Page 44 of Deacon

I swam to the side, hauled my torso up out of the pool, and grabbed a towel.

Drying my hands, I sat on the edge of the seat, grabbed the device, and checked the screen, seeing Bishop’s caller ID flash.

‘Tell me this shit isn’t true,’ Bishop said roughly, skipping any hello when I took the call.

‘What shit?’ I asked, running a hand over my wet face while Raff splashed behind me.

‘Tania Rivers just called me from Málaga,’ Bishop said. ‘You remember her? We used to gig with her back in the day in the jazz music scene. She also modeled part-time?’

I pursed my lips, trying to recall her.

‘The one with a voice like Billie Holiday? Yeah, I kinda remember her.’

‘Well, brother, she was on holiday when she stumbled on you and supermodel Nashami at some bar in Costa del Sol. She found you two kissing and snapped photos.’

My stomach dropped.

‘You’re joking,’ I said, gripping the phone tighter.

‘Wish I was, brother. She said she’s sending those same images to Lucia, Ana’s sister, so your ex is aware,’ he added. ‘Tania promised she won’t sell the photos because she’s my friend and knows Ana and Lucia from the modeling circuit, but she wants Ana in the loop. Something about girl code.’

‘Fuck,’ I muttered, my mind racing. ‘That was private.’

‘Doesn’t matter if you thought it was private, Deacon, you kissed the woman in public. It looks real intimate on camera. You’re lucky you weren’t caught by some paparazzi.’

‘Damn,’ I spat, pacing the slick tiles while keeping one eye on Raff in the water.

If Ana ever saw this shit, she’d think I’d moved on with Nashami.

Then again, why would she care?

Did I want her to care?

Why did I care that she cared?

‘I hope Ana hasn’t seen it. She’s working in the Omo Valley. Network coverage is garbage out there, so she probably hasn’t gotten word from Tania or Lucia,’ I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

‘She’s going to get wind of it eventually,’ Bishop muttered.

‘I shouldn’t have given in to weakness, but between you and me, brother, nada happened. I couldn’t -.’

‘Hey, I get it, you’re not ready to move on, and I feel for you. For now, you need to lay low,’ Bishop advised. ‘Unless you want your shit on blast.’

‘Yup,’ I conceded, my gaze tracking the blue water reflecting the harsh sun. ‘I’m locking the gates and keeping under the radar with Raff. Thanks, brother, for the heads-up.’

I ended the call, set the phone on the wooden table, and stared out at the shimmering Pacific tide.

A knot twisted in my gut at the thought of Ana seeing those photos.

Yet a surge of defiance hardened inside my chest right alongside the worry.

I couldn’t spend the rest of my life guarding a dead marriage.

It was time to live, with or without her.

Chapter 9

ANA