“Great, thanks,” I said.
“Anyway,” Ally went on. “Hank told me that Eddie’s had a thing for you for awhile though he’s kept his distance because everyone knew how you felt about Lee and everyone was waiting for Lee to do something about it. It’s been kind of a sticky situation seeing as they’re best friends.”
Dear Lord in Heaven.
Just what I needed, my life to be that much more fucked up.
“And?” I asked.
“Last year, Eddie lost patience and told Lee if he didn’t take care of business, Eddie would move in.”
Holy crap!
“No way,” I breathed.
Ally nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” I asked.
“You were avoiding Lee and Eddie’s hot. I thought if I told you about Eddie you might give up on Lee and I’d never have a niece named after me.”
I looked at the hit man who was watching us closely and told him, “Don’t think in the crazy-ass soap opera that is my life that I’ve forgotten about you. Or you,” I said to Rosie.
I stared them both down and they both settled in. Clearly I was looking like a woman who wanted to be given the excuse to shoot someone.
“How long has Eddie had this thing?” I asked Ally.
Ally shrugged. “According to Hank, it ran parallel with your thing for Lee.”
Holy shit.
“How parallel?”
“Apparently, last year was not the first fight they had over you. Remember when Lee showed up to pick us up from that Haunted House and he had blood on his shirt and we could tell his nose had been bleeding? We saw Eddie later at Andrea’s party and he was shitfaced and his eye was swollen?”
I remembered, kind of. It was my senior year, I was seventeen. Lee had blood on his shirt a lot back then and Eddie was also a brawler. I thought they’d been in a fight against other people (which happened a lot), not with each other.
“Me?” I asked.
“You. That wasn’t the first and obviously not the last,” Ally answered.
I didn’t know what to do with this information. I didn’t even want to know this information.
“I think it’s time to step into Denial Zone,” I told Ally.
“That would be my advice,” Ally replied.
I was thinking that being with Lee I was going to spend a lot of time in Denial Zone.
Lee and Eddie came back in. Body language was not good. Darius was gone.
Without a word to us, they both got on the phone.
Lee called the office for a ride.
Eddie called the station.
When Eddie was done, he said to the couch at large, “You’re under arrest.”
The hit man’s expression didn’t change.
“Me? What’d I do?” Rosie cried, clearly forgetting he was a primo pot farmer and unfortunately that was still an illegal substance.
Eddie stared at him and if looks could burn, Rosie would be scalded. “I’ll think of something.”
Lee was off the phone and looking at Ally.
“Later, we’re gonna talk,” he said to her.
“You gonna offer me a job?” She smiled at him.
Lee was not in a joking mood. His eyes swung to me. “Rosie’s found. Our arrangement is over.”
I was beginning to allow the fact that I’d just seen Scary Darius, the fact that I’d not only tasered but flashed a hit man and the news that Eddie was attracted to me to penetrate my Denial Zone Fortress. Regardless of that, most of the day had been good, some of it real good, and to be honest, I kinda liked being out on the job with Lee. It was fascinating and the last part was a serious rush.
One look at him told me that I should probably not push it.
“Okay,” I agreed. “I need to get to the shop anyway and Marianne wants to meet at The Hornet for drinks tonight.”
Lee expected me to mouth off. At my words, his angry face cracked and a look came in his eyes that gave me the feeling that if we didn’t have an audience, he’d be on me like a rash.
Chapter Twenty
Two Souls Separated in Heaven
“You don’t have to model, I know I want the red,” Lee said.
We were back in the Crossfire, idling in front of Fortnum’s, Chowleena panting on my lap.
Rosie and the hit man had both been arrested. Eddie had the hit man’s gun which probably had been used to fire a bullet into Pepper Rick’s brain. I’d given my billionth statement to the police in a week. Hank had swung by and seemed to be spending a lot of energy trying not to murder me or Ally and wasn’t talking to Lee but seemed to be siding with Eddie in the whole Indy Ride-Along Debate. Eddie was exuding a pissed off vibe that kept everyone at a distance. Finally, Lee’s man Matt came to pick us up and took us to the Crossfire.
