For the next year of my life (not really), I looked at seven million, two hundred thousand and forty-four (not really) mug shots. I found the pictures of both the guys who kidnapped me. My identification of them made Luke’s mouth get tight when he saw their faces, I didn’t ask why mainly because I didn’t want to know.
This was after I told a nice, older man named Detective Jimmy Marker my kidnapping story. This short story took a lot longer because Indy, Ally, Shirleen, Daisy and Jules all phoned me while I was telling it to find out if I was okay. I was guessing Jet and Roxie got the story from Eddie and Hank and Shirleen, Daisy and Jules got my number from Indy or Ally.
After this was all over, Luke took me to his Porsche. We strapped in and the Porsche glided to the street (even post-kidnapping I had to appreciate the ride was sweet) and I said quietly, “Please take me home.”
Luke didn’t answer. What he did do was drive through LoDo, taking Speer Boulevard all the way into the Highlands, which led to my house. In front of my house I got out of the car and made my way to the door. Luke took the keys from my hand at the door, let us in and stopped me just inside.
“Stay here, I’m gonna check the house.”
I did as I was told.
When he was done, he came back to me and closed the door.
“Ava.”
I looked up at him.
“I’m spendin’ the night.”
I let out a breath.
Thank you God.
I nodded.
He watched me a beat and said, “I’m gonna do a scan of the neighborhood. Lock the door behind me.”
I nodded again. He turned to leave.
“Luke?”
He turned back to me.
“You should park your Porsche in my garage. This neighborhood isn’t good.”
“Got an extra remote?”
I took him to the kitchen, dug through my junk drawer, gave him the extra remote and an extra set of keys.
He left. I locked the door behind him.
I walked upstairs and went straight to the linen closet, pulling out the bedding and extra pillows for the futon. My futon was a fancy one with armrests and everything. It was a pain in the ass to get open because it weighed a ton. I figured I’d make the bed when Luke got back. He’d probably be able to pull it out by glaring at it.
I went to my bedroom and dropped the Roman blinds. I’d painted my bedroom in a soft, eggshell blue. It had a white bed stand, solid wood, no slats, which meant no way to cuff me to it, which was not why I bought it but that had now become an additional bonus; two thin white nightstands on either side; a white dressing table with a big mirror; and a tall, narrow seven-drawer lingerie dresser. The sheets were pale green, the bedspread and pillow shams were a pattern of eggshell blue and green that matched the tile around the fireplace. The big windows had wispy white curtains and custom-made Roman blinds. I took one look at it and decided I was never going to leave it, ever again, in my whole, fucking life.
Unfortunately, before I could do that I had to take out my contacts.
I pulled off my silver and dropped it on the dressing table, unbuckled and flipped off my shoes, yanked the scarf out of my belt loops and pulled off my t-shirt. I took out my barrette and arranged my hair up in a messy bunch on top of my head.
I didn’t know how long it took to “scan the neighborhood” and park the Porsche but, considering Luke was likely thorough in his job, I figured it would take awhile. Therefore, I thought I was safe (and alone) in the house for that while.
What could I say? I’d just been kidnapped by beefy, Italian, bad guys. I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I walked barefoot in my jeans and teddy-type-thing to the bathroom, stood at the sink and looked in the mirror.
“Fuck,” I said to myself.
You can say that again, Bad Ava agreed.
You shouldn’t curse, even if you have been kidnapped. It isn’t very ladylike, Good Ava chastised.
I ignored both of them, pulled open my medicine cabinet and got my contact solution. I had just readied the case with solution when I saw a movement at the bathroom door.
I whirled and shrieked (yes, girlie shrieked), my hand coming up to my chest.
Luke stood there.
Okay, so, maybe it didn’t take long to scan the neighborhood. And I was seeing that I should have probably closed the bathroom door.
Luke’s eyes were on my torso and, even standing all the way across the bathroom, I could tell they were ink.
Ho-ly shit.
I turned back to the sink, trying to be cool. It wasn’t like I was naked or anything. In fact, I had dresses that I wore out in public that showed more skin.
I leaned into the mirror and pulled open an eye with one hand, my index finger of the other up and at the ready to take out the contact.
Luke materialized behind me in the mirror. Close behind me.
I poked myself in the eye.
After I quit blinking, I glared at him. I was certain he’d be laughing or at least giving me a half-grin.
He was not. His mind was clearly on other things. I knew this when his hand, fingers splayed, hit my side and slid around my midriff. His eyes watched its movement in the mirror.
My knees did a little wobble.
“We need to make up the futon,” I told him, deciding to pretend the wobble didn’t happen.
“Why?” he asked.