Rock Chick 03 Redemption (27 page)

“Now?” I asked.

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

When he was standing in front of me, he bent and kissed my nose.

“Now,” he answered.

Shit.

* * * * *

Shamus was beside himself with glee, his doggie body trembling with it. He was on an adventure.

I was beside myself with despair. I couldn’t be left alone without protection.

I’d come without a fight mainly because I’d caused enough worry and mayhem. I didn’t need to have a big argument with Hank when he needed to go to work.

Furthermore, he was right. Uncle Tex was huge and tough but Lee’s boys could be commissioned to keep the Pope safe.

Not to mention, Hank had said “please”.

We walked into some offices. The lights were out in the room we entered, but there was an inside door open, a light from the hal way there lit the space and I could tel it was a reception area.

Hank and I walked down the hal , it had several doors leading off of it.

A man came out of a room halfway down the hal , but stood in the open doorway. He was built like a truck but perhaps slightly more solid.

“Safe room’s open and ready,” he said to Hank then his eyes came to me briefly, then he went back into the room and the door closed behind him.

Not much of a welcome.

Hank took me toward the end of the hal and into a room.

It was sparsely furnished and not decorated. A double bed, a reclining chair, a TV and a bookshelf ful of books and DVDs. Another door led off of it.

I let go of Shamus’s lead and he got busy exploring his new space.

Hank dumped the bag in the chair.

“Sleep,” he said after he turned to me. “I’l be back before you wake up.”

“Okay,” I replied. He was busy, he had things to do, important things that involved crime and justice. I reminded myself that now was not the time to cause a fuss.

He walked up to me. I noticed his eyes were lazy and I held my breath. His hand came to the side of my neck and he gave me a light kiss.

Then he was gone.

I took off my jacket under which I was wearing a pair of jeans and my lilac nightie. I took off my shoes, the jeans, turned off the light and got into the bed. Shamus got in with me, walked around on the bed for awhile, getting the lay of the land, settled on his side, his back pressed to my side and we both fel asleep.

* * * * *

Shamus jerked and jumped off the bed. I rol ed over to see what he was up to but he was already halfway across the room.

I looked toward the doorway and a man was standing there.

For a second, I stared at him, confused, because I didn’t know what was going on.

Then I remembered.

Even so, I continued to stare at the man.

It didn’t take much to know this was another one of Lee’s boys. Not Big Truck Dude, this guy was tal but lean, wearing black cargo pants, a black, skintight t-shirt and black boots. He had black hair, cut close and the absolute best facial hair I’d ever seen on a guy in my life. A thick, black mustache that grew across his lip and down the sides of his mouth, shaved clean and precise. He looked like Harley Man morphed with Just Plain Hot Man.

“Hey,” I said to him.

One side of his mouth went up in a sexy half-grin.

Good God.

“Dog wants out. Hank’s delayed. Go back to sleep.” I nodded, stunned silent at the amount of information he was able to share using the fewest words possible.

He stepped aside, Shamus walked through the door, tail wagging, and he closed it.

I laid there for a second, thinking there was no way in hel I was going to get back to sleep.

Then I went back to sleep.

* * * * *

I woke up, again felt confused, again realized what was happening and I got out of bed.

I tried the inner door and found it was a bathroom. I hauled my shit into it, did my mega-morning-preparations (even though I forgot my body wash, I found an unopened bar of Irish Spring under the sink and I forgot my hair-smoothing lotion so I had to make do with just my finishing wax). I hadn’t done half bad with my outfit, considering I was half asleep. Rich forest green, low rider corduroys, oatmeal, shawl-necked cashmere cardigan that I wore without a shel , belted at the waist with a wide chocolate suede belt and matching suede flats.

Once I was done, I walked through the other room to the door, needing coffee, needing food, needing to check on Shamus and needing to know where Hank was.

I tried to open the door, gave it a yank, my hand slipped off the handle and the door didn’t move.

I stared at it and tried again.