I wasn’t following the current conversation so I turned questioningly to Lee.
“First,” he finished his thought.
“What?” I asked.
His hand came out and hooked me around the neck bringing me to him.
“Underwear, garters, stockings,” he murmured against my mouth.
Of course.
I wasn’t surprised Lee chose the red. It wasn’t only racy, red was a power color.
His mouth brushed mine and then he let me go.
“Give me your phone,” he demanded.
I handed it to him. His hand curled around it and he pressed buttons with his thumb.
“Let me know where you are, everywhere you go. I want to know you get there safe. I’ve got things to do and I don’t know where I’ll be. If you can’t get hold of me, I’m programming your phone with the number to the surveillance room. There’s someone there twenty-four-seven and they can always get word to me.”
“Okay.”
“If I’m finished in time, I’ll meet you at The Hornet. If not, I’ll meet you at your house.”
“What if you’re not finished on time but finished in the middle of the night, like last night?”
His eyes caught mine.“I’ll meet you at your house.”
“What if I’m sleeping?”
“I’ll use my key.”
“What key?”
“The key I had copied from Ally’s key.”
“Does Ally know you copied my key?”
He didn’t answer. This meant no.
“When did you do this?” I asked.
His eyes crinkled but there was still no answer.
“Why did you do this?”
One of his forearms was on the steering wheel, the other one on the back of my seat. He grabbed a lock of hair and wrapped it around his finger.
“I figured I’d need one eventually, so when I had the opportunity to take care of that chore, I took it.”
“You’re very cocky, have I told you that?”
“I think you’ve mentioned it.”
He pulled my hair toward him and I had no choice but to follow it. He kissed me, no brush on the lips this time, this one left me a little bothered.
Okay, a lot bothered.
He waited until the door to Fortnum’s closed behind Chowleena and I and he took off.
Duke was behind the book counter, Tex was behind the espresso counter. There were no customers and no sign of Jane.
“You need to go home, you were shot three days ago,” I told Tex.
“I was waitin’ for you to get here. I wanted to hear about your day,” Tex answered.
I threw myself full body on one of the couches. Chowleena jumped up, sat beside me and stared at Tex. Everyone, man, woman and dog, stared at Tex.
I ran down an abbreviated version. “I had a tour of Lee’s Command Headquarters, nearly got into a bitch-slapping fight with his receptionist, then I tasered a hit man in the street just before he got the chance to shoot me. We found Rosie and he’s been arrested and now I’m here.”
Duke put his elbow on the counter and his forehead in his hand.
Tex stared at me and he looked disappointed.
&
nbsp; Then he shrugged. “The day’s still young.”
I closed my eyes.
Tex left and I stayed where I was.
“Do you know how old that guy is?” Duke asked.
“Old… ish?” I answered the question with a question.
Duke didn’t reply, but instead he said, “Do you know he’s an ex-con?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Do you know he hasn’t had a job since he got back from ‘Nam?”
I opened my eyes and looked at Duke. “No.”
“Totally dropped out, so dropped out that he makes me look like a soccer mom. Even before he went to prison and definitely after.”
Yikes.
“How do you know this?” I asked.
“Hank came by.”
I nodded and closed my eyes again.
“He makes great coffee, everyone’s talkin’ about it,” Duke said.
Finally, a real piece of good news.
When Duke spoke again, his gravelly voice sounded from right above me and my eyes popped open again.
“You’re doin’ a good thing by him. No man can live his life surrounded by cats, never leavin’ his block.”
I nodded again and said, “Outside of the gunshot wound, he’s fit as a fiddle. He threw me through a window and you saw what he did on stage at BJ’s. He’s in good shape, at least physically. Mentally is still up for debate.”
