Rock Chick 02 Rescue (27 page)

I turned to the drawers. He pul ed me back and into his arms, this time less gently and with more determination.

“Don’t, Eddie. I’m hanging on by a thread here,” I told his throat. If he held me, I’d lose it, I knew it.

“Why?”

My eyes lifted and I noticed his were guarded but the hostility was gone.

“Why what?”

“Why are you hangin’ on?”

I stared at him.

“I can’t let go,” I told him, thinking it was obvious.

“Jet, everyone has to let go.”

“Not me,” I replied.

His arms tightened and I tensed and pushed away. It didn’t get me far but I concentrated on the act anyway.

“Why not you?” he asked.

I didn’t answer. He shook me.

“Why not you?” he repeated.

The tears hit the back of my throat and I gulped them down.

“Jet,” he said.

I shook my head but answered.

“I can’t because there’s no one to catch me when I fal .” His guard went down and his eyes warmed. He’d looked at me with warm eyes before but never like this, they came complete with a look so tender it made my breath catch.

“Everyone’s got their hands out waitin’ for you to take one.
Cariña
, you gotta learn when to take someone’s hand
before
you fal .”

I couldn’t help it, I couldn’t take anymore. I put my forehead to his chest, slid my arms around his middle and relaxed into him. Then, I felt the tears rol down my cheeks.

He stood there, holding me and stroking my back for awhile. I had to admit, it felt good. Super good.

We both heard the doorbel go and Eddie said quietly,

“That’l be Jimmy.” He pul ed a little away and looked down on me, “You gonna be okay?”

I wiped the tears away and nodded. He kissed my forehead and that felt good too.

We walked into the living room and Eddie let in Detective Marker. He greeted me, his eyes soft with concern. A handsome black man and a young-looking white guy, both in uniform, came in with Detective Marker.

Eddie introduced them as Sergeant Wil ie Moses and Officer Brian Bond.

“Sorry, we have to ask you a few questions, while it’s fresh. It won’t take long.” Detective Marker explained.

I sat down on the couch and answered questions. Eddie stood by the couch for awhile, then I saw him motion with his chin to Wil ie, the black officer, and they both disappeared into the kitchen.

I kept answering questions but glanced into the kitchen every once in awhile.

Eddie and Wil ie were out of sight but once Eddie paced into the doorway, his cel to his ear, his other hand at his hip, then he went out of sight again.

“I think we’re done,” Detective Marker said. “You stil got my card from last time?”

I nodded and so did he.

“Cal me if you remember anything or something else happens,” I nodded again, “Chavez! I’m done,” Detective Marker cal ed.

Eddie and Wil ie came in; I stood and Eddie saw them out the door. I watched out the window as Detective Marker drove off and Eddie, Wil ie and Brian stood on the sidewalk next to the squad car. Eddie was talking, Wil ie and Brian listening. Wil ie looked up to the house and said something to Eddie and Eddie looked too. I stayed at the window and kept watching. He disengaged from them with a low wave. I remained where I was as he came back in.

His eyes locked on mine after he closed and secured the door.

“Let’s find you a t-shirt,” he said quietly.

I didn’t move.

“What was that al about?” I jerked my head to the window. I had my arms crossed and I was trying not to look as exhausted as I felt.

Eddie came up to me, flung an arm around my neck and took me into the bedroom. He let me go, opened a drawer and handed me a white t-shirt.

I took it and stared at him.

“What was that about?” I repeated.

He turned square to me but didn’t touch me.

“You’ve been branded.”

I blinked.

That didn’t sound good.

“Pardon?” I asked.

“Told Wil ie, cal ed Lee and Darius. Word goes out tonight that you belong to me. Anyone fucks with you, they fuck with me, the DPD, al the boys at Nightingale Investigations and Darius Tucker. I’m cal in’ in al my markers. I’m not takin’ any more chances with this shit. Now you got an army of protection, whether you want it or not.” I kept staring at him as that strange sensation took hold of my bel y in a vice-like grip.

“But…” I whispered, “why?”

