He pushed me into the bed platform, his body hard against mine and again I felt his immense heat.
“Quiet. Roam’s in trouble,” he hissed at me. I stopped struggling immediately at his words and he dropped his hand and stepped away from me. “Get dressed, get your gun. Now.”
Without asking a single question and flying through the house, I grabbed my clothes and shoes then ran into the bathroom and dressed.
I thanked my lucky stars I had worn a longish nightgown to bed because I was stil panty-less when Hector pul ed me out. I also thanked my luckier stars that fear for one of my boys made me sober as a nun. Vance wouldn’t be happy I was sober but maybe I’d do a shot or two of tequila when I got done with this gig.
After I dressed I exited the bathroom, knelt in the hal and put my black Pumas on. “What’s happening?”
“Cordova got him,” Hector answered.
“God dammit,” I snapped.
I went to the sliding doors under my bed, opened a drawer and rooted through my underwear until I had my gun.
I knew Cordova had been released from the hospital (it was only a flesh wound) but I thought he’d been released to jail.
As I looked for my gun, I asked, “Why?”
“Fuck knows. He’s pissed at you. Maybe he thinks he can use Roam to make you pay.”
“I thought Cordova was in jail,” I said while I tucked my gun into the back waistband of my cords.
“Bonded out.”
“Fuck,” I muttered.
“Let’s go,” he said.
We went.
*
It’s important to note at this point there were a lot of things I should have done. I should have taken my purse. I had my panic button and phone in my purse. Not to mention a tracking device.
I should have cal ed Vance, told him where I was going so he wouldn’t worry.
Not doing that, I should have left a note.
I should also have cal ed the surveil ance room at Nightingale Investigations. Even the Nightingale Men didn’t go into a situation without backup.
But I had Hector. Hector was deep cover DEA which meant he was his own brand of badass mother, perhaps scarier than them al and this was Sal Cordova we were talking about. Sal was an idiot.
So I didn’t do any of these things.
I should have.
*
Bobby Bobby Zanzinski hated night-time surveil ance. Al of the Nightingale Men hated night-time surveil ance (except Jack, though Jack was kind of a weird guy).
Night-time surveil ance was boring as hel . It meant Fortnum’s was closed and Vance was normal y at Jules’s (or Jules was asleep) so you couldn’t watch her wandering around saying stupid shit to her cat.
Bobby could watch Jules for hours, any of them could, that woman was smokin’.
He sat in the surveil ance room and came instantly alert when Hector Chavez approached the house. Bobby watched Hector break into Law’s duplex then disable her alarm.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
He knew who Hector was but Bobby was stil alarmed.
Those deep cover DEA guys were nuts, pure and simple.
Fuck knew why Hector was breaking in, so Bobby leaned forward and turned up the volume to her speakers and got ready to cal Vance.
As he reached for the phone, on another monitor Bobby saw Vance drive into the underground parking area. Vance would come up and drop the keys.
Bobby decided to wait and tel him when he got there.
Lord knows The Law can take care of herself, Bobby thought on a smile.
*
Shirleen Shirleen heard her phone ringing; she rol ed, reached out, grabbed it and put it to her ear.
“This better be good,” she mumbled.
“Aunt Shirleen,” Darius said in her ear.
Shirleen came instantly awake and sober. “What’s up, son?”
“Got word. Shard’s back.”
Shirleen felt a chil snake down her spine. Anyone with an ear to the ground knew what was on Shard’s mind, namely making Jules pay.
“I thought Lee’s boys –” Shirleen started.
“Shard’s back and he’s pissed. He’s goin’ after Law’s kids. Gonna draw her out.”
Shirleen threw back her purple, satin covers. “Cal Lee,” she ordered.
“I’l take care of it. I’ve got some boys out lookin’ for him.”
“No, boy. You cal Lee. Let the professionals handle this.”
“Aunt Shirleen.”
“Boy –”
“Boy –”
“I’l handle it.”
Disconnect.
Shirleen stared at the phone in the darkness for two seconds. Then she turned on the light and ran to her desk to find Daisy’s home number.
*
Sniff Sniff was running. He was running, crying, snot coming out of his nose, breathing heavy.
He had to get to Law. He had to get to her. He had to get to her now.
When Cordova took Roam, Sniff had seen it. He’d fol owed them, knowing that Cordova was an idiot and an asshole. Roam could handle Cordova. Hel , their geeky tutor Stu could handle Cordova. Sniff could even handle Cordova.