Текст книги "Love or Justice"
Автор книги: Rachel Mannino
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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 19 страниц)
“Picking and choosing which directions to follow doesn’t count as following directions.” He turned on his laptop.
“Have you worked with these men before?” Laurie lowered her voice.
“Yeah, I have. John and I entered the Marshals Service together. Dean has been in for about two years. They’re good men.” He watched her fidget with the remote and waited.
“Are they married? Do they have kids?” She studied the remote.
Dante leaned back into the sofa, looking at her. He wished he could hold her hand, but he knew he couldn’t.
“They’re not David, Laurie.”
She looked up at him, sadness sweeping her expression.
“All of these men have families of some kind. They’re all highly trained. They know the risks.”
Laurie nodded. She looked away and went back to fidgeting with the remote.
Dante studied her for a few minutes. Then he turned back to his computer.
“Dante?”
“Yeah?” He looked back to her.
“Have you talked to Cheyn yet? Or Max?”
“No, I haven’t. Why don’t we call them and see how they’re doing?”
“Yes, I’d like to do that.”
“Okay.” He gave her leg a squeeze right above the knee.
He pulled out his cell phone, dialing one of the numbers Rick had e-mailed to him earlier. The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up. He left a message. He tried the other one, with the same result. Laurie went back to studying the remote.
“They probably took them for tests, or they might be sleeping. We’ll call again tomorrow, if they don’t call us back first.” He squeezed her leg again.
She nodded, turning back to the mindless TV show.
Dante watched her for a minute. He wished he could comfort her, put his arm around her, something. But he didn’t dare. He dashed off an e-mail to Rick, asking about Cheyn and Max. If he had lost another team member due to complications or problems, he didn’t know what he would do.
He started working on his report just as John and Dean finished dinner and wandered into the living room. John sat down on the arm of the sofa right next to Laurie. Dean flopped down on the chair next to her. Laurie didn’t seem to notice, she was lost in her own thoughts, but Dante clenched his jaw. He stopped typing and began tapping the top of the laptop with his index finger.
“So what do you like to do during the day, Laurie? Play card games? Watch movies?” John bent over her with a smile.
“Oh, I read or watch TV, sometimes we watch movies.” Laurie looked up at him, but she didn’t smile back.
“I can teach you poker. We taught our last witness poker. He kind of got a little too good at it, but we can teach you.” Dean leaned forward until he brushed against her knee.
Dante felt the muscles in his neck and shoulders tighten.
“Maybe.” Laurie shrugged.
“What kind of books do you like to read?” John clasped his hands in his lap.
“Well, I’ve almost finished my law degree, so I read books related to that, but I’ll read almost anything.” Laurie shifted away from John and Dean.
“Wow, law school. We have a very smart woman here gentleman.” John tapped her on her shoulder.
Laurie gave him a half-smile.
“Didn’t I tell you two you were starting a shift in a few hours? What happened to getting some sleep?” Dante interrupted.
“Come on, Dante, you know I don’t need much sleep. I can stay up for hours, no problem.” Dean winked at Laurie.
“I had two team members on last night who thought the same thing, and they both ended up in the hospital. Now, I need you both alert tonight. I’m not joking. Go get some sleep. Now.” Dante gripped the pillow next to him to keep him from launching out of his seat.
“All right, all right, boss. We’re going!” Dean got up.
John stared at Dante, not moving. Dante stared back. Neither budged for a minute. Then John gave up and slowly got to his feet. He walked out of the living room, disappearing into the hallway.
“That was a little harsh.” Laurie turned to him. Dante looked at her.
“I don’t have the luxury of being lenient anymore.”
Laurie lowered her gaze, staring at the remote again. Her cheeks were pale, a frown creased her forehead and the corners of her mouth. She poked at the remote buttons with her long, slender fingers. Dante sighed.
“Why don’t we fix dinner?” He forced a smile. “We can make that tomato sauce you wanted to try.”
Laurie’s gazed flicked up to meet his. She considered him for a moment, then put the remote down on the coffee table.
Relieved, Dante put away the laptop, leading her into the kitchen. He got out the pots they needed.
Laurie pulled out the magazine she saw the recipe in. She took the ingredients from the refrigerator. Conversing little, they set about chopping onions, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs for the sauce.
Dante stirred until he got restless, then Laurie took over. He started boiling the water for the pasta. By the time the noodles were ready, the sauce bubbled merrily.
They sat next to each other at one end of the long kitchen table. Laurie’s somber expression finally got to him, and Dante covered her hand with his.
She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. It was a start.
“I know it’s been hard.I know loosing David was awful, but we’ll get through this.”
Laurie’s smile brightened. She leaned over, kissing him on the cheek.
Warmth spread through his chest, and he smiled back at her. He continued to hold her hand as they ate dinner, both trying not to say or do anything that would further upset the other.
