“Your visits are always such a pleasure,” I said and stepped back, forcing him to release me. “It’s a wonder I don’t have you over more often.”
“Why did you leave so early this morning? You know how important it was to show Marius your loyalty to the family.”
I wrapped my arms around myself, running my palms up and down the area Goose had touched. “I’m taking a new self-defense class, and I had errands to run. Marius’s arrival might make you clear off your schedule, but I have a personal life.”
“You’ve never had a personal life,” he grumbled and lowered his head. “All it is for you is work, trouble, and more work.”
“Speaking of that.” I waited until he actually looked at me before I pressed on. “What do you know about the murdered girls near the club? Have you heard anything?”
“I can’t say that I have. Why?” Thank God, he finally seemed to be in control of himself. There were tension lines around his mouth, but he wasn’t screaming, and he wasn’t acting crazy.
“I checked things out and—”
“You checked things out?” His face went from normal to blood red. “You mean to tell me that you can’t spare enough time for something important, but you have the time to investigate dead strippers?”
Anger stirred, heat rising from my chest. They weren’t just strippers; they were women with family, friends, and people who cared about them. People who were—probably at that very moment—mourning them. Not to mention they were also dead and deserved some amount of respect. For a second I considered sharing my plans to use their murderer as my sacrifice to Marigold, but I decided to keep it to myself.
“You’re already walking a fine fucking line with me,” I said. “I’m warning you.”
The urge to cross over and get in his face was strong, but I fought it. If Goose kept pushing my buttons, this would end badly. The poor bastard’s nose had mended, but it wouldn’t take much to break it again. Not in my present state. Yes, I’d fucked up, but he was saying things that got under my skin in the worst way.
“Your threats don’t scare me. What’s the worst that can happen?” He moved closer, such a dipshit thing to do. “We fight? You show me how proficient you are at kicking some ass? Then what? I walk out the door and you’re left in the same place. Stubborn, alone, and dumbly waiting for whatever comes your way.”
He’s here to help you, I reminded myself. Keep your temper in check. Without repeating that one sentence in my mind, I would have lost it. Goose was a friend, but even friendships had limits.
“If you’re going to keep insulting me, there’s the door.” I folded my arms over my chest, grinding my teeth. “Don’t let it hit you in the ass on the way out.”
“Don’t be a fool.” He didn’t bother going to the door; he came to me instead. “You know me. You know the man I am. Would I have come here like this if my concern wasn’t genuine?” I started to respond and he stopped me by pointing at my chest. “Take it off.”
The idea of doing so—of taking away what had become a safety blanket—caused me to panic. Before I could dwell on that Goose repeated, “Take if off. You don’t have to throw it away. Put it in the kitchen while we talk.”
This had happened a few times before. Goose hated Marigold Vesta’s amulet. He couldn’t give me a definitive reason as to why, but he never liked being around it.
“Fine.” I slid the necklace from my neck, walked into the kitchen, and placed in on the counter. Something inside me didn’t like removing it, demanding I put the charm back on. I fought the urge, staring at the necklace, balling my hands into fists.
“Come to the living room,” he called out.
I took a deep breath and relaxed my fingers. When I walked through the entranceway, he was seated on my couch. I took the empty recliner and crossed my legs.