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.

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 f**kin’ 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.