“We hear you,” Curtis said.
“No need. You workin’ with Crowe and that Mace guy in on it too…” Martin replied, trailing off, awe still in his voice.
“Streets’ll be clean in no time,” Curtis added, like we were superheroes.
I looked back at Vance and he was still smiling.
I rolled my eyes.
Headlights came from behind me and I turned and saw a black Ford Explorer heading down the alley. It stopped close to us and Stark swung out of the driver’s side. A huge blond guy that looked like a relative of the big man at Fortnum’s got out the passenger side. They walked up to us, both of them were grinning.
Martin and Curtis’s mouths had dropped open again.
“God dammit,” I hissed under my breath.
Just what I needed, Super Dude Stark and Paul Bunyon sweeping up the trash. The kids were going to talk about this until Christmas.
Mace re-emerged from the shadows just as the huge blond said, “Jesus, Law, you ever take a night off?”
“The Law never takes a break,” Curtis offered.
I looked skyward. As I was doing so Vance approached me and curled an arm around my neck, pulling me into the side of his body. Martin and Curtis had trained their gazes on us and, again, their mouths dropped open but now their eyes were bugged nearly clear out of their heads.
“Knew you were his woman,” Martin finally said.
I’d had enough. “You two know Hazel?” I asked.
More awestruck looks.
“Your Camaro?” Curtis breathed.
“Yeah. She’s parked on the street, lock yourselves in until I get there. Tonight, you’re sleeping at King’s.”
“We get to ride in Hazel?” Martin asked.
“Move!” I snapped.
They both ran.
I turned toward Vance, which only succeeded in my curling into his body. I pulled back at the neck but his arm didn’t go anywhere so I gave up.
He was grinning down at me.
“Take your arm away,” I said.
He didn’t, instead he leaned in and kissed my forehead. This was such a strange thing to do in the current situation, and I was so shocked by it, I blinked at him.
“What was that for?” I asked.
“I’m just relieved that when you told me you knew what you were doin’, you actually knew what you were doin’.”
It wasn’t a well-lit alley but I was pretty sure he was looking at me with new respect. I felt a rush of warmth, starting at my belly and going outwards. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything.
The big blond guy and Mace were pushing Clarence and Jermaine toward the Explorer.
“Where are they taking them?” I asked.
“Don’t know. We still got Shard in the holding room. You’re challenging our capacity,” Vance replied.