Page 41 of Deadly Sins

24Grant

LAST NIGHT I HAD AN overnight rotation training the BUD/S candidates. Joaquín was supposed to be standing by my side, yelling at these trainees, making sure they had what it took to save our brothers’ asses. One time during surf torture in our BUD/S class, Joaquín and I had held on to each other all night, ensuring that we wouldn’t die from hypothermia. I wasn’t gay, but I’d never felt as close to another man as I had that night. We were more than friends, more than Teammates, more than brothers—we were swim buddies. Now I couldn’t help but feel further apart from him than ever.

I was relaxing in my favorite chair, my dog by my side, while he was in a cold cell, alone, away from his loved ones.

But I might still have his closest loved one in my grasp.

Today I had a plan—a plan that would rattle Ksenya.

I asked her to meet me downtown in front of the sushi place where she and I had gone on our first date last week. She showed up dressed casually. Jeans, white tank top, hair in a ponytail, flip-flops, light makeup. She looked pretty. Normal, in fact.

Her head tilted, and she pulled me toward her for a kiss. I kissed her back. Her lips tasted sweet, fragrant. Like Mia used to taste. And at this moment, I wanted to just take her away, torture her until she confessed the truth, and try to get my old girlfriend back.

“Grant, you want to eat it, the sushi again? Maybe we try something new?”

Her eyes were hidden behind huge sunglasses. I wanted to see them react to what I was about to tell her.

I squeezed her shoulders. “I’m not that hungry, actually. How ‘bout we grab a cup of coffee instead?”

She smiled, and we went inside a seedy donut shop. I ordered two old-fashioned glazed donuts and two hot coffees. We sat at the table by the window. She took off her sunglasses, and I stared into her eyes.

“Actually, I tricked you.” I studied her face, hoping she would squirm under my words.

She tapped her fingers on the plastic table, but her poker face showed no fear. “You did?”

“I wanted to see if you’d come with me. My buddy, he’s in the jail down the street.”

The coffee cup was halfway to her mouth when she froze.

Her face turned ashen, the tiny hairs on her arms lifted.

Bingo.

I got her.

“In jail? What is the crime?” she asked, her voice shaking.

I cocked my head. “Murder,” I said flatly.

Her hands wrapped around her Styrofoam coffee cup again, and this time, she took a sip. “Yes, of course, Grant. I go together with you.”

She ate the rest of her donut in silence. When we finished, we stood up, and I grabbed her hand. It was clammy.

I’d called Joaquín’s lawyer last night, under the guise of seeing if there were any breaks in the case. He’d said unfortunately no. I’d asked him to see if Joaquín would accept a visit from me. The lawyer called me a few hours ago to let me know Joaquín had agreed. I then requested and received permission from my command, and here I was. With Ksenya.

A.k.a., Joaquín’s sister.

We walked into the county jail and handed over our drivers’ licenses. Ksenya had a valid one that rang up on the computer. Who had provided her with her documents? I knew some guys back home in Chicago who could get people papers, but dealing with them was not for amateurs. I didn’t have a clue what type of shady characters she was surrounding herself with.

We milled around the waiting room with some other hapless souls. This place reeked of desperation. The entire time we waited, Ksenya didn’t utter a word, just gave me a dazed smile.

Finally, a guard led us to a room where we sat at a small partition. After yet another wait, Joaquín and some other inmates walked through the door.

Ksenya gasped when he came into focus.

My jaw gaped, as well.

It had been seven months since I’d seen him. His body was more ripped than ever, but his eyes were sunken, and his skin was yellow.