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She steps away from her brother and charges toward mine. Just as Felix opens his mouth to speak again, she shoves her hand under his jaw so his teeth clack and his eyes widen.
No one touches him like that. No one defies him. But there she goes, this little pot of rainbows, forcing the head of a mafia family to shut the fuck up.
“My dating life is not up for discussion.” She glares at both Eli and Felix. “For either of you.” Then she peers to Tim. “I’m going to get coffee. My eyes are about to fall out of my head, and if I don’t get something in my stomach soon, I’m going to fall.”
“I’ll walk with you.” Tim pushes up to stand. Slowly. Powerfully. Then he peers to Eli and nods before stepping across the room and tugging the curtain open to make a path for Aubree.
He’s not dating her. In fact, he’s pushing her away and refusing the advances she so persistently puts forward. But he protects her.
And after the night we’ve all just lived through, I don’t see him letting her walk anywhere without him for a long time.
“Who the hell is that?” As soon as they’re gone, Eli twists back to me. “Detective Malone?”
“My brother.” Then I wave toward Felix, who wanders to Tim’s deserted chair and drops down with aharrumph.. “He is too.”
“And my sister is dating…” Eli thrusts an arm toward the door. “Him!?”
“Careful…” Felix folds his leg and rests his ankle on the opposite knee. Then he takes a switchblade from his sock and examines the handle in a way that his threat cannot go unnoticed. “I know I brought you in here, but we’re a protective lot, and I’m fond of Timothy. So if you’re gonna say some shit, I can have you tossed back onto the street.”
I roll my eyes, but at the end of the bed, Eli’s body spasms with shock. He’s just a normal dude. A jeweler, born to hippie parents. He’s not from our world.
“Stop it,” I warn Felix. “Now.” Then I glance around. “Where’s Cato? Did he come with you?”
He turns his knife over. Over. Over. Studies the hilt. “He’s gone to your apartment to feed the cat and make sure everything’s in order. Do you need anything? He can grab it while he’s there and bring it by later.”
“No, I…” Exhausted, I set my elbow on the bed, and my face in my hand. “I don’t think so. What’s happening with the bank?”
“Dude’s still running. His house is empty, his car was repossessed, his colleagues want nothing to do with him.” Then he grins. “I ran through a few to see who would give him up.”
Byran through, I hope he means he simply paid them for information, rather than killed them. “What did you get?”
“Not much. He’s out there alone and working on adrenaline. Cops are still searching, and word is they got close for a minute.”
“How close?”
“Enough he felt threatened. He fired a shot toward a cruiser.”
“He shot at the cops?” My spine snaps straight, and my voice comes out so loud, even Minka startles.
She doesn’t wake. Doesn’t open her eyes. But her body twitches and sends bolts of guilt slamming into my gut.
“He shot at thecops?” I repeat, gentler this time. “That’s attempted murder! What the fuck?”
He shrugs. “Just at their car. Blew out their tire, then took off on foot.” He opens his blade. Closes it again. “What’s up with the dude’s kid?”
“I don’t know.” I scrub my free hand across my face. “She was in surgery. I haven’t heard anything since.”
“Maybe I could look into that.” Eli’s voice shakes as his subconscious works to understand why chills roll along his spine. “I’ll go find Aubs and get a report on the little girl.”
“Yeah…” Felix turns his face and smirks. “You do that.”
“Stop it,” I growl at him as Eli spins and leaves.
The curtain flutters in his wake, and then we hear the echo of his feet slapping on the linoleum as he bolts.
Frowning, I snap, “Discretion would be nice. You’re in my city now, Felix, and you’re fucking with the life I’ve created.”
“I haven’t fucked with anything.”