The handle didn’t twist and the door stil didn’t move.

I was locked in.

I felt panic edge through me.

“What the fuck?” I whispered.

Then I heard a disembodied, “Roxie.”

I looked around searching for the source of the sound.

It came back.

“This is the control room. Hang tight. We’re bringin’

someone in.”

“What?” I asked, feeling stupid, talking to the room.

“We’re bringin’ someone in to the holding room. We need you to hang tight. Once he’s secured, we’l come and get you.”

“Holy cow,” I whispered. Then I panicked.

“It’s not –” I started to say.

“It isn’t Flynn,” the voice interrupted me.

I let out a deep breath. Then I took in a sharp one, realizing he knew why I was panicked.

Okay, whatever, it’s not like my life being certifiably
fucked is a secret.
I thought.

I sat on the arm of the reclining chair and listened to see if I could hear them bringing in whoever.

I couldn’t.

Then the door opened and Just Plain Hot Guy was standing there.

I got up.

“Hey again,” I said.

He did one of his half-grins.

“Hungry?” he asked.

I nodded.

He stepped sideways and did a sweeping gesture of his arm, tel ing me to precede him.

Man of few words.

I walked out, he fel into step beside me and we walked down the hal .

“I’m Roxie,” I said.

“I know,” he replied.

Wel , there you go.

“And you are…?” I prompted.

He looked at me. His eyes were dark but I noticed they were also blue. Indigo.

Good God.

“Luke,” he said.

“Nice to meet you Luke.”

He did another half-grin.

I tripped.

It turned into a ful grin.

Shit, shit, shit.

We made it to the end of the hal . At the door, he stopped and put his hand on the handle.

“Our receptionist wil go out and get you some food.

Whatever you want.”

I nodded, thinking that was nice; visions of Aunt Bea from “The Andy Griffith Show” tumbling through my head.

He opened the door and I walked through and stopped dead.

The woman sitting behind the gleaming reception desk was as far away from Aunt Bea as you could get. She looked like she’d just walked off a runway, high cheekbones, shiny blonde hair, ten pounds underweight; absolutely beautiful.

“Hi, I’m Dawn,” she said brightly when she saw me; a smile on her face that I noticed didn’t reach her eyes. She did a ful body scan and then her smile turned smug.

Bitch.
I thought.

“Hi. I’m Roxie,” I said.

“I know,” she said this like it was a joke.

“Breakfast,” Luke cut in, clearly having other things to do and those did not include common niceties like introductions or hanging around listening to Dawn being a bitch.

“Um…” I was feeling funny about giving her my order.

“Coffee?” Luke cued me.

“Yes… a skinny caramel latte?” I asked, unsure.

His eyes moved to Dawn and so did mine. She’d lost her smug smile and looked peeved. It was pretty clear she didn’t feel like running out to get me a caramel latte.

“What else?” Luke asked, looking back to me.

“I don’t know. A scone, a muffin… something like that,” I felt tremendous pressure. Perhaps I should order plain fruit and unsweetened granola and ask them where I could do my morning yoga (though I didn’t practice yoga).

“Got that?” Luke asked Dawn, he was done and it was time to move on.

She nodded, grabbed her purse out of the drawer and skedaddled, walking like she was on a catwalk, one foot in front of the other, her ass swaying under the skirt of her expensive, tailored suit.

Bitch.
I thought again, watching her go.

“No comparison,” Luke said after the door closed behind Dawn and I turned to him.

“Excuse me?”

“Dawn’s a man eater. You’re not. No comparison,” Luke answered and I didn’t know how to take that.

“Is that good?”

The half-smile came back.

“Most men prefer to do the eating.”

Holy fucking
cow
.

“Uncle Tex told me you were shot,” I blurted out, desperate to get off the subject of Just Plain Hot Guys eating
anything
.

“Yeah,” he replied.

“How’re you feeling?” I asked, although it was a stupid question. He looked healthy and fit, very healthy and fit.

