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“Chance!” I tried to get his attention.
“Goddess, Leslie has an interview this afternoon with a local newspaper, she’s got a radio interview tomorrow and other advertising shit going on. An advert is being released, and a leaflet drop is planned. Hellfire’s being named as a link, and that will drive people in, Big Al is joining Leslie on all interviews, so Hellfire is represented. Hellfire, I told ya is a money maker, people gonna wanna see what an old lady is doing, and my old lady is something special.” Disgruntled, I frowned at Chance’s smugness and then gave in and smiled.
“I’m something special now?” I teased, and Chance dragged me across the table and laid one on me.
“Nah, you’re fuckin’ special,” he rumbled, and Leslie made an ahhhh sound. I rolled my eyes at the smug man and Chance grinned.
“Leslie and I haven’t even named the tearoom yet!” I exclaimed my mind attacking the next problem.
“Yes, we have,” Leslie said and grabbing my hand dragged me out. A sheet covered a sign and Chance following us out, grabbed a rope hanging down and yanked hard on it. Floating to the ground, the cover dropped, and my mouth worked as I tried to find something to say. The sign shouldn’t have worked, but it did, pale green with scrolling white writing surrounded by ivy. The sign boldly stated that the tearoom was named, Delicious as Hell, in smaller letters, were the words, An English Tearoom.
“Wow, I love it!” I exclaimed spinning and hugging Chance and then Leslie.
“Everything we seemed to come up with was corny or rubbish,” Leslie explained. “I wanted Hellfire’s name on it, they’re going to be a part of this for life.”
“Seriously, I love it, I really do, thank you for making Hellfire a part of us,” I said hugging Leslie again. “Will you be okay doing the interviews, I would offer, but I don’t do well in situations like that.”
“Honey, you can’t do them anyway, we’re trying to keep you from danger,” Leslie chided, and I bit my lip.
“But I’ll be able to bake, though?” I asked Chance, and he nodded.
“Of course, sweetheart, I’ll bring ya in each day, and a prospect will be on duty here while you’re here,” Chance replied.
“The entire time?” I gasped, the poor prospect would go out of his mind!
“Yeah, ain’t risking you woman, took me half my lifetime to find ya, ain’t losing you now. Until we’ve Slimy Sam and the other fuckers behind bars you’re under protection, get me?” Chance asked, staring into my eyes to get his point across.
“Okay, I still feel sorry for the poor prospect,” I agreed.
“Don’t, fucker will be as fat as a barrel by the time you two finish feeding him up!” Chance chuckled, and his grim expression settled as he stared out of the window. Maura walked past eyes firmly on me.
“Ignore her,” I whispered.
“Bitch is asking for trouble, Maura causes any, she’ll be regretting it for the rest of her life,” Chance broke off speaking and studied me. I raised an eyebrow and wondered what Chance was checking for. “Maura doesn’t bother you at all? The fact I fucked her?” Chance asked a little more quietly.
“Nope, because she’s the past and I’m the future, you swore not to cheat on me, and I believe that. I made it plain, you cheat, and I’ll walk away, we both swore to be loyal to each other, and I believe you,” I said firmly. Chance’s expression blanked, and I guessed I’d just put my foot in it. I thought back over my words but couldn’t see where I’d gone wrong.
“Love you,” Chance said out of the blue, and I was startled, I thought I’d put my foot in it, but Chance’s words gave me pause.
“Back at you,” I smiled as Chance hooked an arm around me.
“Don’t know how I got so lucky, but I ain’t gonna second guess it,” Chance mumbled and then began walking me towards Hellfire. As we crossed the road, I was distracted by the list of minor snags we still had to finish, when there was a screech of brakes. Mid-step I froze horrified, as a black SUV headed towards us at speed. Chance reacted before I could form a coherent thought and threw us both towards the curb. I screamed as the car missed us by bare inches, and then my head cracked on the pavement in a tooth jarring bang, and I saw black.
???
“I’m okay,” I insisted as Chance’s hand pushed me back into the hospital bed.
“Shit, I landed wrong,” Chance growled pissed.
“So what? That car was aiming at us and don’t deny it!” I snottily informed him as Chance opened his mouth to do precisely that. “Chance I don’t need to be protected, I’m not a child,” I folded my arms across my chest and glared.
“Know that,” Chance grumbled frowning. By his side stood Bear who was also frowning, and I hoped not at me because Bear looked ferocious.
“You were targeted, both of you,” Bear spoke slowly his frown deepening.
“Yeah, that car aimed at us,” Chance said as Lio and Phil Gold walked in.
“We’ve caught the car on two cameras and a shop front camera caught the car pulling from a parking spot and aiming at you. SPD know who it is,” Lio said without preamble.