It was then he walked to me, put his hands to my neck and gently pul ed me toward him until our bodies were touching. He looked down at me and his eyes changed.

The warm, tender look was there but so was something else. Something I couldn’t read.

“Because you make a fucking great chocolate sheet cake.”

I woke up, alone, in Eddie’s bed.

I pul ed myself up and looked at his side of the bed. He’d gone to bed with me, held me ful -frontal, his arms tight around me, until I fel asleep. Now he was gone, the only thing on his side was a note on the pil ow, next to it, a new toothbrush in its wrapper.

I grabbed the note.

Out, coffee and breakfast,
was al it said.

I got out of bed and went to Eddie’s bathroom. It had a claw-footed tub, a pedestal sink and new tile but needed to be painted. I searched in the medicine cabinet and found his toothpaste, brushed my teeth and washed away the scary remnants of my makeup with hand soap. My face immediately cried out for moisturizer. It was going to have to wait.

I went into the kitchen to grab my phone and cal Mom and heard my phone beeping inside my bag. I dragged my cel out of my purse and saw I had three texts and four phone messages.

I stared at the phone. I’d never been that popular.

Text one was Indy:
Text back, let me know you’re okay.

Text two; Tod and Stevie:
This is Tod and Stevie,
thanks for an exciting evening. Come over for cocktails,
leave all gunmen behind, kisses.

Text three; Al y:
Next time don’t go alone, remember, we
got your back.

Tears fil ed my eyes after reading Al y’s text but I practiced deep breathing and forced them down.

Next, I took on the phone messages.

First message was Tex; “What the fuck, Loopy Loo! I thought I told you I was designated bodyguard! I mess up once and I’m out of the loop?” Disconnect.

In an abrupt change of mood, Tex’s message made me a laugh out loud.

Second message was Daisy; “Indy gave me your number. She thought it’d be okay. I’m not tel in’ Marcus, Sugar, ‘cause you asked me not to but I think we need to talk. We girls need to stick together. Cal me,” and she left her number.

Thoughtful and sweet, but stil scary.

Third message was Indy; “Lee told me Eddie’s taking care of you. Cal me, honey. I want to know you’re okay.” Fourth message was Duke. He was already talking before the beep so I missed the first couple of words; “This kind of shit, girl. Dolores says to bring your Mom and stay with us in Evergreen. We live remote and Tex can set some booby traps. Think about it.” Disconnect, again.

I leaned my hip against the kitchen counter, that weird warmth I kept feeling didn’t feel so weird anymore. I knew it was those hands that Eddie said people were holding out to me.

I took a deep breath, because I was about to take an entirely different kind of serious plunge, and programmed some new numbers into my phone. Then I texted a general

“I’m okay” to Indy, Al y, Daisy, Tod and Stevie (yes, even Daisy). Neither Duke nor Tex had cel phones.

The backdoor opened and Eddie came in. He was wearing a tight, gray, long-sleeved tee, seriously faded jeans, no belt this time and running shoes instead of cowboy boots.

It was the first time I’d seen him without cowboy boots and it affected me in a strange way, as if he’d taken off some kind of mask and was showing me a different Eddie, an Eddie no one else saw.

He was carrying two coffees and a white bag. Before either of us could say a word, my phone rang.

It was Indy.

Eddie’s brows came up and I said, “Indy,” then flipped open my phone.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey. You okay?” she answered.

“Yeah,” I said.

Eddie handed me a coffee and upended the bag on the counter. Two enormous blueberry muffins fel out.

“Where are you?” Indy asked as I took a sip of coffee.

Cappuccino, no sugar, just like I took it.

Eddie knew how I liked my coffee.

Um… eek!

Eddie leaned a hip against the counter less than a foot away from me, tore off the muffin paper and took a bite, sliding the other muffin to me.

“Eddie’s,” I answered Indy and looked ful y at him.

His eyes were on me and my face began to burn.

Something about this was bizarrely intimate and I wasn’t ready for it. I’d had too many emotional traumas to stand around in Eddie’s kitchen calmly eating muffins like I did it every Sunday.

