Flawlessly Broken: (Broken Series Book 2) Read Free Page B

like that, but she needed to talk to someone and Ali was probably the best bet.
    I scoured the countertop but didn’t see the phone. I checked the entire kitchen without luck, and was just about to turn back to ask her if she was sure it was in the kitchen when a large bowl of dry rice caught my attention. On a hunch, I walked over and stuck a hand in the bowl, swirling it through the rice until I found what I was looking for. Talia’s phone.
    I tapped the home button as I made my way back to the love seat and found that the ringer was off, the little icon on the lock screen announcing the setting. I flipped the tiny switch on the side of the phone to turn it back on and looked over at Talia. “You got this wet?”
    She didn’t look at me. “Dropped it in the sink at the restaurant. It wouldn’t work after that. Gina said to put it in rice.” Her voice was flat and disinterested; monotone. Scary.
    I had no idea who Gina was but she was right. The rice had worked. This also explained why she hadn’t been answering anyone’s calls. Although, one look at her told me that she probably wouldn’t have anyway. “You have a bunch of texts and voicemails here, most of them are probably from Ali. Do you want to call her back now?”
    She shook her head and reached for the phone. I handed it to her and watched as she flipped the switch on the side to put the phone back on silent, dropping it unceremoniously onto the end table at her side, a few torn bits of paper stirring from the motion and resettling on the floor.
    Well, shit. Now what do I do?
    “Okay, so you’re not feeling chatty. That’s fine. You can call Ali later.” I cast a glance at the Scotch bottle on the kitchen counter. “How about something to eat? I can have something delivered. Maybe that would make you feel better.” With no way of knowing how much she’d had to drink, the best course of action was to get some food into her, maybe some coffee if she was receptive.
    “Not hungry,” she said on a slow exhale, sounding exhausted. “You can fix us a drink, if you want. I’m not much company, though.”
    I considered for a minute, wheels turning in my mind. “Tell you what, I’ll go make us a drink but you have to sip slow and talk in between. Doesn’t have to be anything specific, just talk about whatever pops into your head because, if you’re going to sit there in silence, I’ll feel like I’m drinking alone and I hate to drink alone.”
    She looked at me then, her eyes showing their first signs of life since my arrival. “I don’t like to drink alone, either.” Her gaze traveled over my face, looking for something I couldn’t fathom. She nodded absently, apparently finding whatever she sought. “I’ll talk but only if it’s a two-way street. No putting me on the spot. And no bullshitting me just to keep me talking. I can spot a con from a mile away.” She turned away muttering. “Usually.”
    I was in no position to argue, so I simply nodded and got to my feet, angling toward the kitchen. “Okay, how about we start by you telling me who Gina is. You said she knew what to do to fix your phone. She a friend? Family?” While I verbally tap-danced around the questions I really wanted to ask, I checked the various cabinets looking for glasses.
    “She’s the manager at my restaurant and also a friend. She’s worked for me for a couple years, starting as a bartender and working her way up. Not sure how I ever ran the place without her.”
    I located two rocks glasses and began pouring the drinks, pausing to take a quick peek in the refrigerator. Aha. There was a small vegetable tray on the second shelf that might entice her to eat. I grabbed it along with our glasses, balancing one glass precariously atop the tray on my way back to the living room. “So, Gina is taking care of the restaurant while you... I mean, in your absence? Ali mentioned that you hadn’t been in for a couple of days.”
    She reached up and snagged her glass from