“Wait, what?” Daniela interrupted. “You heard Andrew say what?”
I buried my face in my hands. “Ugh. I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out what to say to this arsehole Lance.” I looked at the clock again. How was it just nine o’clock? “I’ve been up for hours already. Normally I’m not even out of bed yet. I don’t even know what the fuck I’m doing.”
Daniela put both hands on my shoulders. “Breathe, Spencer.”
I took a deep breath, and it was funny. I didn’t remember not breathing, but I clearly needed to. I felt a bit better.
“Of course he loves you,” she said, her eyes full of kindness. “And it’s okay to let yourself love him too. He’s a good man, a kind heart.”
I tried to answer, to object, but my realisation that I might already love him stayed unsaid. It was one thing to admit it to myself, but to say it out loud made that shit real. As if the universe had some no take-backs, no returns clause, like kids in a playground.
Daniela put her hand to my cheek and said something in Spanish, which I didn’t understand. Then she said it in English, “You deserve him.”
I filled my lungs with the deepest breath I could manage and let it out slowly, trying to stave off the impending panic attack.
“Okay,” Emilio said, clapping his hands together. He must have known I needed a change of direction in conversation. “Let’s discuss our plans for Lance.”
I looked at him, confused. “Our plans?”
He grinned. “Of course, brother. I think some Mexican persuasion might be in order.”
Now I was really lost. “What?”
“Anyone who hits the person they’re supposed to love—man, woman, makes no difference—needs a lesson in how to show some respect. We should teach him the Mexican way.”
I was almost afraid to ask. “Do I even want to know what that means?” I’d never known Emilio to be aggressive in any way. “You’re not seriously talking about roughing this guy up?”
He laughed. “Give me some credit, my friend. Call Lance the Tosser. Make an appointment to see him, and we’ll go pay him a visit at his work, yeah? I’ll get my cousins to come with us. It’ll be fun.”
I stared at him.
Emilio held out his fist. “Trust.”
I had no clue what I was in for, but I trusted Emilio implicitly. I bumped my fist to his. “Trust.”
After I’d helped Lola most of the morning, I left a message for Andrew to call me in his lunch break, and three hours later my phone rang. “Hey, what’s up?”
Just hearing his voice made me smile. “Have you heard from your parents? I was just wondering how Yanni was doing.”
“I have. I spoke to my mom earlier. She said he was much better this morning. They think they’ve found him a place, but Mom doesn’t want to rush him. I think she likes him. She was very impressed with his dedication to acting.”
“Did she mention Lance and what Yanni wanted to do?”
“Well, Lance asking you to find him was a breach of his restraining order conditions, directly or indirectly. I can’t remember what she said exactly. He wasn’t too keen on going back to the police, but my mother can be pretty persuasive.” Andrew took a breath. “Can I ask why?”
“I’m going to see him.”
“Oh, Spencer, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he started to say. “The guy is clearly not stable.”
“Emilio’s coming with me,” I told him. “It’s going to be epic.”
“Do I want to know?”
I laughed. “Probably not. I’ll tell you all about it tonight.”
“Please be safe.”
I sighed into the phone. “I will be. And thank you. For worrying, I guess.”
He answered with a smile in his voice. “No problem. I guess.”
After we’d said goodbye, I slid my phone into my pocket and looked at the three guys coming with me. Emilio and his two cousins Ricky and Paul. Emilio was the most placid, friendliest, family-oriented guy I knew. I doubted he could even hurt a fly. But seeing him and his cousins wearing the black suits they wore to their grandfather’s funeral, with their hair slicked back and tattoos visible up their necks and on their knuckles, I had to admit, they looked pretty badass.
Emilio grinned at me. “You ready?”
“Hell yes I am.”
“Wait!” Daniela cried. “I need to get photos. You guys look great!”
Some happy snaps later we left, and on the drive into the city, I told Ricky and Paul what I knew, considering they were now helping us. I’d made an appointment to see Lance in his office. His personal assistant didn’t seem too happy about it, but when she told Lance my name, he said he’d see me. I might have omitted the fact I was bringing company.