“Alive,” he answered.

That kind of said it al .

“Wel , I’m glad for that,” I told him because I couldn’t think of anything better to say.

Before he could answer (not that he was going to answer), the door opened.

I turned and saw Lee and Marcus come in.

“Oh shit,” I muttered before I could stop myself.

Luke got close, I could feel his heat against my back.

I stood stock-stil .

Marcus’s eyes settled on me.

“Roxie,” Lee said, walked to me and bent to kiss my cheek.

Wow.

A cheek kiss from Lee.

It was a multiple “holy cow” day for sure.

“Hi Lee,” I whispered.

Lee’s eyes moved to Luke, crinkled at the corners to show his amusement, just like his Dad’s, and he stepped aside.

“Did you meet Marcus yesterday?” Lee asked, his eyes moving to me.

I shook my head.

“Marcus, this is Roxanne Logan,” Lee introduced us.

Marcus put out his hand and I took it.

Before he could say anything, I said quickly, “I’m so sorry I got Daisy shot at. I like Daisy. She’s been real y nice to me. She’s wise and she’s funny and she has interesting taste in clothes.” Marcus looked at me and didn’t say anything so, of course, I carried on like the idiot I was. “And I’m sorry about her Mercedes getting bul et holes in it. It wasn’t her fault. She’s a good driver. I mean, she kept her cool, kind of, except when we were playing chicken and…

um… other times.”

Oh my God, someone had to stop me from talking.

I went on. “And if she ever gets shot at again, I’m sure she’l probably get away.”

Luke’s hand settled at the back of my neck.

I shut up.

The hand stayed there.

“Daisy tel s me you’ve had it rough,” Marcus said.

I nodded. Luke’s hand tightened.

Marcus stared at me and a shiver slid across my skin.

He was handsome, that was certain, but there was a hardness behind his eyes that was chil ing.

“Your troubles are over,” he said with a finality that caused the shiver to go into a ful body tremble.

I blinked at him.

“Let’s go to my office,” Lee cut in, his eyes were now serious and they were on Luke.

Marcus stil had hold of my hand. He gave it a firm squeeze that felt like a promise. Then he let go. Lee touched my shoulder and they walked out of the room.

Luke’s hand came away from my neck and I turned to him.

“What just happened?” I asked him.

“Marcus entered the picture,” Luke answered.

“What?”

“Three things,” Luke said immediately, surprising me. I wasn’t sure he could enumerate three things in Luke Speak. He went on, proving he could. “One, the police can track down your trouble, that trouble is put away and it’s over. Two, we can do it, your trouble is taken to the holding room, taught a lesson, then handed to the police and it’s over. Three, Marcus can do it, that trouble is dead. I’m hopin’ for number two.”

I focused on number three.

“Dead as in, not-breathing-anymore dead?” I asked.

“That’s the only kind of dead there is,” he replied.

“Holy cow,” I said.

He stared at me.

“Why?” I asked.

Luke didn’t answer but I knew why. Marcus didn’t blame me for what happened to Daisy. He blamed Bil y and whoever else was involved in this mess. I’d seen Marcus holding Daisy the day before. Whatever he was, criminal kingpin, gun dealer, pimp, he loved Daisy. Someone put her life in danger and that someone was going to pay.

“Maybe I should talk to him,” I suggested to Luke.

The half-grin came back.

“Although that would be entertaining, it’s not gonna happen.”

“Why not? Maybe I can persuade –”

“Roxie,” he interrupted me.

“Yeah?”

“Be quiet.”

I stared at him and then heaved a big sigh.

Being quiet might be a good thing.

He put a hand to the smal of my back, propel ed me toward the hal way door and then took me to the control room and Shamus.

* * * * *

Shamus ran to me and jumped up on me, his body aquiver with excitement. I just avoided him cracking three more ribs, gave his head a good rub and then gently pushed him off. He sat on my feet, tongue lol ing.