“Salted caramel,” she whispered, then hurried back to the door to keep lookout.
“Oh my God! I love you,” I cried, then without wasting any time, I ate that cupcake like someone was about to take it from me. Because, seriously, if the nurse had come in and caught me, she would have.
Once I was licking the last bit of gooey deliciousness from my fingers, I looked at my best friend and said, “You’re a goddess.”
Amy May gave me a shaky smile and I demanded, “No, don’t do it. You just made me feel good for the first time in twenty-four hours, please don’t ruin it.”
“But…”
“Please…”
I watched Amy May take a deep, cleansing breath, then plaster on a fake smile.
“Better?”
“Much,” I said gratefully.
“Well, your Adonis outside said they’re about to let you go, so I guess I’ll skedaddle … I just wanted to see for myself that you’re okay.”
“I will be,” I assured her. “I just need a little time. But, Amy May? Thanks for coming … and for the cupcake.”
Amy May gave me a nod, and even though she was wearing sunglasses, I could tell she was about to break, so I didn’t say anything else as she pushed open the door and left me alone.
This time when the door opened, it was the nurse coming to discharge me. I did my best to stuff the empty cupcake wrapper under my butt, but when her gaze hit mine, an eyebrow raised, I knew I was busted.
I grinned sheepishly, then listened as she went over instructions for the next couple of days.
After she left and I was finally able to dress in the clothes Bea had brought by for me on her visit, I walked out of the bathroom to see Cade standing by the door.
“Where am I taking you?” he asked, his exhaustion apparent, making me wonder if he’d slept at all since Hector had snatched me outside of my apartment building.
“I’d like to come back to your place, if that’s still an option.”
Cade’s face cleared and I took his offered hand.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, darlin’.”
I made it all the way to Cade’s couch before I lost it.
We’d driven in relative silence, which meant my mind had the opportunity to wander, to remember.
I’d jumped down from his truck and walked to his front door with visions of Moose blurring my vision. I could actually feel the weight of the sledgehammer and hear his kneecap bust as I hit it with full force.
I sprawled on the couch, tears streaming down my face, as sobs began to rack my body. I felt the cold wetness of Rufus’s nose pushing on my arm, then I was being lifted as Cade sat on the couch and settled me in his lap.
His arms held me tight and I burrowed in, my nose in his throat as I bawled.
“Get it out,” Cade said against my hair, his hand doing those wonderful circles on my back again.
“I busted Moose’s kneecaps,” I wailed miserably.
“I know, darlin’, I’m sorry.”
“He begged me not to do it, and his screams … God, Cade, his screams … Before Hector shot him, Moose told me he was sorry…” I was rambling, but he told me to get it all out, so I was.
“He was sorry for pulling you so deep into shit that heavy,” Cade assured me.
I nodded against him.
“That shit was so crazy, Cade,” I said, pulling back so I could look at him. “While I was on it, it was like I didn’t care. Not about anything. They could tell me to do anything and I would have.”
Cade reached back, pushing his pelvis up off the couch so we both rose slightly, as he grabbed something. When we settled back down, he reached his hand out and said, “Here.”
I looked down at the white fabric, confused. Then, when it hit me what it was, I got a big grin on my face.
“You carry a handkerchief?”
Cade’s lip tipped up, his eyes roaming my face, and I knew I must look a huge snotty mess. I grabbed the hanky out of his hand and brought it to my face.
Once I, hopefully, looked a little less haggard I said, “Thanks,” then waved the hanky in front of him with an eyebrow raised.
“My mom says a gentleman always carries a handkerchief.”
If you would have asked me five minutes earlier if I had it in me to laugh, I would have said, hell no, but the serious look on Cade’s face when he said that sentence had me rolling.
I was leaning into him again, shaking in his arms, but this time it was because I was guffawing as I tried to speak.
“You, badass biker who lives in a cabin with his crotch-sniffing dog, doing what needs to be done and answering no questions … You carry a hanky?”
I was laughing so hard I didn’t notice he was annoyed until he said, “Keep up the jokes and I’ll bend you over and tan that ass.”
What? That made me sit up and listen.
No longer laughing, I asked somewhat breathless, “Really?”
“Jesus,” Cade replied, all signs of annoyance gone. “You’re a piece of work.”
“So, does that mean no spanking?” I asked with a straight face, then lost it when I started to giggle.
With a frustrated growl, Cade lifted me off his lap and put me on the couch next to him, then got up and walked into the kitchen.
“Uh-oh, Rufus, I think I made your daddy angry,” I joked, reaching out to pet Rufus’s ginormous head.
A few minutes later Cade turned on the TV, sat back down, and handed me a healthy goblet of wine.
“Figured you could drink that and relax, then do the shower and pajamas thing, unless you want to shower now…”
I looked from the beautiful red liquid to the beautiful man next to me, and replied, “I’ll relax first.”
He nodded and settled in, putting his arm over the back of the couch so I could scoot back and fit in the crook of his arm. When The Heat came on, he put the remote down and I curled my feet up under me, then we sunk back in the cushions and laughed while Melissa McCarthy gave Sandra Bullock a hard time.
