“No word, I have to get back to the hospital. I see you confiscated the Crossfire.”
“Do you mind?”
“Nope.”
I turned into him and put my hand on his stomach.
“Your man, he wasn’t doing… something… for me?”
Lee’s hand around my neck twisted and he tugged softly at my hair.
“A different assignment, nothin’ to do with you or the diamonds.”
I felt a tremendous relief. I already had Tex’s injury, Ally’s totaled car and everyone else’s worry resting on my shoulders, I didn’t need something else. Then I looked at Lee and realized all that, plus whatever this new thing was, still rested firmly on his.
“You need to go,” I said.
“Yeah.”
I started to pull away but his hand dropped, his arm curled around my shoulders and turned me into him, full-frontal.
“With Rick out of the way, you should be safe but you need to be careful. Coxy isn’t a threat but he’s a wildcard.”
I nodded.
“I want to come home to you,” he said.
My breath disappeared. I didn’t suck it in and I didn’t let it out, it just vanished.
I did a mental shake and got myself together.
“Sorry?”
“Tonight. I’ll phone you when I’m on my way. All you need to get you into the parking garage and condo is on the Crossfire’s key ring. Even after Luke gets out of surgery, I’ve got things to do but when I come home tonight, I want you to be there.”
I only hesitated a second. “Okay.”
He looked at me for awhile, his eyes got soft and he said, “I’m sorry about this morning.”
“It couldn’t be helped.”
“We’ll finish tonight.”
Finally, something to look forward to.
* * * * *
Duke made six big posters, taping them in all the big windows, announcing Fortnum’s was closed. Hard to open with police tape stretched across your front door.
Thank God I didn’t have a mortgage.
I had the day yawning ahead of me and no bodyguard following my every step.
It felt weird.
I went to Tex’s to give him an update and help him with the cats. He’d been re-stitched and let go last night. I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be Pepper Rick’s demise, I guessed jubilation, but was wrong.
“We live, we die,” he said.