“Jesus.”
“Also said there were two more. I reckon he thinks one is me, the other…” he let that trail when Feb’s head dropped to his shoulder.
“They didn’t get time to triangulate the signal on the phone,” Sully told him.
“Bad news.”
“They’re now monitorin’ her phone, yours, your house phone and the bar.”
Too little too late but who would imagine that fucking guy would actually call. Stupid move, he was getting messy and that could mean bad things, though it could also mean good and Colt went with his last thought.
“We need to be in his face about this shit?” Colt asked. “Press a reaction?”
“I’m gonna get in his face,” Jackie whispered her threat and Colt couldn’t help it, he smiled into his phone. Jackie got a hold of him, hatchet or not, Denny Lowe didn’t stand a chance. A lioness was lethal when her cubs were under threat.
“Well, unless he gets close and starts watchin’ with his own eyes, that’ll be difficult,” Sully said. “They dismantled the cameras, all of them, even the one on the street. I’m learnin’ the Feds do not fuck around and somehow they got an army to throw at this shit. Warren says taking the cameras offline is their own way of pressin’ a reaction, pissin’ him off, forcin’ a move.”
That was unfortunate. Colt liked the idea of standing in his open front door and kissing Feb good-bye before he went about his day. He’d take his time, he’d make it thorough, he’d get that moan in his mouth and he’d put his hands on her ass. He’d drive Denny Lowe over the next bend as Colt forced him to watch Colt stake claim to what was his, what Denny almost succeeded in taking away from him and what Colt got back. The man had a single synapse firing correctly in his brain, Colt wanted to obliterate it.
“Keep me posted,” Colt told Sully.
“One other thing, man,” Sully said hurriedly, “Feds want you to consider protective custody, for you and Feb.”
Colt didn’t like it, for him or Feb, meant her being pent up and him being disempowered, but he’d sure as fuck consider it.
“We’ll talk, I’ll let you know.”
“Later, Colt.”
“Later.”
Colt flipped his phone shut and Feb lifted her head, opening her mouth to speak.
“One second, baby,” he muttered on another squeeze at her hip.
He scrolled down his phone, found the number he was looking for, hit the button and put it to his ear.
“‘Lo?” Chip said after ring four. Colt had woken him.
“Chip, it’s Colt, sorry to wake you but this is urgent.”
“Everything okay?” Chip asked, trying to shake the sleep from his voice.
“I know it’s late and I know your schedule’s busy, but I need you to bump your other customers for a priority job, first thing in the mornin’.”
“What job?”
“My house and I want a recon of J&J’s. You think you need to, I want you to up the security there.”
“This have to do with all the shit I been hearin’?” Chip asked.
“Exactly that.”
“You and Feb safe?”
“Not by a long shot.”
Chip didn’t hesitate when he said, “Be there at seven.”
“Later.”
He flipped his phone shut and looked at Jackie then at Feb.
Feb was stuck in time, Colt knew it when she asked, “He thinks he’s you?”
“He’s whacked.”
“I know that, but he thinks he’s you?”
Colt smiled, he couldn’t help it, her face was hilarious. His choices were either to smile, laugh or get up and put his fist through a wall.
“Okay, Feb, he’s seriously whacked.”
“Got that right,” Jackie put in on a mumble.
He didn’t want them to dwell, either of them, which meant shutting this down. You didn’t talk about this shit in the dead of night when the demons could attack because you were vulnerable. You talked about this shit in the light of day when you had your defenses up and your mind could fight back.
“Time for bed,” Colt announced, curling to get up and taking Feb with him.
“I couldn’t sleep, no way I could sleep,” Feb said, sliding both her arms around him when they got to their feet.
He looked down at her and smiled again. “All right, honey, then you can watch me doin’ it.”
Her head jerked, the cloud over her face cleared, she was fighting back the demons, just as her brows drew together and she said, “Okay, you’re right, no more sharing. I give you the ammunition I’ll never hear the end of it.”
He curled his arms around her and gave her a squeeze, the smile never leaving his face. “You know I’m teasin’, baby.”
“I know and I like it now about as much as I liked it when I was eight and you and Morrie chased me around, waving frogs at me.”
That memory was so hilarious; Feb screaming like a lunatic and running so fast her hair flew out straight behind her, Colt felt the memory simmer inside him and he couldn’t stop himself from bursting out laughing. Jackie felt it too because she did the same.
“My girl, always hated frogs,” Jackie stated when she’d controlled her hilarity.
“That’s right, Mom,” Feb leveled her irate eyes at her mother, “I’m a girl therefore I hate frogs. I’d get kicked out of the girl club if I didn’t. Ask Maisie, she’s got the rules memorized.”
Jackie laughed again before her eyes moved to Colt. “February. Always been a scaredy cat. Can’t even watch scary movies.”
“Oh Lord,” Feb mumbled.
“Gotta say, Jackie, it’s probably good my woman can hold her shit together when a psycho is on the loose. Thinkin’ that’s more important than her bein’ able to watch Freddie Krueger invading high school kids’ dreams in a movie.”
“Oh no,” Feb whispered, her brows had separated but her eyes were now wide, “now I’m thinkin’ about Freddie Krueger.”
Colt gave her another squeeze. “I’ll keep you safe, honey.”