“Talk to me,” I said, louder and slightly more hysterical this time.

He sighed. “Got word before I came into the bedroom.

Jimmy got one of those boys to talk. Flynn got away from them.”

Good God.

My body jerked and Hank’s arm went around me, pul ing me into him.

“No one’s gonna harm you,” he repeated.

“Hank, he knows where you live. I have to get out of here.”

“Roxanne, listen to me.”

I started squirming, total y panicked, trying to escape.

“Roxanne, dammit,” he swore, but I didn’t quit struggling.

He dropped to his side and rol ed me into him, wrapping his arms around me, pinning mine to my body and he tossed a heavy thigh over mine. He was so strong, resistance was futile so I stil ed.

“He hurt me,” I told Hank’s neck.

“I know.”

“He’l do it again.”

“No he won’t.”

I lay there breathing heavily more from anxiety than my struggles.

“I’m scared,” I admitted and it took everything I had left to do it.

Hank’s arms and leg tightened. “I know.”

After a few minutes of internal struggle, I relaxed into him After a few minutes of internal struggle, I relaxed into him and he let go, reached out and turned off the light. Then he fel to his back, me partial y on top, partial y in his side, keeping one arm around me.

I tried to keep my mind quiet. Luckily I was exhausted so it worked. I’d think about it tomorrow. Or not at al . I was thinking not at al sounded good.

“I’m not your woman,” I said, drowsy.

“You are,” he returned.

Jeez.

There real y was no shaking this guy.

“I’l die. I’l go with Bil y. I’l do whatever so no one gets hurt,” I promised.

“It won’t come to that,” he gave me a promise in return

“I want my car,” I went on, stubborn.

“We’l talk about it tomorrow night.”

“I’m going to be at the Haunted House tomorrow night.” I heard his head move on the pil ow, probably he was shaking it because he thought I was a total idiot.

“You’re a nut.”

Okay, he was shaking it because he thought I was a nut.

“No I’m not,” I said.

He didn’t answer.

I lay there for a long while. I felt the tension leave his body, his hand now relaxed on my hip and I figured he was asleep.

“I didn’t start touching you to get something out of it, I did it because I wanted to,” I told his sleeping self.

“That’s good to know,” he replied, his voice low and sounding tired but definitely not asleep.

sounding tired but definitely not asleep.

I jerked up on my elbow. “I thought you were asleep!”

“Nope.”

Shit.

I settled back down.

“I real y do think you’re a jerk,” I said, though even I could tel I didn’t mean one word of it.

“For not being asleep?” Now he sounded both tired and amused.

“Wel … yeah.”

“I wasn’t asleep when you sang ‘Because the Night’

either.”

Holy cow.

I jerked up on my elbow again. “Please tel me you’re kidding.”

“Nope,” he said again.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I rol ed away, he rol ed with me, caught me around the waist and pul ed me back into his body.

“Now, I have to leave,” I said.

“Why?”

“It’s embarrassing. My singing sucks.”

“It sounded good to me.”

“That’s because you like me.”

He kissed my neck.

Then he settled behind me and said, “Yeah.” Chapter 15

My Day with the Boys

I heard Hank’s phone ringing, he muttered an oath and leaned over me to pick up his cel from the nightstand.

“Yeah?” he answered, his voice husky with sleep.

My eyes flickered open, it was stil real y dark.

My eyes shut again and I curled into Hank. Shamus pressed into my back.

“Where?” Hank asked.

He seemed resigned, not tense. Since he wasn’t tense, I figured my world was not about to come crashing down so I didn’t get tense.

Then he said, “Got to take care of somethin’ at home, then I’l be there.” Another pause, then, “Yeah.” Then I heard the beep of him disconnecting the cal .

“Whisky?” I whispered.

There were more beeps. Hank was making a cal .

“Just a minute, sweetheart,” he answered then he talked into the phone. “Jack? Hank. I need to go out and I need protection for Roxie.”

He stopped talking. I got up on my elbow and pul ed my hair out of my face. Shamus gave an enormous doggie groan of protest.

“Fuck,” Hank said then paused. “Yeah. I’l take her there.

Twenty minutes, tops.”

Another beep as he disconnected.

“What’s going on?” I asked, looking at his shadow in the darkness.

He moved, the light came on and I blinked. Shamus jerked to his bel y and surveyed the scene, preparing for al doggie possibilities open to him; early walk, early breakfast or some sort of pets and cuddles.

“There’s been a homicide and it’s connected to a case I’m on,” Hank told me. “I’ve got to go to the scene. I need to take you to Lee’s offices. You can go back to sleep there.

I’l pick you up later.”

I blinked again, but not because the light burned my eyes.

Lee’s offices?

No way in hel .

“I can go to Uncle Tex’s,” I suggested.

He shook his head, pul ed away, got out of bed and walked to the dresser.

“Please don’t argue, I want to be sure you’re safe and Lee’s boys can keep you safe. Get some stuff together. A change of clothes, whatever you need for the morning. We have to leave now.”

Was he serious?

“Now” wasn’t an option for me. He knew I was high maintenance. He’d said twenty minutes, some of that was travel time. I needed to choose an outfit, I needed hair stuff, body stuff, makeup. I needed twenty minutes just for the outfit.

“Now?” I asked.

He pul ed on some white boxer shorts, came back to the bed and tugged me out of it.