“Lied,” he whispered against her ear.
The lack of pronoun almost broke her. She hated when he used them. It had never been his way unless he was really angry.
“Why do you keep on forgiving me?” She had to know. As if the answer would be the secret to making sure she never crossed the line that would drive him away forever.
“Hell if I know.”
She squeezed him close to her heart. “Tell me why. Please.”
He took a long time answering, finally murmuring into her hair, his low voice a rumble against her chest. “Because you’re like that girl, Max. Good at heart.”
“She lied to you.”
“She was a desperate kid and made the ultimate error in judgment.”
“But you paid the price.” As he had with Max’s error. He’d had to kill Angela because of Max’s stupidity.
“And that’s why I’ll always forgive you.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You know when you’ve fucked up. You’re sorry. And as much as I give you shit about it, you don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Hah. Cameron would beg to differ on that. She still wasn’t sure she understood Witt. But if she really tried her best not to repeat her mistakes, maybe, just maybe, she could keep him around for awhile.
And she did want Witt around.
Something else beat on her nerves. “What are they going to do to you now?”
He pulled back from her, though his hands remained her on her shoulders. “Situation’s in review.”
Max’s stomach dropped to her knees. “Will they fire you?”
“The brass are pissed as hell at my actions, but it won’t go that far.”
Shit, shit, shit. “This is my fault.” She might cost him the thing he loved most, his career.
“My fault.” He bent to look in her eyes. “Walked out on a crucial interrogation to take a call from my mother.”
Ladybird, who had told him per Horace and Cameron where Max was and what would happen to her if he didn’t get there in time. Max laughed, almost choked on it. “You mean it’s not about Angela?”
“Record’s clean, and I haven’t got a rep as a hothead. I’ll be cleared. Boss is a little concerned about my sanity around you, that’s all. It’ll blow over.”
She trusted him with her life, but she wasn’t sure she trusted him not to lie about this. “What can I do to make it better?”
He pointed at his lips like a child with a booboo. “Kiss it.”
She did what he asked, lingering, until he murmured against her mouth, “Don’t you wanna know about our Mr. Hammerhead?”
She liked the inclusive possessive. “He came forward,” she scooped him, “and told them Angela came out of that building covered with blood. After Julia La Russa had left.”
“Wrong. Never woulda come forward. Cops rounded him up. Told ‘em everything thinking they wouldn’t bust him for pimping.”
She pulled back. “They busted him?”
“Him, the night manager, and the bartender.”
“What about Bud Traynor?”
“Traynor?”
“Blackmail. They were making videos of Angela’s johns.” Her heart tripped thinking how close she’d come to letting Witt be recorded. “Bud put them up to it. I told those cops all about it.”
“Hammerhead didn’t say a word to confirm it. Nor did Newton or the La Russa woman.”
There went her last hope for nailing Traynor. “But they have to go to Bud’s house. Find those other videos—”
Witt put a finger to her lips. “What goes around comes around.”
She gave a muffled “but” against his touch.
“Karma.” Witt dropped his hand to hold her chin. “We’ll get him when the time is right.”
Damn. “They couldn’t get a search warrant, could they?”
“Didn’t even try.”
Double damn. “Can’t they—” This time she stopped herself. “I’m doing it again. Jumping in and running with it.”
“Shows you have passion, Max.”
So, like, was that a good thing? “Some day, I will prove something against him.”
“In the meantime, SFPD doesn’t think the existence of a video constitutes a crime. Especially when no one but you talks about it.”
She sighed, then muttered, “Next time.” And there would be. She was sure of it. Bud Traynor had been like a phantom through four murders, five counting his business partner, Walter Spring. Bud would pop up again. Sooner, rather than later.
Witt touched her elbows. “Forget about Traynor for now.” Then he whispered against her ear, “Just wanted to tell you.” He sighed, sending a delicious shiver right through her mid-section. “That was the best goddamn blowjob I’ve ever had.”
Oh my God.
“Care to do a repeat?”