Where did the women go?
They couldn’t have entered that door. If they had, someone would have needed to chain it again from the outside. Even with my active imagination that seemed improbable; besides, the lock looked rusty and old. Stopping my car, I grabbed my camera. Quickly I took pictures of the side of the school. Looking back to The Light building, I noticed more windows, also covered from within. I snapped a few more pictures. The Suburban was still parked in the lot behind the building, along with a half-dozen other cars, none of which were new.
The wail of sirens in the distance propelled me to leave. Soon I was headed north and then east, back to Woodward Avenue.
Within ten minutes I was out of Highland Heights and safely into the North End of Detroit. I couldn’t recall for sure, but I didn’t remember having seen any police cars. Honestly, other than the patrons of the health clinic where I’d spent most of my morning, the men in my pictures, and the three women, I hadn’t seen anyone. Hopefully, no one would report my whereabouts to my overprotective boyfriend.
I shrugged. If they did, he’d need to deal. Then again, I didn’t want to lose my morning tour.
“Wake up, sleepyhead.”
Dylan’s raspy voice invaded my dream. I couldn’t remember what I’d been seeing behind my closed eyes, but whatever it had been, I was confident the man above me was better. As I inhaled his musky scent, my lips formed a smile, only for it to morph into a pout.
“What if I don’t want to?”
“Then I guess your lovely tour of downtown Highland Heights will need to wait.”
My eyes sprang open and I started to sit. A laugh rumbled deep in Dylan’s throat as he leaned over me, stopping my upward motion. The vibrations of his chest electrified my bare nipples, making them hard and tight, while my insides fluttered.
“I don’t think I’ve gotten that quick of a reaction from you this early in the morning, ever. Not even when I was offering something a hell of a lot better than two rat-infested boarded-up houses.”
This time I laughed. “I think it’s the lovely description that has me enthralled. Who could pass up a tour of rat-infested boarded-up houses in lovely downtown Highland Heights?” I asked, mocking his words. “Besides, that other offer of yours, well . . .” I shrugged. “I’ve had that before.”
Dylan rolled away, laying his head on the pillow and covering his eyes with his hard bicep. “You’re seriously messing with my self-confidence.”
I lifted my head and moved toward him. My long hair teased his skin. After a quick kiss on his cheek, I said, “I doubt that. I’ve never known a more—”
His finger touched my lips and his eyes sparkled. “Stop right there. Let me imagine the rest of the sentence, and just maybe, I might recover.”
My grin blossomed into a full-out smile. “I’m so glad. I’d hate to be responsible for any of your nonexistent self-esteem issues.”
Dylan captured my shoulders and pulled me close, flattening my breasts against his chest and sending my hair cascading around my face. We were two people in a tunnel of blonde. “I think,” he teased, “we should skip the tour and work on my nonexistent issues.”
I pulled away. “As I recall, we worked on your issues last night.”
“But I have more.”
Turning slightly, I peeked at the blankets and playfully shook my head at the way they now tented. Kissing his lips, I reminded him, “You’re the one who told me we had to do this early, before . . . what did you say? The idiots came out?”
“That was me, wasn’t it?”
“It was, and I want my tour.”
Dylan looked at the clock, which read half past five. “Sunrise is a little after seven. We don’t want to arrive before sunrise and surprise the rats.”
My whole body quivered. “Yuck. It’d be all right with me if you quit mentioning those.”
He poked my side, making me laugh. “You can always change your mind.”
“Nope,” I squeaked from the tickling. “Stop! You offered me a tour. I want it.”
“OK. I was thinking that if we drove separately to WCJB, you could leave your car and ride with me to Highland Heights. Then I’ll take you back to the station.” He sighed. “Heck, we’ll probably get you to work before Barney.”
I slapped his shoulder. “Bernard. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Last time I checked you needed to go to work too.”
Dylan threw back the covers, stood, and stretched. Suddenly my eyes found it difficult to make their way up his sculpted body. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy his handsome face, I did. I also liked his shoulders, abs, and everything lower. “Hey,” he said with a laugh. “My eyes are up here.”
“Umm . . .” I sighed. Slowly I moved my gaze up to his blue smirk and winked.
“You, Miss Montgomery, happen to be dating a detective. Once I’m in the car, I can log on, and we’re good. I’m officially on duty.”