Dante didn’t attempt to work after dinner. Laurie wanted to watch TV to get her mind off everything. Dante agreed without much protest. She sat on the couch, close to him. He stretched his arm over the back of the couch. Around 10:00 p.m., Dante heard a door open down the hall.
Laurie scooted over to the end of the couch.
Dante threw her a smile right before John appeared.
Laurie said hello to him. She pushed herself up from the couch to go the bathroom and get ready for bed.
Dante was relieved. He didn’t want another scene like the one earlier. Dante followed shortly thereafter. He entered his room, and then crept through the adjoining closet into Laurie’s room. He waited.
When she returned from the shower, Dante stood just inside the bedroom door. The moment the door closed, he tugged her to him, wrapping his arms around her. They stood there like that for several minutes, as Dante kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her lips. He nuzzled her neck, licking her freshly scrubbed skin. When he started moving her toward the bed, Laurie chuckled at him.
“Shhhh. We have to be quiet. They’re right down the hall.” Dante kissed her silent.
“Sorry,” she mouthed.
He gave her a lingering, slow kiss. One of his hands tangled in her hair, while the other slid down to the soft curves of her backside. He was amazed at how her touch could make him feel so alive. Heat washed over every place they touched. He ached for her.
Dante laid her down on the bed. He pulled the nightgown off her then kneaded her breasts with his palms, grazing the nipples with his thumbs. He ran the back of his fingers down the smooth skin of her abdomen, and then massaged the sensitive flesh of her thighs. Every stroke was careful, deliberate, as he sought to heighten her desire.
Laurie ran her hands up his chest, sliding her hands underneath his t-shirt. He worked himself out of his own clothes. Then he made love to her again, but this time it was slow and sweet. They savored every minute as if tomorrow would never come.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Laurie
Laurie woke up in a haze. She lay in a ball on her side, knees drawn up toward her chest. She could feel Dante behind her, his chest pressed against her back. His right arm draped over hers, his hand covering hers. She curled under his chin, so his head rested lightly on the back of her head. She wondered if he was subconsciously trying to shield her from the door. She smiled at the thought.
Laurie felt his deep, even breathing. He was fast asleep, and she didn’t want to wake him. She studied his strong hand. He had knobby knuckles; strong, thick fingers, and a fleshy palm wrapped in his caramel complexion. How on earth had she ended up with such a lover? He was nothing like the previous men she dated.
She had dated rarely, but when she did, the men were bookish types. Frail, thin men who wore sweaters into class because of the air conditioning. She didn’t date gun-toting, life-saving, strong, and silent types. Yet she felt a profound sense of comfort and ease tucked beside this man she hardly knew.
Laurie found herself wondering what it would be like starting a new life without Dante around. He had been her guide in this horrifying adventure. She would only have a few more days with him. Would he have the opportunity to write to her, to call her? Would he want to? Was this was just a mindless fling for him? Laurie sighed. Being lovers for a few days seemed insufficient. She felt a pang of loss more sharp than giving up her friends and her life at the resort. The cost of testifying at this trial rose every day.
Dante stirred, coughed. Then he nuzzled the back of her head. Laurie stretched out her legs for a second and Dante moved his head so he was cheek to cheek with her.
“Morning.” She turned her head to kiss his cheek.
“Go back to sleep,” he whispered back.
She chuckled at him, but she didn’t move.
He pulled her flush against his naked body.
“Isn’t the new guy supposed to come soon?”
“Yes.” Dante’s eyes remained firmly closed.
“Don’t you have to change shifts with John and Dean?” Laurie prodded him with her elbow.
“Maybe.”
Laurie chuckled, rolling over onto her back beneath him.
He growled at her.
“I’m trying to sleep, Ms. Shelton.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
Dante opened one eye to survey her pointed expression. Then he opened both eyes and yawned, stretching out his limbs. Dante gave Laurie a lazy smile before he brushed her lips with his. Then he rolled over to look at the clock. It was almost 10:00 a.m.
“You’re right. Time to get up.”
He rolled out of bed and grabbed the jeans and t-shirt he had worn three days earlier. He buckled his gun into place and ran his fingers through his hair.
Laurie sat up on the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. She watched him, still wondering at how they came to be together.
He walked over to her. He ran his hand over her crown of sunlit hair. Then he bent down and kissed her forehead.
Laurie leaned back so he could brush her lips with his.
“Gotta go to work.”
She laughed.
Laurie dressed slowly, taking pains to look nice. She brushed out her hair, her thoughts filled with the man who just left the room. When she went into the living room, she waved a greeting at John and Dean. They were absorbed in their TV show.
In the kitchen, Dante was sitting at the table. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Laurie come in behind him.
She took one look at him scowling at his phone and became concerned.
