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“Got it,” I agreed. I was no stranger to security systems.
“Prepare yourself,” he said as he unlocked the door.
“For what?”
But before he could answer, Val was running into the hallway so fast that he slid and fell on his ass when he spotted me and tried to turn fast.
“He smelled you on me when I picked him up. Had to take off my shirt and leave it with him like a fucking security blanket,” he said as I reached out with both hands to rub the big guy’s head, wishing I could get down on the floor with him, but I wasn’t sure that I could get back up if I tried.
“I missed you so much,” I admitted, actually feeling tears sting at my eyes as he tried to lick every available inch of skin on me.
“Yeah, ma, I think he missed you more. Been moping and miserable since you left.”
“Don’t tell me that,” I said, reaching up to wipe one of those damn tears as it escaped. “Now I feel guilty.”
“I made you leave,” he reminded me.
“Why did you?” I asked, following him inside.
“Thought I was protecting you.”
“You know that telling me it was a set-up instead of just… making me leave would have worked too.”
“Nah, mama. Because your stubborn ass would have still been on the case then. Hurtin’ your feelings made you back off.”
I wanted to object to him thinking he hurt me. But the truth was the truth. He had. He knew that. I did too. It was stupid to try to deny it.
“This is… huge,” I said, looking around at the mostly-open floorplan.
Big living room right in the center, kitchen against the back wall, with a half wall cutting off the bedroom toward the back.
There was a whole wall full of metal storage cabinets, and the computer set-up he’d mentioned.
“Food,” A said, tapping a few of the cabinets. “Medical supplies,” he went on, hitting the next one. “Dog food,” he said, tapping another. “And weapons. Lots of ‘em.”
“Good to know,” I said, nodding, knowing I would get good and nosy once he left. Even if the thought of him going made my stomach twist painfully. “Bathroom,” he said, pointing toward the only actual room in the space. “Staircase up to the roof. Same sort of door as the one into the floor. There ain’t a fire escape on the roof. But in a pinch, there is a fire ladder in the cabinet under the chair up there.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” I said, nodding.
“Impressed?” he asked.
“Yes, actually.”
“I’ll go ahead and pretend you had more faith in me,” he said, going over toward the cabinet he’d told me was weapons, and starting to stash some shit in his pockets as I pretended not to see.
As for me, I moved over toward the dark blue sectional and lowered myself down. Val was quick to jump up next to me, then wiggle himself closer until his head was on my thigh. There he stayed, looking up at me with big eyes, his tail waggling happily as I pet him.
“Here’s a phone,” A said, coming back and handing it to me, then reached for his own. A burner, not his usual. “That’s me. But only call me if some shit is going down here, yeah?”
“Okay.”
“But if I call, you need to answer. Don’t let it out of your sight. I will only call if something is heading your way.”
“And if it does, do I stay here, or try to get into the smaller safe rooms?”
“Here is best. You got escape options if it comes to it from here. In the safe rooms, you’re safe, but you’re a sitting duck. And if something happens to me…” he said, letting it hang.
“It won’t.”
“Ma, I need you to be logical here. You’re good at it. Don’t lose it on me now.”
“If something happens to you, and I am stuck in one of those rooms, I will have a weapon and a phone. And I could have the entire biker club here in an hour.”
“That’s my girl,” he said, giving me a smile.
I tried to pretend that his words didn’t make that weird, warm sensation move through my chest again like it had after the attack. I’d attributed it to my freaking spleen then. Because I was an idiot.
That warm feeling?
I was pretty sure that was, you know, kind of… love?
“It might be a long day. You got food here. The dogs all eat at six. You know how to handle that. Try to limit the amount of time they spend on the roof. Just in case. Lots of room in here to throw a ball around to give them some exercise, but I figure they’re glad to have the day off, and are going to be happy to lounge around and watch TV with you.”
