There were just too many things going wrong lately for me to be nonchalant about the unexpected arrival of a man in my house that’d been locked.
Still knowing it was him should’ve been a relief to my hyperaware nerves.
It wasn’t.
Not yet, anyway.
The shock and the adrenaline that’d mainlined through my system was still holding control of me.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He rocked me.
I heard Vlad shriek again and then Mavis say, “I’m sorry, buddy. I gotta get you a new spoon.”
That was because I was holding the other one in a closed fist and pressing it into my hair.
Even the thought of having to wash my hair again wasn’t enough for me to let it go.
I didn’t know how long either of us sat there. Him wrapped around me. Me pressed into his body heat, shaking and, later I’d come to find out, crying.
It had to be at least twenty minutes because, when I finally came to—panic attacks blew—it was to find the kitchen significantly darker, Vlad no longer in the room, and my sister glaring daggers at Taos who was quietly talking to her in reply to something she must’ve said or asked.
I let go of the spoon, which loudly clattered to the floor, causing the conversation between two of the most important people in my life to come to a screeching halt.
I brought my hands down to rest between Taos and me, and then turned my face so that I could inhale the familiar scent of him into my starved lungs.
I’d missed him over the last two weeks.
He’d said that he wasn’t going to have to deal with the murders anymore now that the FBI agent had arrived, but he’d lied.
When he wasn’t working at the gym, he was poring over the murder investigation.
Not that I could blame him.
But I’d missed him over the last two weeks.
Especially since I hadn’t had very much of my own time to myself.
Vlad and Mavis had practically moved in with me when Mavis and Vlad had been sick.
I wasn’t aware of the man wrapped around me moving until he tilted his head down and I saw the look in his eyes.
“Hey,” he whispered gruffly.
I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head, his eyes telling me how stupid he felt before the words left his mouth. “I’m sorry. That was stupid of me.”
I snorted. “My guess was you were really worried.”
He sighed. “I was. I saw that article in the newspaper and came right over. When you didn’t answer, my thoughts went totally sideways, and I just knew I’d come in here and find you…”
Dead. He thought he’d come in here and find me dead.
I sighed. “I’m fine.”
He made a humming noise in the back of his throat. “I think you should move in with me.”
I blinked, totally dumfounded by what had just come out of his mouth. Tilting my head back, I caught his eye. “Um, what?”
“I think that you should move in with me.”
I opened my mouth with something to say that started with the word ‘hell’ and ended with the word ‘no,’ but Mavis decided to put her two cents in, interrupting me before I could get the words out.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Mavis declared. “Seeing as this is your fault she’s on their radar to begin with.”
I sighed and pushed away from Taos’ chest. “It is not his fault, and you know it.”
CHAPTER 19
Be the reason someone drinks today.
-Text from Taos to Fran
TAOS
Mavis continued to glare at me, pissed as hell that I’d just caused Fran to have a panic attack, and not bothering to hide it.
“It’s somewhat my fault,” I admitted. “Last night, there was a reporter there, and I told her to go fuck off.”
The woman who’d pushed away from my chest burst out laughing.
That was much more preferable to her tears.
“You?” She snickered, wiping her eyes. “I would never expect that from you.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just… she pissed me off. Kept talking about how we were taking a long time to solve these murders, as if it’s all our fault that this motherfucker knows what he’s doing. And then she proceeds to tell me that I am the reason that we’re not getting anything accomplished. Because ‘I have a new girl’ that I’d rather spend my time with than solving these cases.”
Mavis drew in a swift breath. “What?”
“Somehow, she knew that you were a part of all of this.” I shook my head. “I’m not sure which officer told her. I’m not sure I really want to know, because if I knew, I’d kick his fucking ass, but someone spoke about you. How you fit into all of this. And then she concocted that shit story. I’m sorry, honey.”
She sighed. “I mean, it’s not like I wouldn’t have spoken up about this if I could have. I mean… maybe this is a good thing. Maybe him thinking that he screwed up, left a witness, will make him screw up for real. Maybe…”
“Maybe you’re dumb.” Mavis rolled her eyes.
Fran flipped her off, going as far as to put her finger right in her face.
Mavis slapped Fran’s hand away and said, “Don’t treat this as a joke, Fran.”
Fran grumbled something under her breath, then scrambled to her feet using my thigh as leverage.
I came up much more slowly than she, catching her before she could stalk out of the room. “Where are you going?”
She whirled in my arms and poked me in the chest. “To pack.”
My lips twitched, and I couldn’t stop from placing my lips to hers.
“Okay.” I reluctantly released her.
Fran made sure to shoulder-check Mavis as she left the room, leaving me alone with a very upset sister.
“I’ll watch out for her,” I promised.
Mavis narrowed her eyes. “You better.”
“I’ll never leave her alone,” I promised.
“You better not.” She crossed her arms.
“When I need to do something, I’ll call you. Or Madden. Or someone. I promise. She’ll never be alone,” I repeated myself.
Mavis sighed. “Don’t call Madden.”
My lips quirked up. “Why?”
Mavis sighed again. “Because I don’t think I want to be around him at all right now. And if my sister is around him, I’ll be forced to be.”
I didn’t bother arguing with her.
In fact, instead of doing any of that, I went to Fran’s bedroom, surprised to find her emptying out her drawers.
“Coming for the long haul?” I teased.
Fran looked at me and flushed. “I just… I have a lot of workout clothes. And I’ll need workout clothes, and regular clothes, and pajamas, and I don’t know how long that I’ll have to be there so…”
“It’s okay,” I teased. “I was just kidding.” I paused. “If you want to go ahead and move in permanently, you could.”
She looked at me in surprise. “Really?”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but then realized that despite my joking nature, I really wouldn’t mind her moving in with me.