“Yeah,” Duke replied, then looked out the window. “Ain’t none of my concern but I gotta tell you, it’s good to see you and Lee aren’t circlin’ each other anymore. Your grandmother used to say that you were two souls separated in heaven. She mainly meant you were both trouble and deserved each other.”
Great.
Duke went on. “She’d be fuckin’ thrilled if she was still alive.”
I felt my throat close up. When it reopened, I said quietly, “Thanks, Duke.”
“When we close, I’m walkin’ you home.”
It wasn’t a question. I did, of course, have Chowleena with me but I didn’t think bad guys would be scared off by a Chow with fur chaps and attitude.
“Okay,” I agreed.
* * * * *
When I got home, I called Marianne and set up a time to meet at The Hornet. Then I called Lee to tell him I was home. He was at the hospital checking on Luke. I was glad I didn’t have a ride-along on that one or my Denial Zone would be obliterated.
I gave Chowleena some kibbles and water. She put her nose up at the kibbles so I gave her a doggie biscuit. Then she gave me her pathetic look so I gave her another one. Then she pranced into the living room, curly tail swaying in the air, jumped up on my new couch, circled about twenty times, flopped down and settled in.
I jumped into the shower and did my Indy Out for the Night Preparations complete with leg shave. I didn’t really feel up to it, I was tired and hadn’t had a Disco Nap. However, there was a possibility Lee was going to meet us at The Hornet and his receptionist looked like she stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. I thought it best to put some effort into it.
I grabbed my dress that was just a thick band of stretchy black from which fell a swath of olive green gauzy material swirled through with cream and black. The band fit above my breasts, the gauze fell in a scarf-like hem to above the knee. I put on a droopy black belt with a big circular silver buckle and bloused the dress over it, making it mini. I fluffed out my hair, pawed through the dregs at the back of my makeup drawer and slapped on some makeup, put on a pair of big silver hoop earrings, a bunch of bangles on my wrist, a bunch of silver rings on my fingers and pulled on my black cowboy boots. I shoved some stuff into a black purse and headed out the door.
I walked to The Hornet, which was only four blocks away. I didn’t waste any time, Rosie was found, Pepper Rick and Sandy Pete were out of the picture and the hit man was behind bars. I was likely relatively safe but I wasn’t going to take any chances.
Marianne was there when I got there, sitting on a stool at the bar. I’d asked Ally to join us but she had a shift at Brother’s. I’d braved the pissed off brute and asked Eddie if he wanted to come but he was going to be bogged down in paperwork.
“I wish I could wear a dress like that,” Marianne told me when I slid on the booth next to her.
Marianne used to be a size four. Her hair changed color with her mood, so much so that I didn’t remember what it was when it started out. Now it was brunette. She had big gray eyes. She was always pretty and regardless of the weight, she still was a looker. She’d been popular, being so dainty and cute, boys flocked to her. Her divorce had taken its toll, it was ugly, she still wasn’t over it and she was eating through the pain.
I had no response for her and ordered a spiced rum and diet and excused myself and called Lee, again, to tell him I was at The Hornet. Marianne didn’t question this, she’d been an innocent bystander in one of my shootouts and anyway, Lee was hot.
“Well?” Marianne asked when I flipped my phone shut.
I sighed.
“Lee doesn’t take the bows from bras or panties, at least not anymore,” I said.
Marianne’s eyes lit up.
“Is he good?”
The way she asked it wasn’t gossipy or voyeuristic, it was a friend asking a friend about her sex life, which in my circle of friends was a natural thing. We weren’t exactly Sex in the City but we shared. It also meant our conversation wasn’t going to be e-mailed to half of the greater Denver Metropolitan Area by midnight.
So I answered her. “He’s good.”
“How good?” she asked.
My eyes slid to her. “Real good.”
Her face spread in a smile and I returned it.
“I’m so happy for you,” she whispered.
I was beginning to be happy for me too.
