Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 107352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Hello. Who is—”
“It’s me,” I told him. “I’m fine, just wet.”
Nothing on the other end.
“Luke? Honey?”
Not a sound, and then suddenly a cry and a whimper together.
“Listen, I’m all right. You need to—”
“Nash? Is that you, dear?”
It was Viola. “Yeah. What happened? Is he—”
“Darling, he can’t speak at the moment,” she soothed me. “I suspect he’s a bit overwrought, and he’s having some trouble breathing.”
“I’m so sorry he’s—”
“Absolutely not. You went after whoever was out on the deck, and we’re all a bit on edge, that’s all. But I had him lean over, and he’s doing better now.”
Good to have your mom there in a weird situation. She was steady, and he needed that.
“Everything is fine here, don’t you worry.”
“Okay. I’ll be home shortly.”
“You ran out of here with no shoes and a sweater and jeans. You must be freezing.”
“I am.”
“Well, we’ll have a warm shower and some hot soup waiting for you.”
“Thank you. I’ll talk to you soon,” I said, and hung up. I called Shaw next.
“Who is this?” He asked tersely.
“It’s me,” I snapped at him.
“It’s Saturday,” he announced, like I didn’t know that. “And why aren’t you using your phone to—shit. What happened?”
“I need a new phone here tomorrow. Mine is officially dead.”
“Why?” He sounded annoyed, so I answered him with the same level of irritation.
“I chased a guy, and it died in the ensuing altercation.”
“Fuck you, Nash! Why didn’t you start with that?”
“Because you were being a dick.”
“For the love of—are you hurt?”
“I’m banged up a little, but nothing is broken and I’m not bleeding profusely. There are a few cuts and scrapes is all.”
“Shit. Who showed up?”
“No one remotely interesting. Just a guy who used to work for the former chief of police.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Listen, I need a phone. Can you get me one, please?”
“Yeah, I’ll have it there in the morning,” he grumbled.
“Why’re you mad? I’m the one who got hurt.”
“I know. You always get hurt.”
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“I want you to know that you’re a great fixer, Nash, but you have my permission to be a regular man too.”
“Are you awake? Were you sleeping?”
“No, I wasn’t sleeping! All I’m trying to convey is that you deserve to be happy, and maybe that means you should be done working for Torus. You can stop. You’re allowed. Even though you’ve been here the longest, you can leave. I want you to know that.”
“Why on earth would I ever need permission from you for anything?”
“I think you need someone to say it to you. Benji thinks so too.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
“Wait,” he said, and then didn’t say a word.
“I’m hanging up now. I will expect my phone in the—”
“Don’t assume you don’t get to be happy. If the man and the kids love you…take a leap of faith.”
The hell was he talking about? “Where are you getting this?”
“That back and forth, the whole I don’t want to hurt them but then staying anyway… What am I, stupid? I can see what’s going on clear as day.”
“You’re not even here.”
“But I know you, and I know how you get, thinking you’re not the best thing.”
“Goodbye,” I said and hung up.
Of course he called me right back.
“No,” I growled at him.
“It’s time to jump, already.”
“It’s complicated.”
“I suspect because you’re making it that way.”
“He’s straight, Shaw.”
“Great. Doesn’t mean that for that one-in-a-million person he can’t decide to make allowances for his heart.”
I was quiet a moment. “When did you become such a romantic?”
“When I fell in love with the guy I married. When do you think?”
I groaned.
“You’re sure you and the family are safe?”
“Yeah. Nothing to do with Caitlyn. This is all new with the chief of police.”
“Okay, good.”
“Good?”
“You know what I mean. Don’t be a dick.”
He then casually mentioned that Sienna hadn’t stopped talking about my apartment in Oak Park since she was there with Rais.
“Make sure she doesn’t start moving her crap in,” I ordered him.
“I’ll do my best, but we’ve all coveted your place at one time or another.”
That was true. “All right, I’ll talk to—”
“You’re sure you’re good?”
“This worrying is new.”
“I’m the one here now. Apparently, the concern comes with being in charge.”
“You’re not alone, Shaw. You’re never alone.”
“Yeah, I—” He cleared his throat. “Tell me who this guy is that you chased from the house. I wanna look into him.”
“Ward Firmin.”
“Spell the last name.”
Once I did, he said okay and then hung up. I then thanked Sampson for the use of his cell, and asked if he would please drive me home because I was starting to turn into a popsicle, heater or no heater.
“I’ll take you right now. Your family must be freaking out.”
I was trying to focus on that, was going to correct him that they weren’t my family, but found I didn’t have the inclination or the heart. I wanted them to be mine, all of them, and that was the truth. At the moment, though, with my adrenaline gone, feeling every one of my fifty-two years and every old injury, it was possibly not the best time to have any kind of serious conversation with Luke Duchesne.