said. I guess saying hello was passé.
“Look, I need you to get over to the Armory Court Condos now. Somebody just tried to perforate my client.”
“What? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I nailed one of the bastards, but I’m gonna need you to run some police interference for me.”
Kyle sighed into the phone. “We need to talk, you know.”
“I know. Get me outta this, and we can talk all night.” Only after I hung up did I realize that could be taken euphemistically. I hadn’t had enough to drink to see that right away.
The boys in blue showed up before Sloane had found the courage to stand up. Although Hickey wasn’t one of the responders, neither cop was a fan of mine. Thankfully they’d just started the bullshit when Kyle arrived, looking messy-haired and adorable. He was the senior officer on site too (hard to believe, especially since I was sure he was younger than one of the officers), so they demurred to his authority. As soon as he could, he pulled me into Sloane’s bedroom and shut the door.
“What have you gotten yourself into?” he asked, scowling.
“Trouble, from what I can tell.”
“Cut the smart-ass remarks and tell me what I need to know. Exactly who are these people trying to kill—you or the sexy guy?”
“What, I’m not sexy?” The glare he gave me pretty much said ‘not now’. “I’m thinkin’ they’re after him. The bat boys coulda killed me the other night, but they didn’t. They were just sendin’ me a message.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow at that. “And what message was that?”
“Stop. I think someone doesn’t want me to find Sander.”
Kyle rubbed his eyes and was trying unsuccessfully to hide his frustration. “Why? And why decide to kill Sloane?”
“I don’t know, but I’m starting to think maybe Sander was party to something he shouldn’t have been. And they’re trying to kill Sloane because he’s his twin, and they don’t know which one of ’em stuck their hand in the metaphorical cookie jar.”
“Which you’re basing on what?”
“Absolutely nothing. You gotta better explanation?”
He shook his head at me. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not nearly enough. I need you to believe me, Kyle. I didn’t fake this shootout, and you know it.”
“Of course I do! It’s just….” He petered off, making a vague hand gesture that could have meant anything. “I don’t like any of this.”
“You’re not alone. But I’ll be okay as soon as I figure this out.”
Kyle eyed me in a way that morphed from skepticism to empathy. “You weren’t supposed to leave. I was supposed to keep an eye on you for twenty-four hours.”
“I’m fine. You know what a thick skull I have. Couldn’t give me brain damage with a wrecking ball and a power drill.”
Kyle touched my face, gently stroking my cheek with his thumb. “You need to be careful. I’d hate if something happened to you.”
I put my hand over his and took it off, mainly because my face still kind of hurt. “Look, Kyle….”
“I tried to get past you, you know,” he said, going on regardless of what I was trying and failing to say. “You’re self-destructive and determined to take yourself down and anyone within range. But for some reason I still love you, you stupid piece of shit.”
“That why you dumped me?”
That made him wince. “You won’t believe it, but it hurt me as much as it hurt you.”
“You’re right, I don’t believe you.” Actually, I did, but I wanted him to swing in the wind a bit. No sense in letting him off the hook that easily.
“I’m sorry, Jake. If we’re gonna make this work, you have to get help. Promise me.”
“Help? Like what, rehab?” That made me smirk. I could imagine me in rehab. I could also image me getting kicked out of rehab. I don’t think I’m the type for it.
“Would that be so bad?”
I didn’t know what to say. He seemed so serious about it, and I hated to disappoint him. So rather than break his heart
“Look, I need you to get over to the Armory Court Condos now. Somebody just tried to perforate my client.”
“What? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I nailed one of the bastards, but I’m gonna need you to run some police interference for me.”
Kyle sighed into the phone. “We need to talk, you know.”
“I know. Get me outta this, and we can talk all night.” Only after I hung up did I realize that could be taken euphemistically. I hadn’t had enough to drink to see that right away.
The boys in blue showed up before Sloane had found the courage to stand up. Although Hickey wasn’t one of the responders, neither cop was a fan of mine. Thankfully they’d just started the bullshit when Kyle arrived, looking messy-haired and adorable. He was the senior officer on site too (hard to believe, especially since I was sure he was younger than one of the officers), so they demurred to his authority. As soon as he could, he pulled me into Sloane’s bedroom and shut the door.
“What have you gotten yourself into?” he asked, scowling.
“Trouble, from what I can tell.”
“Cut the smart-ass remarks and tell me what I need to know. Exactly who are these people trying to kill—you or the sexy guy?”
“What, I’m not sexy?” The glare he gave me pretty much said ‘not now’. “I’m thinkin’ they’re after him. The bat boys coulda killed me the other night, but they didn’t. They were just sendin’ me a message.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow at that. “And what message was that?”
“Stop. I think someone doesn’t want me to find Sander.”
Kyle rubbed his eyes and was trying unsuccessfully to hide his frustration. “Why? And why decide to kill Sloane?”
“I don’t know, but I’m starting to think maybe Sander was party to something he shouldn’t have been. And they’re trying to kill Sloane because he’s his twin, and they don’t know which one of ’em stuck their hand in the metaphorical cookie jar.”
“Which you’re basing on what?”
“Absolutely nothing. You gotta better explanation?”
He shook his head at me. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not nearly enough. I need you to believe me, Kyle. I didn’t fake this shootout, and you know it.”
“Of course I do! It’s just….” He petered off, making a vague hand gesture that could have meant anything. “I don’t like any of this.”
“You’re not alone. But I’ll be okay as soon as I figure this out.”
Kyle eyed me in a way that morphed from skepticism to empathy. “You weren’t supposed to leave. I was supposed to keep an eye on you for twenty-four hours.”
“I’m fine. You know what a thick skull I have. Couldn’t give me brain damage with a wrecking ball and a power drill.”
Kyle touched my face, gently stroking my cheek with his thumb. “You need to be careful. I’d hate if something happened to you.”
I put my hand over his and took it off, mainly because my face still kind of hurt. “Look, Kyle….”
“I tried to get past you, you know,” he said, going on regardless of what I was trying and failing to say. “You’re self-destructive and determined to take yourself down and anyone within range. But for some reason I still love you, you stupid piece of shit.”
“That why you dumped me?”
That made him wince. “You won’t believe it, but it hurt me as much as it hurt you.”
“You’re right, I don’t believe you.” Actually, I did, but I wanted him to swing in the wind a bit. No sense in letting him off the hook that easily.
“I’m sorry, Jake. If we’re gonna make this work, you have to get help. Promise me.”
“Help? Like what, rehab?” That made me smirk. I could imagine me in rehab. I could also image me getting kicked out of rehab. I don’t think I’m the type for it.
“Would that be so bad?”
I didn’t know what to say. He seemed so serious about it, and I hated to disappoint him. So rather than break his heart
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