Wind Therapy - A.J. Downey Page 0,85

of it, and I sat in silence just soaking it all in.

“Why did he do that? I mean, why would anyone do that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, Zaychik. Why does anyone do anything?”

“She okay?” I asked.

He nodded and said, “Tic-Tac is staying out there with her tonight.”

I nodded sagely and declared, “Well Dahlia’s safe and it sounds like this guy got what he deserved. Are you sure you guys got away clean?”

“Only time will tell,” he said.

“Well, then we’ll worry about it only if and when the cops come knocking,” I said.

He nodded slowly, considering me and I smiled gently.

“You’re too good to me,” he said finally.

“Only because you were good to me first,” I whispered and we both just sort of naturally leaned forward and kissed gently. “Come to bed and let me hold you for a minute,” I whispered, and he nodded gently.

“I’d like that.”

The next morning was… interesting, to say the least.

I came out of the bedroom wrapped in a satin robe that Maverick had bought me off Amazon, so I would be more comfortable around the house. I just wasn’t comfortable being nude all the time, even when it was just me and Mav. The way I was raised, you kept your clothes on.

I’d left Maverick sleeping and crept down the hall stopping short at the end of it when I caught sight of Tic-Tac and Dahlia.

They were locked in an embrace on the couch and it was beautiful, but also sort of sad.

Dahlia held Tic-Tac, not the other way around. His head rested on her chest, ear over her coffin tattoo piece, his face almost angelic, slack with sleep. Dahlia ran her fingernails along his scalp lightly, running her hands through his chin length blond curls, a soothing almost maternal gesture, a slight smile on her face and a gentleness to her I don’t think I’d ever seen before. I mean, she was a hard lady.

Likewise, Tic-Tac, who always seemed angry, was the most at peace I had ever seen him. His eyes closed, drifting under Dahlia’s light touch.

Clearly, I had stepped into something intimate and if I moved wrong, I would be caught standing here like a total creeper perving on that intimate moment. I carefully retreated into the hall out of sight and half coughed, half sneezed to alert them to my presence before stepping back out into the living room.

One set of blue and one set of dark eyes fixed on me from the couch as I stepped out this time.

“Morning,” I murmured and they both just stared at me, not saying a word.

Great, I thought to myself.

“Coffee?” I asked and that seemed to engage them a little more.

“Yes, please, oh, my God!” Dahlia rolled her eyes at the suggestion like it was the most heavenly thing she devised could happen right this moment. Tic-Tac just grunted what sounded like assent but didn’t look at all happy about it. I think that had more to do with me shattering the peace, though. I smiled and slipped around the corner, back through to the kitchen to get a pot brewing.

Dahlia wandered in a moment after I heard the bathroom door shut. She slid up onto one of the kitchen stools and sighed asking, “So, how old are you and when’s your birthday?”

I rolled my eyes and said, “Strange way to make peace.”

“I’m trying here, in my own way, now just answer the fucking question,” she said and plastered on this award-winning smile. I had to laugh.

“I turn twenty the beginning of the month after next,” I said, and she nodded slowly, looking me over as though reevaluating me. Like she was taking my measure with fresh eyes. I ignored that part and went about brewing a fresh, strong pot of coffee. We were all dragging ass today and it showed in the dark circles beneath our eyes and the tired lines etched around our mouths.

I gave Dahlia the first cup of coffee. Tic-Tac and I looked tired, sure, but Dahlia looked like absolute death had nearly claimed her and though I didn’t know the full story, I got the impression that it very nearly had. Tic-Tac came in from the bathroom and I poured him the second cup, not even waiting for the carafe of the coffeemaker to fill all the way.

I had to wait for my cup, but that was okay. I’d gotten more sleep than anyone. Granted it was broken sleep, but I’d still gotten more.

“Feel like talking about