I dropped my head and put my coffee on the counter. I tried to take the paper off my muffin one-handed and felt a new appreciation for my mother’s disability.

“Lee tel s me Eddie’s branded you. Never heard it cal ed that before, but Lee did it with me during my ordeal. Beat the shit out of the guy who hit me, spreading a message.

It’s a good thing, Jet,” she was obviously trying to talk me into trusting Eddie and not going into a ful -fledged freak out.

Too late, I was way passed freak out. I’d look back on my endless freak outs with happy nostalgia. Nope, I was in

“Pissed Off Female with a Score to Settle” mode.

Except, of course, when it came to eating muffins in Eddie’s kitchen.

“Eddie explained it last night. I’m okay with it,” I told Indy.

I’d managed to get the muffin cup off and tore the bottom of the muffin free. I took a bite and Eddie’s hand came into my vision.

I looked up at him just as he cupped my jaw.

“Say good-bye,” Eddie ordered, his eyes warm.

My stomach clenched and I gulped down my bite.

“Is that Eddie?” Indy asked. “Tel him hel o.”

“Indy says hel o,” I said to Eddie.

Eddie’s head came down.

“Good-bye,” he muttered against my mouth.

I turned my head away to escape his mouth.

“Eddie says hel o too,” I told Indy, feeling like an idiot but keeping her on the line as if my life depended on it.

Eddie’s mouth detoured to my neck and tingles spread from my neck south.

Indy laughed.

“I heard what he said. I’l let you go. See you tonight.”

“No!” I said desperately, but she disconnected.

I took the phone away from my ear and flipped it shut.

One of Eddie’s arms wrapped around me and he pul ed me tight to him. I felt his tongue touch below my ear and the tingles intensified.

My phone rang again.

His head lifted and just before I could flip it open and embark on a very, very long conversation with whoever cal ed me, he pul ed it out of my hand, looked at it and then opened it with his thumb and put it at his ear.

“Yeah?” he said, then he waited. “She’s fine. Cal back later.” Then he flipped it shut without even saying good-bye.

I glared at him as he slid the phone on the counter.

“Who was that?” I asked and both his arms came around me.

“Al y, checkin’ in.”

“I would have liked to talk to her,” I said to him, my voice fil ed with attitude, an attitude I never knew I had before.

“I know,
Chiquita
, you’re so scared of me, you’d talk to Ted Bundy if you thought he’d keep you out of my bed.”

“That’s not true!” I lied.

It was
s o
true. Ted Bundy was gross but he’d be interesting to talk to and I was in a serious Eek Moment at the thought of being back in Eddie’s bed, especial y with Eddie in it.

“It’s true and it’s not gonna happen. I final y got almost an entire day where you don’t have to run around like a crazy woman, chargin’ through grocery stores or beggin’ bank tel ers to stay open for you. And you don’t have to work.

You’re mine al day and I have plans.”

Dear Lord.

Eddie had plans.

I felt my doo-da quiver.

“Eddie, I have to cal my Mom. Then I have to go get some flowers for
your
Mom. Then I have to make something, I don’t know, cookies or a pie, so we don’t go to Blanca’s empty-handed. My Mom would just die if we went to your Mom’s without some sort of baked good. Then I have to…”

He picked up my phone and handed it to me, then his arm went back around me.

“You have five minutes to cal your mother,” he said.

My mouth dropped open.

“Five minutes! What? Are you going to time me?”

“Yep,” he said.

Al right. So I’d programmed new friends in my phone and went ahead with this branding business without a fight.

There was only so much a girl could take.

Maybe there was something between Eddie and me and maybe I’d be stupid not to explore it. But I had bad guys to track down, first and foremost, my fucking father. I couldn’t spend the day in Eddie’s bed.

At least, that was what I was tel ing myself was my excuse. Not that I was scared shitless of being bad in bed and disappointing him. Or worse, being truly happy for the first time in my life and having it not last.

I pul ed out the glare again. It wasn’t working but I’d keep trying.

“You can’t make me go to bed with you.”