Truth or Lies? by A. Gomez (books to get back into reading TXT) 📕

Hm, you’re a day late and a dollar short, Summers! I headed to my office. David saw me coming and met me halfway.

“Hey, love,” he said, kissing my forehead. “You must be exhausted. I didn’t realize just how big and busy your group therapy could be.” He grabbed my hand and we walked back to my office. I just smiled warmly at him.

I was feeling tired and a little hungry but really just wanted to get on the plane, relax and call Josh. I started to gather my things. My mother and Belín had Samson on his leash and were standing, ready to go. I looked around for Conny, thinking he was going to ride with us or I with him but he had already disappeared… and so had Pam. Huh. They must be saying their goodbyes.

As I was shutting down my computer, Ben came and whispered in my ear that I needed to let David know I was leaving for Dallas.

I nodded. “I already told him earlier today I was going.” I finished what I was doing and stood up straight to look at him. “Just out of curiosity, why do I need to let him know anything?”

His eyes flickered to David. “We want to see if he tells anyone where you’re at.”

“I see,” I replied. “You want to see if any Triad members show up in my home town and if so, either David told them where to find me or someone close to him. Right?”

“Yes, you could say that,” he said in a low voice. “My only concern is we didn’t prepare for your departure as well as I would have liked.” He let out a soft sigh. “We don’t have any other agents accompanying us to the tarmac, but I don’t foresee a problem with you walking from the car to the plane. Conny and I should be able to handle it if anything arises.”

I held up one finger, as if to say give me a minute. I took my gun and magazine out from my desk drawer, loaded it and placed it in my cross-body purse. “Will this help? I almost forgot Josh returned it.”

His eyes were wide as he stared at me. “Um, uh… yeah… okay. That could help… I guess.”

“What is it with you and Josh?” I hissed under my breath. “Your female agents carry guns! What’s so wrong with me carrying one too?”

“It’s not about a female/male thing, Isabel. It’s just that I know our women agents have been trained on their firearms so I know there won’t be any accidents. I don’t know how well you’ve been trained or if at all and, so, I’m a little nervous about that.”

“Okay, that’s fair.” I took my gun out. “Here, you can put the safety on and you can put it in my purse so you feel more comfortable.”

He let out another sigh and did just that. Placing it very gingerly back in my purse.

“By the way, what am I supposed to tell David since he’ll see us all leaving together?” I asked.

“Just tell him Belín and I are dropping you and your mother off at the airport since you’re letting your cousin borrow your car.” He paused, glancing at David. “He doesn’t need any more information than that.”

“Got it.”

I walked over to my mother and asked if she was ready. She nodded, yawning. I took Samson’s leash from her as we all walked to the rear exit. I looked around for Pam and Conny—still no sign of them. Ben noticed my puzzled expression and whispered that Conny would be meeting us by my car. I nodded.

David took Samson’s leash from me and my tote and carried it to my car while holding my hand. I let go of his hand to cover my yawn. My mother yawned again. We looked at one another and snickered.

“Tired, are you, ladies?” David asked. “It’s a shame you have to go out of town and not just straight home to bed.” David was fishing.

“Mm,” I nodded, thinking he was right, it was a shame I had to leave and not go home with Josh.

“Is going home to Dallas really a must?”

“David, I think this is the best thing I can do right now. You need to get your life in order, as far as Ginger goes, and I don’t want to be part of your shit or her shit,” I said acidly. “Once you have that handled and I don’t have to keep looking over my shoulder, then we can talk.” I shook my head, feeling weary but comforted by the thought I’d soon talk to my Greek god.

We got to my car and I was feeling more irritated with David due to the fact that he picked tonight to hover. Why did he want to be with me now? What had changed so much in his life that he was fine with coming back to a virgin, knowing he might not get the sex he was so hungry for. I was the same person and I still had the same values. He knew that. I opened the trunk and angrily threw my tote and jacket in, keeping my cross-body purse on my person. I took Samson’s leash from David and slammed the trunk closed. I looked over at my mother, her eyebrows were raised. I must have looked vehement. I took a deep breath and swallowed my irritation.

Conny pulled up next to my car and Ben opened the door to his car for my mother to get in. Belín was already in the front seat of my car with her head reclined on the headrest. She looked spent as well.

David was taking all this in. “Are all of you going to Dallas together?”

“No, I’m letting Belín use my car while I’m away and they are just dropping us off.”