dad was one of Lex’s clients. I really didn’t like the idea of talking about her with Lex any more than I had to; I didn’t want him knowing how important she was to me. But Breeze asked me to do this for her.
“Okay, cool. No problem,” I told him. “Hey man, speaking of business owners. Did the dude Violet worked for ever buy?” I was hoping that Lex wasn’t smart enough to make all the connections.
“You mean Breeze’s dad?” Lex asked, leaning forward on the couch. All of the springs creaked as he moved.
Shit.
“Yeah. Was he a buyer?” I asked, trying not to sound too eager.
“Nope. Not from me anyway.” Lex smiled, as if he was sitting on a secret, baiting me to ask what was giving him the shit-eating grin on his face. “If you have a question, you’re welcome to ask. You might not like the answer.”
I didn’t want to push Lex for more information about how he knew Breeze’s dad, but this was what I was here for, wasn’t it? To find out information. “Just spit it out,” I gritted.
“I like to make friends, Kai. You know that. We had mutually beneficial interests. I’m a businessman, after all. An investor.”
I fought the urge to scoff. Lex didn’t have friends, he had information. Blackmail was like a second language to Lex, and he wielded it like a weapon. I knew the surf shop was struggling, and it wouldn’t be the first time Lex offered to spot someone cash in exchange for a favor. Even though I wanted to ask more questions, I wasn’t ready for information that might incriminate Breeze’s dad. Loans weren’t necessarily illegal, but the ways Lex liked to cash in usually were. I just left it alone. I told Lex I would be back with his money tomorrow and left the shit hole he still called home.
Once I was back in my car, I sent Breeze a text letting her know the little bit of information I was able to find out.
Me: Your dad isn’t buying from Lex. I think he’s loaning your dad money for the surf shop.
Breeze: Shit. OK - stay safe.
Me: I’ll call you later.
I opened the bag and found the list of deliveries on top. It was going to be a long ass day.
Me: It’s done.
I was relieved sending that text to Lex. He had me running all over the island, meeting shady, shitty people through all hours of the night. I put my Glock in the glovebox and parked outside of the surf shop. I hadn’t slept since yesterday, and my eyes were heavy from a long night of working. I had to be at the restaurant for my shift in six hours, but I wanted to make sure Breeze got to work alright. I parked and stared at the door, rubbing my neck as Chase’s sports car pulled up. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Breeze. She got out of the car, looking tired and worried. She walked up to the door and pulled the shop key from her pocket. After struggling with the lock for a moment, she pulled the door open. Chase watched her until she disappeared in the shop, then peeled out of there. When he passed, he looked at me, nodding with a mild acceptance of my presence there.
I knew I should have gone home. I should have showered and tried to sleep for an hour or two before work, but I got out of my truck and followed Breeze inside. The bell rang when I entered, and her sweet, tired voice called out.
“We’re not open yet!” Her tone was muffled. I looked around, searching for her, smiling when I found my prize. Breeze was bent over, her tight ass in the air as she dug through a box of candles made by a local artist. I walked up to her and grabbed her hips, making her shoot up to a standing position with a gasp. I didn’t mean to scare her, but it was probably good. She needed to be aware of her surroundings at all times.
“You should lock the door, Little Whisper,” I rasped in her ear as she relaxed in my hold.
“Fuck, Kai. You scared me.” I spun her around and kissed her forehead, well aware that I hadn’t brushed my teeth yet today and that I probably smelled like nasty ass meth house and junk food. “How did last night go?”