“Dante?”
His head snapped up. He straightened himself. Then he forced a smile.
“It’s nothing,” he replied to her questioning look. “It was just Rick calling to say the new guy would be here any minute.”
She looked him over for a moment, but decided to let it pass.
“What do you want for breakfast?” She came up beside him.
“Anything is fine.” He got up and went to the coffee maker, avoiding her completely.
Laurie stared at his back for a moment. Then she sighed and made her way to the refrigerator to get out the eggs and bread. She made them both omelets, while Dante stared at the toaster like it had offended him this morning. They sat down at the table. Before they started eating, Laurie reached over and squeezed his hand. As he looked up, she gave him a reassuring smile. It worked. The scowl on his face slipped away. He smiled back, and squeezed her hand before he let her go.
“Boss, I think the new guy’s here.”
Dante excused himself from the table and went into the living room.
Laurie listened from the kitchen, wondering what could possibly be bothering him.
“I take it you’re Jason,” said Dante.
“Yes, sir,” Jason said. He had a deep, booming male voice.
“Welcome. I’m glad you’re here. You can put your things in one of the rooms on the right down the hall. Then come back here. I’ll brief you.”
Laurie wandered in from the kitchen.
Dante introduced Jason to Laurie when he came back from putting down his bags, and then Dean and John decided to head to bed.
Jason was a quiet character, solemn.
Laurie sat on the couch reading.
Dante sat writing his report beside her.
Jason sat in the chair, reading a magazine or the newspaper.
Laurie did manage to draw Jason out a tiny bit. She learned he was from San Francisco, and he was divorced from his first wife. He had a four-year-old boy he showed Laurie pictures of on his phone.
“He told me yesterday he wants to be a police officer for Halloween.” Jason grinned, but Laurie thought of David.
Jason put his phone back in his pocket. He stood up from where he had perched on the arm of the couch beside her.
“Wonder where he got that idea from.” Laurie toyed with the remote.
Jason’s smile stretched up to his eyes, but he didn’t say anything. He excused himself, as he retreated into the hallway toward the bathroom.
Laurie stared at his retreating back as the young man strode away.
Laurie’s eyes fell to the cover of her book, sitting in her lap. It had worn edges and dog-earned pages, but Laurie saw none of it. She saw David’s face, then the picture of Mary he had shown her, and she thought of the son David would never get to see. She swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. Pain lanced her heart. She looked up and met Dante’s steady gaze. She looked back down at her book, then back to Dante.
“Can we try to call Cheyn and Max again?”
“Yeah.” He reached into his pocket for his cell phone.
He dialed what was supposed to be Cheyn’s number, she prayed for it to connect. It rang once, twice, three times. It just kept ringing until the machine picked up. She saw worry flicker across his face as he left another message. Max’s line just did the same. Dante’s concern transformed into her anxiety.
“We’ll reach one of them soon, Laurie. Rick said they’ve both been on a lot of painkillers, but they’re both fine,” he said.
Laurie nodded, but she didn’t meet his gaze.
“Are you calling the guys who survived?” Jason asked, as he re-entered and took his seat.
“Yes.” Dante looked up, his mouth set in hard lines.
“That’s bad business,” Jason said. “But with two former Marines, you’ll be just fine, ma’am.”
“That’s not what worries me.” Laurie shifted in her seat, looking at Dante.
“Maybe I’ll just try the hospital switchboard.” Dante looked up the hospital’s number.
He dialed. A machine picked up. Dante punched in the numbers to spell Cheyn’s last name. He jabbed at each number with his index finger, each hit increasing in vehemence and pure annoyance. The computer confirmed Cheyn’s name, but it gave him a different room number than the one Rick had given him. He hit one to transfer. The phone began to ring. Dante let out a breath in a whoosh of air from his mouth.
“Hellooo?” Laurie could hear Cheyn’s answer. She leaned towards Dante, her heart lifting. His voice was raspy. He sounded drugged or half-asleep or both, but to Laurie he never sounded better.
Dante smiled at Laurie.
“Cheyn! It’s Dante. How are you? I’ve been trying to call but Rick gave me the wrong room number.” Dante swatted at Laurie’s hand as she tried to take the phone.
“Dante, man. It’s so good to talk to you.”
“How are you doing? Are they treating you right over there?”
“There are some very sweet nurses here, man. They have me all patched up. I should be released tomorrow.”
“Good. I’m relieved. You had everyone pretty shaken.” Dante reached for her hand, surprising her.
She glanced at Jason, but he was reading his newspaper.
“How are you, boss? Did you make it out okay?”
“A bullet grazed me, but I’m fine. After they put you in the helicopter, I grabbed Laurie and got the hell out of there.”
“How’s Miz Laurie? Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. We drove to the other safe house. She’d like to talk to you, too.”
