A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2) by Darynda Jones

They pulled onto Mrs. Fairborn’s street and, just like before, parked down the block, just in case. “Maybe you should stay here,” she said to Cruz. “I don’t want to get you into any more trouble with your dad.”

Something flashed across his face, but it was so fleeting, she missed the meaning behind it. “My dad’s cool. It’s okay.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s it, Cruz. What is going on?”

He draped his wrist over the steering wheel and looked out over the street. Only one side of the street was lined with houses. The other side was all forest and thick brush. He studied the orange moon that hung low over the treetops. “I’ll explain later. I just want to spend every second possible with you while I can, Auri.”

Alarm prickled over her skin. “What does that mean?”

“Let’s just do this.” His voice had thickened.

She scooted closer and put her hand on his arm. “Cruz?”

He dropped his head but kept his face averted.

She reached over and turned it toward her.

Tears glistened between his lashes.

“Cruz, what happened?”

He shook his head, and said, “Nothing important,” before sliding out of the truck.

She scrambled after him.

He walked to the edge of the street and looked at the moon filtering through the trees.

Not sure if she should even try, she reached down and took his hand. He let her. His hand swallowed hers when he lifted it and ran his fingers over her knuckles.

Her stomach clenched in apprehension. She stepped in front of him and he slid an arm around her waist. “I’m not going to push you, Cruz. But please know you can tell me anything.”

“I know. But if I tell you, it’ll be real.”

She nodded in understanding. “I get that. More than you can possibly know. If you say it out loud, the universe will hear you and the glass around you will shatter and everything will come crashing down.”

“Exactly,” he said, surprised. “And if I don’t tell anyone, then I can keep living my life like nothing has changed.” His breath hitched in his chest and Auri’s squeezed tight around her heart.

She reached up and put a hand on his strong jaw. “Then don’t tell me. Do what you do, Cruz. Put it in a poem and make it beautiful like you do everything else.”

He swallowed hard and nodded. “I can try. And then you’ll tell me exactly what happened on that cliff when you were a kid? How Mr. Ravinder helped you?”

“I can try.”

A resigned smile spread across his face. “But first we have a necklace to steal.”

“Think this’ll work?” she asked, turning toward the woman’s house.

“I think you can do anything you set your mind to.”

She turned a surprised expression on him. “You have a lot of faith in someone whose only goals in life are to befriend forest animals and create the perfect mocha latte.”

They walked arm in arm to Mrs. Fairborn’s front door, Auri giving part of her weight to Cruz. Her ankle was still a little sore. She knocked, then stepped back. As nervous as she was, this beat breaking and entering any day of the week.

“Maybe she’s already in bed.” She knocked softly again, then waited.

“She has had a busy few days,” Cruz said. “What with her trying to stab a guy to death, running Mr. Ravinder over in her nonexistent truck, and then having to fess up to it all.”

“It must’ve worn her out,” Auri agreed with a giggle.

He looked down at her. “Try again tomorrow?”

“Yes, only we can go straight after school so I don’t have to sneak out. I think I’m giving it up.” They started back down the steps. “Hanging up my sneakers, so to speak. Get it?” she asked with a snort. “Sneakers?”

Cruz chuckled just as a crash sounded from inside Mrs. Fairborn’s house. They looked at each other, then went back to the door. “Was that glass?” he asked.

Auri knocked and tried the doorknob. “Locked.”

They peeked through the window but couldn’t see much for the curtains.

“Cruz, she could’ve fallen.”

“I agree. We need to check on her. Let’s go around.”

“Okay.”

They hurried through the side gate and into her backyard. A backyard Auri was becoming very familiar with.

“It’s unlocked,” Cruz said, opening the back door and entering the mudroom.

The sound of someone tearing through the house, items falling and more glass shattering hit them. Cruz stopped her with an arm across her torso.

They heard a male voice, angry and volatile. “Where is it?”

Then the sound that broke Auri. Mrs. Fairborn crying. “I don’t know. It was there.”

“You are a lying bitch,” he said.

Auri stood frozen, wanting to run to her but needing to call for help at the same time.

Cruz put his mouth to her ear, and whispered, “Run. Call the police.”

“Wait, what are you going to do?”

“I’m just going to make sure he doesn’t hurt her until the cops get here.”

She nodded, but another thud sounded and Auri’s feet moved before her brain told them to. Cruz’s did, too. They rushed into her kitchen where Mrs. Fairborn sat tied to a chair. A man three times her size stood over her.