“I didn’t mean to look at it,” she said before I could ask her anything. “It wouldn’t stop beeping, and I didn’t want to interrupt again.”
“What is it?” I asked.
She handed the phone to me. There was a text message on it from Jonathan.
$1 mil. Every fucker in the nation will be gunning for you.
“Shit.”
“I’m pretty sure I know what that means,” Lia said. “He’s after you now, too, isn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s a lot of money.”
“Enough to bring every contract killer known to man to Chicago.”
“Jesus, Evan! What are you going to do?”
“Stay out of the crosshairs,” I replied. “We’ll probably have to move again. I’m hoping today will bring me the information I need to get us out of the area altogether, but if the price stays on my head, it’s not going to be enough. I can only hope Rinaldo will listen to me when it’s all over.”
I went over to the dresser and grabbed the SIG handgun. I checked the chamber, made sure it was loaded, and flicked the safety on before walking back to Lia and handing it to her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“It’s a gun,” I smirked. “If you need it, use it.”
“Evan, I’ve never shot a gun in my life!”
“It’s easy,” I informed her. “Just point it, click the safety off, and pull the trigger.”
Lia furrowed her brow but then nodded and dropped her head down to look at the phone in her other hand.
“Evan?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Who’s the woman on the phone with you?”
I glanced at her and then activated the phone. The picture of me with Bridgett standing in front of The Bean was displayed as the background image. I had completely forgotten it was there.
“No one
.” I said as I walked out of the room.
“I’m not trying to pry,” Lia said as she followed me out. “It’s just that you’ve never talked about any old girlfriends or anything.”
“She wasn’t my girlfriend.”
“Well, she obviously meant something to you. You haven’t mentioned a sister, either.”
“I don’t have any family.”
She grabbed my upper arm with her hand, and I stopped and turned around.