Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Before Madison could answer, Pete ordered, “Hang tight. Want you to have an escort. We got boys patrolling the complex. Gotta give ’em a heads up they need to get to their bikes.”
“All righty,” Emmylou agreed, apparently not perplexed in the slightest that Madison had a small army of bikers looking after her.
Seemed that Rayne did a lot of updating at the station.
“Anyone want coffee while Big Petey sets that up?” I asked.
“I’m fueled up, darlin’, but thank you,” Elias said.
“I need coffee, hon. Didn’t sleep a wink last night,” Emmylou said.
“Oh, Mama,” Madison groaned.
Emmylou whirled on her daughter. “Girl, I’ll sleep like a baby tonight, you sleepin’ beside me. Now let’s have coffee and get this done so Detective Scott can get on with his job.”
I was seeing good things with the addition of Emmylou. I hadn’t gotten around to talking Madison into going to the police station yet.
Now I didn’t have to do that.
I made coffee in to-go mugs, just in case it didn’t take long for the boys to hit their bikes.
As I did, both Hugger and Big Petey were on their phones, and my guess was, Hugger was on his to set that meet while we were at the police station.
He then came to me and murmured, “I’ll go out and get one of those mattresses so I can sleep on the floor in your room.”
“You can get one for Mr. O’Keefe so he can be comfortable. You aren’t getting one for you.”
“Babe.”
“It isn’t like you don’t know I want to sleep with you.”
“I do know that, and I want the same, but—”
As he was speaking, I was casting my gaze around, and no one was paying any attention to us, but still. I didn’t live in Buckingham Palace where the rooms were the size of football fields. They might hear even if they weren’t listening.
Thus, I cut him off. “We’ll talk about it later.”
“Di—”
I skewered him with a look. “Harlan, we’ll talk about it later.”
His mouth got tight.
I got up on my toes to kiss it.
It stopped being tight.
There you go.
Another pro.
Give the man a quick peck, he might not get over it, but he won’t belabor it.
With that accomplished, I walked a travel mug of coffee to Emmylou.
13
GOODNIGHT
Diana
I’d hit my limit.
I wasn’t proud of it, but it couldn’t be denied.
This was why I was lying curled up on my bed.
I told myself I was giving time to Madison, Elias and Emmylou, who were out in the living room, re-bonding.
But really, I just needed space from all the crap I’d learned that day.
Emmylou might have given every indication she day-to-day steamrolled her family in her role as matriarch of the O’Keefe clan, but Maddy exhibited some Emmylou Mini-Me characteristics when she put her foot down she didn’t want either of her parents there when she was interviewed.
She wanted me.
So she got me.
We weren’t in a room with a table and chairs like you see on all the true crime shows.
Detective Scott put us in a room with a couch and some armchairs. They were utilitarian, but more welcoming and comfortable.
Though, that was the only thing that was comfortable.
Hugger had phoned in the midst of this, and I couldn’t pick up the call, so he texted that they weren’t going to be able to escort us back home, but he was making other arrangements.
When it was all done, we had an Aces High escort, including Ink, Driver, Cruise, Gash and a police escort.
Whatever the boys were talking about was taking some time, because the interviews (yes, plural) took hours, and Hugger and Big Petey weren’t back yet.
On this thought, I heard the door open, lifted my head and saw Hugger coming in.
I wasn’t prepared for the wave of relief that hit me just seeing him.
But I couldn’t deny a wave of relief hit me, or how huge it was.
I started to push up on an arm, but he took one look at me and ordered stonily, “Don’t fuckin’ move.”
Surprised at his tone, I didn’t fucking move.
I watched as he walked to the end of my bed and then I watched as he toed off his boots, put a knee to the bed, and last, I watched as he crawled up it.
I was in no mood for anything as hot as that.
Still, watching Hugger prowl toward me on my bed like a big cat was so good, a miracle happened, and I got in the mood.
He settled behind me, assumed the position of the big spoon and commanded, “Relax.”
I lay back down, and with his arm around me, he pulled me close.
He then kept being bossy.
“Talk to me.”
Okay, now I got his tone, and indications were I shouldn’t play poker.
One could say I dug a spoon, and I’d just discovered Hugger did it better than any other.
I still squiggled around so we were in our position of the night before, face to face, legs slightly tangled, and I tipped my head back to look at him.