Bailed Out (The Anna Albertini Files #2) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,46

out of the kitchen with a bag of ice on her cheek. “I cannot believe you called the paramedics. I just tripped and fell.” With her bruised face and pale skin, she looked like she should sleep for a year.

I winced. “Sorry. You said something about pills.”

She rolled her eyes. “I spilled my vitamins on the floor and then tripped and dropped the phone.” Her voice still slurred, and she wove unsteadily on her feet.

A paramedic helped her to the sofa. “Keep drinking water.”

She looked over at Bud and smiled. “Hello.”

“Hi.” He eyed her and then me, and swear to goodness, it looked like he was weighing whether or not to leave me with her.

“I’m not that dangerous,” I protested.

He rolled his eyes.

I straightened as tall as I could, which wasn’t nearly as tall as Bud. “Why didn’t you call and ask out Donna, anyway?” The guy had expressed interest in my sister a couple of weeks ago but hadn’t called her.

“I’ve been out of town recuperating from our last case together, and I also had some family stuff to handle,” he said, giving a tough guy nod to the other cop. “We’re good here. I’ll walk you out, Albertini.”

I shook my head and drew free. “I’ll stay here with Kelsey for a little while.” What in the world had she meant about causing Danny’s death? Now that I knew she wasn’t trying to harm herself and wasn’t in any danger, my mind turned to the murder. “Thanks, Bud. Bye.”

He shook his head but exited the home along with the other emergency personnel.

I winced once the house became quiet. “Kelsey, I’m really sorry.” But I’d probably do the same thing again in the same situation. “I thought you were in danger.”

She flopped on the sofa and kicked her bare feet onto the table. Then she set her head back. “If you could make the room stop spinning, I’d forgive you.”

“I can’t control gravity, but I can get you some water if you want.” Without waiting, I went into her cheerful kitchen and poured some water from a pitcher already on the table to take to her. I handed the glass over and sat in the matching chair. “What did you mean that you caused Danny’s death?”

Motorcycle pipes sounded down the road outside.

She sat up immediately and dropped her feet to the floor. “Shit. You need to go.”

I paused. “What? Why?”

The motorcycles stopped outside the house, and running steps echoed up the stairs. The door burst open, and Krissy skidded inside, wearing skinny jeans and a tank top that showed off her cut biceps. “Are you okay?”

I blinked.

Kelsey nodded. “Yes. I’m fine. It was just a misunderstanding.”

Krissy’s gaze swung to me. “What are you doing here?”

I started to answer her when two big and broad men strode into the room and shut the door behind themselves. It took me a second to recognize Saber. “Hey,” I said.

Saber looked me up and down, today wearing jeans and a T-shirt with the Lordes logo over his left pec. “Hey.”

My gaze switched to the guy next to him. He was handsome with dark blond hair, brown eyes, and scruffy beard. He stood to about six feet tall and had a wide chest. Half of a tattoo wound down his left arm with the other half hidden by the short sleeve of his shirt. It was a crest of some sort with a dagger extending from what might’ve been the edge of a heart. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m Anna. Who are you?” I didn’t stand yet.

His gaze flicked to Kelsey. “Why the hell were the cops here?”

She somehow paled even more, and my heart rate kicked into gear. I stood, partially putting myself between him and the sofa. “I called them. As she said, it was a misunderstanding. How did you know the cops were here?”

His head turned slowly so he could face me directly, his gaze hard. “It’s time for you to leave, Anna.” He took a menacing step toward me.

Krissy grabbed his arm. “It was a misunderstanding, Rich. Let it go.”

He shrugged her off hard enough that she stumbled back.

“Hey.” Saber didn’t move, but he seemed close anyway. “She’s Devlin’s. Just so you know.”

Rich looked me up and down. “Her ass hasn’t been on the back of his bike that I’ve seen.”

Saber just looked bored. “Just sayin’. She’s Devlin’s property. Crossing him right now would be a bad idea, but it’s your mistake to make.”

All right. That didn’t sound encouraging, and right