From A to Z - Angel Reyes

Chapter 29

Nestor felt the distance between himself and Zara as soon as he picked it up and it only grew through dinner. They ate in silence and Zara turned down dessert but when Nestor invited her back to his place she agreed.

After hanging up his holster and tossing his keys down, Nestor sat across from her and took her hands. "Talk to me," he said to her.

"I'm tired," she lied. "There's still a lot I'm working through emotionally," Zara said truthfully, "It's been weighing on me."

"Can I do anything?" He offered, looking at her so lovingly that she felt herself leaning into him.

"No," she sighed. "Just be patient."

Nestor smiled, stroking her cheek. "Give me one second," he said, his phone vibrating in his pocket. "Just let me take this."

Zara pursed her lips and nodded, "Of course."

Nestor slipped away while Zara, still unsettled and suspicious, crept out to the entryway to ease her curiosity.

"You fucked up," he said warningly. "He's an old man, I thought it was a pretty fucking simple job. Now you have to fix it."

"No," Zara whinnied. She moved closer to the door in hopes of catching something to either explain why he'd do it or provide context that could clear up a horrible misunderstanding.

"We'll figure it out tomorrow," Nestor said. "See if you can get there tonight and meet me at the garage first thing."

Too upset to listen longer and too scared of what he'd do if he found her, Zara hurried off into the powder room and locked the door behind her. Turning on the faucet, she looked at her ashen face in the mirror.

"The cartel doesn't kill people over petty shit," she told herself. "There's another reason."

"Zara?" Nestor called out. "Babe?"

"I'm in here," she said loudly. "I'm not feeling great. Sorry."

Nestor grabbed the handle to find the door locked. "We should talk."

"About what?" She asked timidly.

"I know you're scared but I'm not going to hurt you," he said gripping the doorknob again. "I actually have something to tell you."

Zara opened the door slowly. "What? Wh-why would you hurt me?"

"I mean emotionally," he said softly. "I know you've got a lot to work through but I don't want you to be scared. I really like you, I'm pretty sure I'm in over my head here."

"Fuck," Zara said, feeling her stomach actually start to turn now. "That is very sweet," she forced a smile.

There was a clear change in her and Nestor knew it was more than her claims of feeling unwell. It was part of what he did, reading people, sensing their guilt and he could almost smell it on her.

"What happened?" He asked her, putting his hand on the door to keep her from closing it. "What's wrong?"

"No money was taken," she said reluctantly, "When Felipe was shot. No money, nothing was touched."

"Robbery gone wrong," he said quickly. "Whoever did it pulled the trigger, got spooked and bolted."

"Nestor," she said knowingly.

His face turned dark. "What?"

"I just," her chin quivered as she spoke. "No one knew, I know the club they'd keep it close to the kutte. How did you know?"

"Are you asking me if I had something to do with what happened to Felipe?"

"I'm asking why," she said.