothing serious,” I lie, grabbing my water bottle. “Just wondering.”
If Brook has never met or interacted with the Castellos, then how andwhydoes Lorenzo Castello have her in his crosshairs?
“I’m gonna shower.” I head for the stairs. “Oh, can you hook me up with your realtor?”
“What? You’re moving out already?” She springs to her feet. “Why? We’re getting along so well this time around. I don’t even complain when you leave dishes in the sink. I just wash them to avoid fighting because I like having you here.”
When did I leave dishes in the sink? I’m extra careful to clean up after myself to avoid arguments. “It’s not that. I don’t like having you in the middle of my issues with Mom and Uncle Walter. It’s your house, you should be able to have them over without having to check in with me first.”
“But I don’t mind, though.”
I lift a brow at her. “Well, this is new. In the past, you couldn’twaitfor me to get out of your hair.”
She picks at lint on her duster. “Yeah, well, a lot’s changed….”
I grin and continue up the stairs. “I love you, too, sis.”
“I never said that!” she calls after me.
Laughing, I head up to my room and take a cold shower.
It’s Sunday, and I have the next two days off and zero social or recreational plans. Considering the strained relationship I have with my family and what few friends I left behind in Denver, my life outside of work is quite boring. With Red Cage, I’m forced to take three days off. And what these mandatory rest days have shown me is how much being a homicide detective had consumed my life. Always buried in a case. Overnighting at the office multiple times a week. No wonder I didn’t catch on to my ex-fiancé’s infidelity. Maybe if I’d been more present in our relationship, things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did.
When I get out of the shower, there’s a text notification from Jules.
Jules:*attachment: Dennis.jpg*
Jules: That’s one of my client’s brother. Hot, right? Look at those muscles, and that jawline. He’s a contractor. He asked if I had any single friends as hot as me. Should I give him your number?