Feeling loosey goosey after two goblets of wine and two hours of laughter, Cade helped me up to his loft. When we got to the top, he pushed me gently toward the shower and started to the bed.
“You aren’t going to join me?” I asked.
“Lila, you’ve been through a lot.”
“Yeah … that’s why I need you to wash my back,” I said coyly, starting to take my clothes off and hoping he wouldn’t reject me. After the ordeal I’d been through, I felt fragile, and really needed to know that he would comfort me, however I needed it.
Cade must have read what I was feeling on my face, because he crossed to me and turned on the shower, then helped me undress. I stepped into the steaming stream as I watched him take off his shirt, then his pants, and let his hair down, then join me and close the glass around us.
“C’mere,” he said, reaching for his shampoo and turning me so he could lather it in my hair. I placed my hands against the glass for support, moaning at how good it felt to have him massaging my scalp.
When he was done he turned me to rinse it out, then added conditioner. I peeked at the bottles, curious as to what brand he used, since his hair always looked so lush, then closed my eyes again and enjoyed the pampering.
Other than his hands cleaning my body, the shower was PG-13, but once we were done I felt a thousand times better.
He wrapped me in a fluffy towel, his hands moving vigorously as he dried me off. When he was finished, I curled into him and said, “Thanks … Really, for everything, Cade. For coming after me, taking care of me, making me laugh.” I tipped my head back and looked up at his gorgeous dark eyes and admitted, “I don’t know how I would have got through all this without you.”
I reached up to kiss him. Softly, slowly, thoroughly. My head tilted and his large hand came up to cup the back of my head. The towel fell to the floor and I pressed my naked body against his.
“Lila,” Cade said in warning, and I knew he was worried it was too so
on.
The desire coursing through me reminded me I was alive and well, and that was exactly what I needed, so I looked him in the eyes and pleaded, “I need this. I need you.”
Saying no more, Cade swept me up off my feet and carried me to his big comfy bed, laying me on the bed as if I was delicate, precious, before covering me with his strength.
When he slid inside me, staring into my eyes as his finger gently traced my lips, my eyes filled with tears. It was beautiful, he was beautiful, and I felt myself falling for this sexy, dangerous man, who offered me comfort and safety in a way no one else in my life ever had.
We didn’t rush, instead relishing the feeling of being joined. Loving every movement, every sigh, every touch.
Reveling in the fact that we were alive.
“Thanks for coming over so quickly,” I said to Carmen as I opened my door and let her inside.
I’d been back in my apartment for three days. My kids were home, and we were working on getting back to normal. The first time we’d parked in the lot and walked inside, I’d watched as my kids looked warily to the place where they’d seen me snatched, but luckily, they didn’t seem to be afraid to be back in our home.
“Are you kidding?” Carmen asked, bounding inside. “I was so excited to get your call that I sped the whole way here. I’m lucky I didn’t get a ticket.”
I chuckled at her exuberance I shut the door behind her.
“We can go in the living room or the dining room, whichever you’d prefer.”
“Living room works,” Carmen said, not waiting for me to show her around, instead moving down the hall on her own.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“Water would be great,” she called back as she disappeared around the corner. “Great sofa.”
Still chuckling, I got us both waters and met her in the living room, where she was already setting her stuff out on the coffee table and sitting on my couch as if she’d been over a million times before.
I sat down in the chair adjacent to the couch, watching as she laid out a notebook, pen, pencil, old-school recording device, and smart phone, all in a neat little row in front of her.
I placed her water in front of her and she promptly moved it to the right of her phone, a little bit above her neat row.
She must have noticed my little smile because she shrugged and said unapologetically, “OCD.”
“So, how should we do this?” I asked, a little nervous.
“Just start at the beginning and tell me everything as if you’re telling me a story. I’ll record it and take notes, so that I don’t leave anything out, and when I write it I’ll make sure to hit all of the important points.”
“Okay,” I replied, taking a sip of my water, then a deep breath, before telling her everything.
From the cokehead to Hector, to the Coke Club and everything I’d overheard them say and do. I told her all about Moose, the case, and Carlos, and I gave her a thumb drive with copies of all of the pictures I’d taken that pertained to the case. She took down information about Bea and Cade, and said she’d try to get them to corroborate my story, but I warned her that Cade probably wouldn’t be very forthcoming.
I’d spoken to Bea and the Coke Club had been arrested, Moose’s body had been taken to the morgue, and they were searching for Hector and Carlos, but so far, no luck.
Bea wasn’t thrilled that I was speaking with the media, but I promised to only speak with Carmen and that I’d ask Carmen to run the piece by her before going to print, just to make sure it wouldn’t hinder the investigation in any way.
“This is going to be awesome,” Carmen gushed when I finished. “You truly are a town hero, Lila, and I cannot wait to let everyone know it.” Then her grin turned wicked. “I’m honored that you and Bea trust me with this, and I really look forward to exposing all of those women who thought they could make extra money by becoming drug dealers. What a bunch of assholes.”
I burst out laughing, surprised, but finding that I really liked Carmen Santos.
