Page 31 (2/2)

Glancing out over the Puget Sound, I raked ers What was I s on the University of Alabama’s property, and in the process, nearly ruined ht, you don’t know My brother is Austin Carillo, nuarded one of the best wide receivers in the country But that’s now A few years back, I was running a street crew dealing drugs Oh, and I sold some fucked-up snow to a Tide player and he OD’d So I’ve been serving ten years inside but got out a couple weeks ago after only five years because I ratted out a big-time cocaine supplier

I couldn’t tell her none of that shit, so I answered, "Vin wanted it, and I told hi as I didn’t have to deal with people, he could do what the fuck he wanted"

Aliyana’s head tilted to the side as she regarded ine you ran in the sa for my answer

"Around"

"Around?" she questioned

"Around," I said a bit fir back in her chair, she began eating again, only pausing to quietly say, "You’ve gotten ued, Elpi"

My forehead pulled down to a frown

She must have seen ically beautiful" My gut clenched as she spoke those words Tragically beautiful…

She dropped her croissant, letting out a single laugh "I remember the first time I saw a picture of one of your sculptures It was a piece in abut talk about his protégé, the reclusive and mysterious Elpidio He’d just loaned one of your pieces to the Met as part of a marble statue contemporary exhibit, an exhibit of sculptors who still adhered to the old-fashioned hammer and chisel techniques" Aliyana’s eyes lost their focus as she pushed her fingers through a sranules that had fallen from the packet she’d used earlier

"Vin showed your first piece, the only work I’d seen in pictures from you" A tiny smile pulled on her lips "And the piece that is still my favorite today"

I knehich one she meant The only piece I could barely look at noithout breaking

"The angel…" she said, and I could hear the love for it in her voice I expected to feel the usual slaht of that piece and what it represented