Page 93 of I Am Sin

Antonio sighs into the phone. “Well, it’ll make Annalise happy. She was a giggling schoolgirl over him when I stopped in the store earlier tonight.”

Annalise? I don’t ask. She must be the cashier Antonio mentioned.

“I don’t think you’ll be sorry. He truly is gifted. My brother-in-law says he’s the best at drums he’s ever seen. I mean, if Emerald Phoenix was impressed, wouldn’t everyone else be?”

Antonio chuckles through the phone. “You got me there, Diana. Right. I’ll give him a call first thing tomorrow and tell him he’s got the job if he wants it.”

My heart leaps. Why I’m so excited for Dragon is beyond me, but I am. I want what’s best for him.

“And while you’re on the phone,” Antonio continues, “would you like to have dinner with me Friday night?”

And there it is. A lump in my throat. Because Antonio is a nice guy, and I like him. But damn… Dragon and I…

Except Dragon and I are absolutely nothing.

He made no promises. Made it clear he could make no promises.

Antonio is Teddy’s cousin, and he owns his own business. I didn’t think we had much chemistry at first, but maybe I’m wrong. “You know? I’d like that, Antonio.”

“Great. I can probably find your place again, but give me your address anyway. I’ll pick you up there around seven on Friday.”

“Perfect.” I rattle off my address. “See you then.”

“I look forward to it.”

I end the call.

Good. I have a date with a nice guy. A handsome guy. A guy who owns his own business, makes a decent living, doesn’t seem to have any baggage.

I should be thrilled.

So why am I longing for a drummer with baggage the size of Texas?

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Dragon

I sit for a few minutes at the table after Diana leaves.

I stare down at the smudges of spaghetti sauce on my plate, at my empty glass of water.

My phone sits next to me. I don’t labor under any delusion that I’ll get a drumming job from that music store I walked into.

Especially not tonight. Especially not from the guy who escorted Diana to bail me out of freaking jail.

No one else really calls me, other than Jesse, and he’s on his honeymoon.

So I’m surprised as hell when it rings.

I don’t recognize the number, but I pick it up anyway. “Yeah?” I say into the phone.

“I’m looking for Dragon Locke,” a low voice says.

“You found him. Who is this?”

“I know where your sister is.”

The call ends.