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Felina nodded.“Can I gather some of my clothes?”
The deputy frowned.“I suppose.Just don’t touch any hard surfaces.You wouldn’t want to disturb any prints.And if you notice anything missing, make a list.I’ll add it to my report.”
“Right.”Felina stepped toward the dresser drawers scattered across the floor.
Lucas wrapped an arm around her, stopping her before she’d gone too far.“You can’t go any further barefooted.There’s broken glass from the vases you threw all over the floor.”
Felina nodded.
“Tell me what you want, and I’ll get it for you,” he offered.
“The jeans I left on the bathroom floor, the blue dress with the daisies, a couple of T-shirts if you can shake the glass off them and a handful of panties.Oh, and I’ll need my pillow and a blanket.”
He grabbed the blanket first and handed it to her.
She wrapped it around herself, covering the nearly see-through nightgown, which made Lucas happy.He didn’t like the way Deputy Sarley kept staring at Felina, although he understood why.Lucas couldn’t stop staring at her, either.Only he was her boyfriend, not the deputy, albeit herfakeboyfriend.
With the pillow in hand, he stuffed the items she requested into the pillowcase and grabbed a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of sandals.
“I’ll need my toiletries from the bathroom,” she added.“I have a travel organizer hanging on the back of the door.It has everything I need in it except my toothbrush.”
Lucas retrieved the organizer and the toothbrush and emerged from the bathroom.“Anything else?”
Felina sighed.“I’m sure I’ll think of something else.But that should be enough to get me by for a day or two.At least until I can get back in here to clean up.”She took the tennis shoes he handed her and slipped her feet into them.With a sad glance, she nodded.“I’m done here.We can leave through the shop door.I’ll lock it behind us.”She gave Deputy Sarley a weak smile.“Thank you, deputy.Let me know if I need to file a statement.”
The deputy nodded.“Yes, ma’am.”
Lucas grabbed his gun from the floor where he’d laid it and followed Felina through the interior door.He waited on the landing while she locked the door and picked up her purse from the landing.
Lucas carried the stuffed pillowcase down the stairs.
Felina followed with the blanket wrapped around her.
They walked through the back work area and out to the reception area.
Lucas stopped at the front door and reached for the lock.“Is there someone you need to call before you show up on their doorstep?”
Felina shook her head.“No.”
He twisted the lock and held the door for her, his gaze sweeping the surrounding buildings and street.“It might be nice to warn them before you barge in unannounced.People get shot that way.”
When she didn’t step through the door, he turned to see her standing firmly inside the shop.
Felina reached for the loaded pillowcase and held it close.“I’m not going anywhere.”
Lucas frowned.“What do you mean?You can’t stay in your apartment, it’s not safe.You don’t even have a door.”
“I know.”She swept her gaze around the shop.“I’ll sleep on the floor in the shop.”
Lucas blinked.“The hell you will.”
She smiled.“I’ll be all right.You heard Deputy Sarley.Between him and the next guy on duty, they’ll make sure someone keeps an eye on the place until the latent print expert has a chance to dust my rooms upstairs.Then I’ll have my carpenter replace the door with a metal one.I’ll be fine.”
“Can’t you stay with your mother or a friend?”
Felina shook her head.“I have to be at work at five o’clock in the morning.My mother doesn’t get up before ten—and I don’t want her to know about the break-in.She’ll insist I move back in with her.”
“Is that such a bad idea?”he asked.