My drink came and I ordered a buffalo chicken salad with extra bleu cheese dressing. Marianne announced she was going on a diet and she ordered one too, without the bleu cheese dressing.
We ate at the bar, the plates were whisked away, I was on my third rum and diet and Marianne had gone to the bathroom when my hair was brushed to the side, a hand gliding across my bare shoulders. I looked around, then up, and saw Lee standing over me.
He’d showered and changed and he looked good. He was wearing jeans that were worn in but still newish, brown cowboy boots and forest-green collared shirt.
I smiled at him.
He frowned at me.
“Where’re the rest of your clothes?”
I looked down at my dress then back up at him.
“These are my clothes,” I said. “You don’t like it?”
“Yeah, I like it. If you’re wearin’ it in my kitchen while cookin’ steaks. I don’t like it when you’re wearin’ it sittin’ on a barstool and thirty guys are imaginin’ your legs wrapped around their backs.”
Jeez.
“Lee, you’re gonna have to get over this jealous-possessiveness thing.”
“Indy, you’re gonna have to get used to the fact that I’m the jealous-possessive type.”
Great.
I decided to change the subject. I wasn’t going to change how I dressed and he wasn’t going to start to like it. We were at a stalemate.
“Have you had dinner?”
“I grabbed something at the condo.”
His eyes moved to the bar and he lifted his chin and said to the bartender, “Fat Tire.”
Marianne still hadn’t materialized so I decided to broach a new subject.
“We need to talk about Eddie.”
Lee slid into the area between me and Marianne’s barstool, his hip pressing my knees to the side, he rested his forearm on the bar.
“Yeah, we do. From now on, you see Eddie only when I’m with you.”
My teeth clenched. “Okay, first we need to talk about you bossing me around all the time and how I really don’t like it.”
His eyes crinkled and I knew he thought I was being cute.
“I’m being serious.” I we
nt on.
His beer came, he slid a note across the counter, took a pull and leaned into me. “This is how it works, I tell you how I feel, I’m honest about it, you do the same. A lot of the time we won’t agree but we’ll deal.”
I blinked at him.
Did he really think that was going to work?
Lee kept talking. “Obviously you heard our conversation. I know where Eddie stands, Eddie knows where I stand. If things are good between you and me, Eddie won’t be a threat. They start to go bad, Eddie’s movin’ in.”
“I got that part,” I said.
“I don’t intend for things to go bad but that doesn’t mean that Eddie isn’t gonna give you hints at what you might be missin’.”
Holy crap.
Lee continued. “So I want to be there when you’re with him because I’m the jealous-possessive type. That’s just the way it is and now you know how I feel. If you see him when I’m not there, then it’s down to you. Okay?”
“So, you aren’t telling me what to do, you’re telling me what you want.”
“If I wanted a woman who did what she was told, I wouldn’t be with you.”
I didn’t know any women who did what they were told, but I suspected they were out there. I just didn’t hang with them because that definitely wasn’t my scene.
“If it’s just you sharing your feelings, perhaps you can voice it less like an order,” I suggested.
“I’m used to giving orders and if it sounds like one then there’s always a chance you’ll obey.”
I gave him a look.
He gave me The Smile.
Marianne walked up and our conversation ended. While Marianne and I chatted and finished our drinks, Lee stood close behind me and nursed his Fat Tire. So close, I got comfy and rested my back against his front. Every once in awhile Marianne would take us both in and sigh.
When we were done, Lee and I walked Marianne to her car, I hugged her good-bye on the sidewalk and Lee and I watched her drive away. We went back to the front of The Hornet where Lee was parked, at the curb almost directly outside the front doors.
“How do you get these parking spots?” I asked when Lee opened the door for me.
“Luck,” he answered.
Bullshit. Luck. It was one of Lee’s “ways”.
We were coming away from the curb when his cell rang. He answered it as he was cutting across the four lanes of Broadway so he could make the turn right to my house.
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