Joss waited a beat. “That’s gotta suck for Dez. Spontaneity is the spice of life.”
For a second Taylor just stared at him. Then, a faint smile came and went. “Go fuck yourself, Crawford.” Passing a hand over his face, Taylor sighed. “This is going to be one of those cases, isn’t it? The kind that has me scrambling to cover everybody’s asses, my own included.”
“Probably.” Zipping the bag closed, he pointed out, “You’re already scrambling. You cussed twice in one breath. That’s not typical for you.”
“Again, go fuck yourself.” Taylor glanced at the restaurant. “Are you really going to eat in there?”
“Yep.” Tugging the bag down, Joss patted his belly. “I finally hit a corner last night and got some peace in my head. Crashed and slept for eighteen hours and now I’m starving.”
“We could find someplace a little less heart attack inducing.” Taylor smoothed his tie down.
“We?” Joss cocked his head. “You’re joining me?”
“Yes.” Blowing out a breath, he said, “Taige and her husband are pissed off at each other. They’ve decided to have it out in my room, probably so they don’t do it in front of Jilly. I tried to get Dez to come with me so she didn’t get caught in the line of fire, but she wanted to stay. Her weird idea of entertainment.”
“And you’re chickening out . . . staying here.”
This time, when Taylor smiled, it wasn’t a faint smile. It was a full-blown, all-out grin. “Damn straight.”
* * *
PART of Dez felt bad for loitering in the hotel room.
It was pretty damn clear those two needed to talk.
But when she got up and shot Taige a look, Taige had pinned her with a direct stare.
If you leave, I’m kicking your ass.
Dez rolled her eyes and mouthed, Pussy.
Taige just curled her lip and went back to gingerly poking through some of the files Taylor had left behind.
Okay. So Taige wasn’t ready to talk to Cullen yet?
What was the deal there?
Sighing, she flopped back onto the couch and pulled her pillow to her chest, staring at the TV. She was stuck watching TV for the duration because she couldn’t get involved in this case. As much as she wanted to help, this was too big for her and she’d just cause more problems than she’d solve.
Of course, she wouldn’t mind if she had a ghost of her own whispering to her, but that just wasn’t happening.
The silence in the room was so heavy, she practically came out of her skin when Cullen broke it.
“Taige, can we maybe go get a bite to eat?”
“I already ate, thanks.” Nice. So nice and polite.
“A cup of coffee?”
From the corner of her eye, Dez saw Taige point to the coffeepot in the kitchen.
“Shit. Okay, screw subtle. I need to talk to you. Alone.”
Dez groaned and shot Taige another look, lifting a brow. Taige shook her head. “Too bad, sweetheart,” Taige replied. “I’m working.”
He snorted and pushed at the pages she’d been messing with for the past little while. “You look like you’re trying to keep busy, if you ask me.”
“You’re right. I’m keeping busy ignoring you for the time being,” she said, leaning back and staring at him. “I don’t want to talk to you right now. You don’t get that. Fine. But I still don’t want to talk to you . . . not yet.”
A muscle jerked in his jaw.
Dez almost felt sorry for him.
“Fine.” He headed for the door. Halfway there, he stopped and turned back to face his wife. “I think I’m going to call my dad to come and get Jilly.”
“You should just go home with her,” Taige said quietly. “I think I’m going to be needed here.”
Cullen closed the distance between them once more, curled his hand around the back of her neck. “I’m not leaving. Not with what’s going on . . . not with this between us unresolved.”
* * *
TAIGE waited until the door shut before she dropped her head onto the table.
“You can’t ignore him forever.”
“I don’t plan on it. But I don’t want to listen to him rail at me about how I put his precious baby in a bad situation, either,” she said, her voice thick with anger. And hurt. It was still lodged in her chest, turning her heart to ashes.
“She’s your baby, too.”
“You can’t tell by the way he’s been acting.” A sigh shuddered out of her, and she lifted her hands to her face. “Damn it, life would have been easier if