I order my coffee and head to his table.

“Hey,” I say, hanging my bag on the back of my chair.

“Just like old times, being here with you,” he says with a smile, tipping his mug at me.

I don’t chastise him for the comment, even though he knows better than to act like that’s the reason I’m here. I don’t want to get into a battle with him, especially since it’s best if I stay on his good side right now.

“So, what can I do for you?”

I glance around and my eyes catch on a guy sitting over by the back, who’s glued to his cell phone. I’m going to have to take my chances.

The barista brings the coffee over. I wait for her to leave before I start talking in a low voice. I tell Matt everything about Grayson’s situation from start to finish—how he covered for his brother by holding the drugs, where those drugs came from, how Tyler was threatened by the cartel.

Matt doesn’t say anything the whole time. He sits there and listens to me talk, taking it all in. When I’m done, I sit there staring at him, waiting for him to say something.

“Well, that’s an absolute mess, Mel.”

After everything I’ve just told him, that’s what he says. And he is right. It’s a huge disaster.

“I know, and that’s why I need your help—Grayson and Tyler need your help. We’re talking about the cartel here, Matt. The minute they find out those drugs are missing…Tyler’s as good as dead. And Grayson…” I trail off, because I can’t bring myself to say the words.

Matt blows out a breath. It’s a resigned sound and I’m not sure what it means. “I have a contact in the DEA,” he tells me. “I can call him, see what we can do to get them out of the mess they’ve got themselves in.” He reaches for his cell, and I reach over and put my hand on his arm. He pauses, his eyes meeting mine.

“Thank you, Matt,” I say earnestly. I move my hand away and into my lap.

“You don’t have to thank me, Mel. You need help, and I’m there.”

Chapter 23

It’s late afternoon and I’m heading back to my apartment. I spent most of the day with Matt at the police station, meeting his DEA contact, Paulo Dresden. We were mapping out a deal with him. Dresden is a short guy with a receding hairline who smells heavily of smoke and drinks way more coffee than I knew any one person could. He seems like a good guy and Matt trusts him. They went to the academy together.

Most importantly, Dresden has pulled together a good deal for Tyler—well, as good a deal as a person can get in these circumstances. Things won’t be easy for him, since the DEA is proposing a plan that will turn his life upside down—he’ll have to get a new identity and move into the Witness Protection Program.