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Back No Going Back: a Novel Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part 1
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. Part 2
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. Part 3
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. Part 4
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. Part 5
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. Part 6
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. Acknowledgments
  82. About the Author
  83. Also by Sheena Kamal
  84. About the Publisher

He’s not wrong and won’t get any debate from me on the subject. Leo and I know each other too well to mince words. Back when he and Seb were together, I worked for his fledgling PI firm as an assistant of sorts. Also helped him find missing people because I have a knack for it. Before Seb broke up with Leo and asked me to come help him with his memoirs and freelance reporting, Leo and I had been close.

But things have changed.

I see now that Seb’s death hasn’t made it alright between us again. Hasn’t come close to healing the wounds of Seb’s abandonment.

“I can look after my dog,” I say.

He sighs. It’s nice to see his flair for the dramatic is still in good shape. “Can you look after yourself? You should talk to Brazuca.”

Jon Brazuca, my ex-sponsor, who is also an ex-cop turned PI, isn’t exactly in my life anymore. Not enough to swap “you’ll never guess who’s after me now” stories, anyway. We would have nothing to do with each other if he hadn’t started at Leo’s private investigation company. Which we both, at one time or another, worked for.

“What does Brazuca have to do with it?”

“You don’t know? He’s been looking for you.”

“Yeah, to tell me Seb’s de— To tell me about what happened to Seb.”

He buries his head in his hands. His bathrobe gapes open at the top and the bottom. “Nora, you’re literally the worst. Literally. In case you missed the point, I’m being literal here. Brazuca’s been looking for you for weeks now. He thought you were in some kind of danger and that there were people after you in Detroit.”

“I don’t want to get into what happened in Detroit.”

“Tough. Didn’t Brazuca warn you? Isn’t that why you’re even alive?”

“Haven’t spoken to him.”

“Jesus,” he says. “He must be so worried.”

Leo does the thing I try to persuade him isn’t necessary.

He calls Jon Brazuca.

5

Brazuca must have been sitting at home waiting for this opportunity to limp on over here, because within the hour he’s in the kitchen with us, rubbing his bum knee, staring at me like I’ve just risen from the grave and am haunting him instead of the other way around. The last time I saw him, he was working on his health, but all of that seems to have escaped him because here he is, looking like he hasn’t slept in weeks, like he’s surviving on coffee and frozen meals. Looking, if I’m being honest, like me and Leo.

“What the hell happened in Detroit?” he asks, as soon as he walks into the kitchen. “Are you alright?”

“No, she’s really not,” Leo says sadly.

“I’m fine,” I insist.