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“How about you don’t sneak offandyou don’t get involved? That sounds like the best solution.”
“I was a defenseless lamb once before. I wound up attacked in an alley, unable to even put up a fight. I never want to be that weak again. Let me be involved. I’m a fast learner. I’m a good shot. I took out six men on my own—”
“And Skip Little had you on the ground, almost about to kill you.”
“I almost beat him. Iwould’vebeaten him. I’m not weak.”
“I never said you were. All the shit you’ve been through over the last year—it would’ve broken most people, but not you. I just want to keep you away from it, okay?” I say, releasing a rough sigh.
“That’s not possible, Jon. We have to be realistic. I’m your girlfriend… which means I’m a part of this too.”
Deep down, as much as I hate admitting it, she’s right. By mere virtue of our relationship and her importance in my life, she’s involved in this fight against Lucius.
Though I intend on minimizing her role to the fullest extent.
“We’ll compromise,” I say. “I’ll teach you more things. More maneuvers, more moves. We’ll keep practicing at the range too. Maybe I’ll even keep you in the loop on some of my plans. But you’re not directly involved, Phi. I mean it when I say to stay out of it.”
She nods. “I just don’t want you to bear this alone.”
Bending my head so that our brows touch, I drop a peck on her lips. “I’m not alone. You’re mine.”
“So let me in. Every time you can’t sleep, I’m here. Tell me all the things on your mind so you don’t have to come here and bust your knuckles open.”
“I’ll try.” I step back and admire the blood on my hands. “Where’s that first aid kit?”
Relief flickers across Delphine’s face before she disappears to grab it. I let her clean up my busted knuckles and wrap them up, and though we sit in silence as she works, I have to admit it’s soothing. Her caring, gentle touch and her presence.
When she’s done, she grabs me by the hand and leads me back up to bed.
I let her, grateful she knew what I needed even when I didn’t, like only Phi would.
* * *
“We’re leading ’em in circles,” Stitches laughs, busting through the doors to my office. “We’re leading ’em every which way and they’ve got no fucking clue! Psycho, it’s the most fun I’ve had since the time I burned down my home ec teacher’s classroom junior year of high school!”
I’m reclining at my desk, sipping on some whiskey and mapping out my next moves. “Don’t let me find out you’re a pyromaniac. That’s on top of everything else, like the feet stuff.”
“So I’ve also got a fetish for women’s feet! Is that a crime?”
“It would be if I had any say about it.”
“Good thing it wasn’t your credit card being charged for those Cyber Fan pics,” Stitches huffs, nudging his wire-framed glasses higher up his skinny nose. “Anyway, me and Bernie just got back from leading on your pop’s crew—they thought they’re slick tailing us, like we had no idea. But we really did! They’ve got no clue we’re really playing them! I like this game of misdirection, Psycho.”
I’m calm taking another sip of my whiskey. “You need a better poker face.”
“They told me the same thing in med school. I kept making faces when giving prognoses. I can’t help it if you having some flesh-eating virus is real fucked up, you know? How am I supposed to pretend that it’s not? Wouldn’t you rather have a doc who kept it real with you? But, noooo, they were yammering on about professionalism. Yada, yada, yada.”
“Tell me more about yours and Bernie’s trip. You led his men all the way out to Cedonia?”
If I don’t steer Stitches back on topic he’ll ramble forever. He’s the type to annoy a kidnapper so much if he were ever captured, he’d be returned.
“They sure did,” he answers with an excited gleam. “Followed us the whole way. We made a show about searching for it. Tore up the place. Pretended like we thought Leandro really would’ve stuck it there. It’s not so far-fetched—it used to be one of his getaways way back when.”
“Good enough for today. But I’m not convinced he’s convinced. Lucius is no fool.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“It’s been too quiet. He’s up to something.” I rise out of my chair and walk around to the front of my desk, leaning against the ledge. “We’re in the final hours and he’s content letting me conduct full searches for it? He’s not going to make any moves?”