“What are you going to do now?” she asked, piling all of her things back into her killer handbag.
“I’m not sure yet,” I replied honestly. “With Moose gone I don’t have a job anymore. I love working with Amy May at the bakery, but it’s just part time, which won’t pay the bills … I’ll come up with something, I guess.”
“Well,” Carmen said, her eyes on me as she rose and pulled the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “I think, with Moose gone, there’s going to be a real need for a new PI in town.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. He was the only one in three counties, after all.
She looked pointedly at me … then I got it.
“Oh. What? Me? I’m not a PI. I’m not even qualified to do that.”
“What do you need to do to be qualified?”
“Well, I don’t know…”
“Maybe you should look into it,” she suggested. “You were essentially doing all of Moose’s dirty work anyway, and you worked for him for over a year, right? Seems like clients wouldn’t have a hard time throwing you their business.”
Not really knowing how to reply, I walked her to the door in silence, my head spinning with possibilities.
“Again, thanks so much for calling me. I’m thrilled you decided to do this. I’ll do you justice, I promise.”
“I know you will,” I replied, then added. “We’ll have to set up a girl’s night soon. Something involving lots of booze. We’ve all been dying to hear how your date went.”
Carmen squealed and said, “I’d love that! But, in answer to the dating thing, let’s just say, I’m still on the market. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a random hot motorcycle man pick them up on the side of the road when they’re running from drug dealers.”
Another laugh burst out of me, and I thought, I really need to keep this girl around.
“Just sayin’,” she added with a grin.
We said our goodbyes and as soon as she was gone I sent out a group text to her, Amy May, and Bea, asking when would be a good night to get together and blow off steam.
Then I went to the computer and searched: How to be a Private Investigator.
“Hello?” I said cautiously as I lifted my cell to my ear. The number was local, but unknown, and after all the hype surrounding Carmen’s expose, I’d been getting a lot of phone calls.
I don’t know why I still answered…
“Delilah Horton?” a deep male voice asked.
“Yes?” I replied, ready to hang up if it was another out-of-town reporter. I’d given the only interview I planned on giving on the subject of the Chavez brothers.
“Ma’am, this is Branson Braswell, Mr. Samuel Sturgis’s attorney.”
“I’m sorry, you must have the wrong person. I don’t know a Samuel Sturgis.”
“I believe you knew him as Moose,” the deep voice replied.
“Moose?” I asked as pain hit me in the chest at the memories hearing that name invoked.
“Yes, ma’am. I’d like to meet with you, maybe set up a time for you to come by the office?”
“The office?” I asked again, knowing that I kept repeating what he said, but confused as to the nature of his call.
“Or, if you’d rather, I can come to you. Meet you wherever you’d like. I won’t take up much of your time, Ms. Horton.”
“Um, I’m at Jake’s right now.” I looked up at the clock over the bar and was about to say I could meet him in an hour, but he replied before I could.
“I’m actually just a block away, I’ll be there in a minute.”
I pulled my phone away from my ear and looked at it.
He’d hung up.
What a strange turn of events. I was at Jake’s waiting for Cade to meet me for lunch, and now I had some lawyer coming to talk to me about Moose.
Did lawyers make house calls … or bar and grill calls, in this case?
My life had been such a whirlwind lately that I wondered how anythin
g still managed to surprise me, but this did. What could Moose’s lawyer want with me?
I sipped my diet Pepsi, eyes on the door, wondering what the lawyer would look like. The voice had been nice, but you could hardly tell by a voice on the phone how someone would look.
Expecting an older man in a vintage suit with a fifty-dollar haircut and a pot belly, I didn’t immediately register that the man who’d just walked in was heading my way.
Tall and slender, but if the forearms exposed by his rolled-up shirtsleeves were any indication, very fit, with an almost military-style haircut and piercing blue eyes. The man was in dress slack, fancy shoes, and a button-up shirt, looking more like a man ready to relax at home after a long day’s work than a lawyer ready to conduct business.
But when he sidled up next to me with a smile, hand outstretched, I realized that’s exactly who he was.
“Branson Braswell, Ms. Horton, but you can call me Bran.”
I looked from his hand to those eyes, a little tongue tied, then pulled myself out of my musings and shook his hand.
“Lila, please, call me Lila,” I replied, then gestured to the empty bar stool next to me.
Bran took his seat, and when the bartender came by he asked for a water, then turned his attention back to me and asked kindly, “How are you doing, Lila? I’ve seen the news, read the paper, so I know you’ve been through an incredible ordeal. Are you holding up all right?”
It seemed strange for him to ask such a personal question, having just met me, but for some reason, I knew it came from a genuine place.
Don’t ask me how, just a gut feeling.
“The attention has been overwhelming, but I’m doing okay.”
“Nightmares?” he asked gently, and my eyes whipped to his face.
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“I was in a similar situation as a child,” Bran replied vaguely, then shifted in his seat and changed the subject. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time, Lila, so I’ll get right to it. As I said, I was Samuel … eh, Moose’s, lawyer, and I’ve been trying to get a hold of you to go over the contents of his will.”