NYC Angels: An Explosive Reunion

‘Where’s Alex?’

Cade shrugged. ‘Gone. I thought he should cool off a bit before he started talking to the cops.’

There was a moment’s silence as they stared at each other. Cade looked … defensive? As if he was challenging Layla to criticise Alex for coming on too strong. She weighed her words.

‘I heard you guys talking,’ she said carefully. ‘What did you mean by Alex knowing too much?’

She could see the shutters come down. Cade shrugged again, a gesture that told her this was between brothers and none of her business. And then his eyebrow rose.

‘Is it true what I’ve heard around here? That there’s something going on between you and Alex?’

Was this a case of attack being the best form of defence? Or was it a brother looking after a brother? If Layla wanted an honest answer from Cade, maybe he deserved the truth first.

‘Not now,’ she told him. ‘There’s … history. We were together way back. At the time of the Kirkpatrick case. You’d know about that.’

A sharp nod from Cade. ‘It’s what made me get in touch with Alex after not seeing him for years. Not that I got much of a chance to spend time with him before he took off to Brisbane.’

‘It messed up a lot of things,’ Layla agreed. ‘But what’s important right now is that I owe my job to Alex and I’m not going to let him get into trouble over what just happened here if I can help it.’

Cade’s nod was relieved. ‘Just as well. The creep’s telling everybody that Alex started it. Just laid into him without any provocation.’

‘I’ll sort it,’ Layla promised. But she wasn’t letting Cade off the hook just yet. ‘After I’ve talked to Alex, that is. Now, are you going to tell me where he is so I can do that before the cops start looking for me?’

Cade sighed. ‘He didn’t say where he was going but I’d guess he’s where he always is when he wants to burn off some steam. Where we both go.’

‘Which is?’

‘The hoop-shooting court out the back of the ambulance bay.’

CHAPTER THREE

THE SLAP OF the ball against the palm of his hand was hard enough to be causing pain.