“I’m so glad she made it out. I should be able to come back soon. Real soon.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. You can’t come back to active duty that fast.”
“Aww, come on boss. You know I live for the job.”
“I know you do, Cheyn, but you gotta rest up for the next one. I’ll take care of Laurie.”
“Yeah, I bet you will.” Cheyn let out a drug-induced giggle, and it made Laurie nervous. What if Cheyn said something to Rick?
“Uh, well, we got a new Marshal from California. He flew in this morning. Dean and John came last night. So I’m all set. You need to go back to your place and get ready for the next assignment.”
Cheyn chuckled on the other end of the phone.
“Can I talk to him? Please?” She gripped Dante’s hand, while holding out her other one for the phone.
“Cheyn, Laurie’s about to wrestle me for the phone. I think she wants to talk to you now.”
Dante turned his head away from Laurie, as she tried to snatch the phone from him. His hand still held one of hers, so he held it up to block her.
“Yeah, let me talk to Miz Laurie.”
“All right, all right. I’ll give you the phone,” he said to Laurie. “I gotta go, Cheyn. She’s getting insistent. You take care of yourself. I’ll see you soon.”
“You take good care of her. Be very careful. Real careful with these Kaimi people.”
“We will. I’m giving the phone to Laurie before she attacks me. Bye.” Dante handed over the phone.
Laurie gave him a light punch on the shoulder. She turned her head away as she took the cell phone.
“Cheyn! I’m so glad you’re okay! I’ve been worried.”
“Aww, Miz Laurie. Of course, I’m okay. Are you okay?”
“I’m good. I’m good. Getting a little stir crazy, but I’m okay.”
“How’s Dante been treating you? You know if he gives you any trouble, you can tell me. I can take him out.” Cheyn giggled.
“No. Dante’s been good to me. Saved my life the other night. You both did.”
“I was just doin’ my job.”
“Well, thank you. Thank you for protecting me. I’m sorry you were shot, and Max, and…David.” Her voice had lowered to a scratched whisper.
Dante put his hand on her back to soothe her.
“I know, Miz Laurie. I know. I’m fine. I’m leaving the hospital tomorrow. So don’t you worry about me, okay?”
“Okay. I’m glad you’re going to be fine. We were concerned when we couldn’t reach you.”
“They just kept switching my room around. Must’ve been in three rooms already. I’m just fine, Miz Laurie. You need to take care of yourself.”
“Yes, yes, I will. Dante will take good care of me. They all will.”
“Well, you take good care of him too. That’s my partner right there. Someone needs to have his back while I’m out of commission.”
Laurie smiled into the phone. She looked up at Dante. His eyes were a dark chocolate she wanted to loose herself in. Her heart constricted under his tender gaze.
“I will. I’ll take good care of him too.”
Dante smiled at her. His fingers contracted on her back in an imperceptible caress.
“Have a good night, Miz Laurie.”
“Okay, Cheyn. You have a good night too. Feel better!”
“Aloha.”
“Aloha.” Laurie hung up the phone.
Next Dante dialed the operator again and got Max’s new room number. Max didn’t pick up the phone, but Dante saw the hospital care pages. He decided to try to reach Max that way. He and Laurie wrote a very nice ‘get well soon’ message to him, which made them both feel much more lighthearted by the end of the day. The hospital still had Max listed as a patient. Even if he couldn’t pick up the phone yet, he was at least alive.
***
Dante
Dante rolled onto his back, taking Laurie with him.
She sank down onto one side of his chest, sighing her contentment. She ran her fingers over his spray of dark chest hair.
He kissed her forehead. Then he ran his fingers down her neck to her shoulder. His movements were lazy, slow. The world was slightly fuzzy, bathed in the early morning light, as if they were both caught in the tail end of a dream.
“I love morning sex,” Laurie said.
Dante chuckled.
“I’ll have to remember that.” He kissed her, brushing her lips with his in a soft caress.
They breathed together for a few moments, and Dante closed his eyes. He breathed in her scent, the faint smell of their lovemaking. The sheets were damp from their exercise. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, landing on Laurie’s head, igniting her hair in a blonde halo. He ran his hands through it, like combing warm silk.
“These past few days have been amazing.” Laurie nuzzled his shoulder.
Dante gave her a grin as he dropped his hand back onto her shoulder to caress it again.
“I’m so glad you were the Marshal that showed up at my door.”
He turned onto his side to embrace her. He pulled her tight to his chest, kissing her deeply. He took a breath, then kissed her with lazy strokes of his tongue. When he pulled away, he just stared into her eyes. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, lightly skimming over the fine-boned surface.
She smiled at him, with the same tender expression she wore more often lately. He returned it. They laid there for a few minutes, unmoving. Then he tucked her underneath his chin, and ran his hands up and down her back.
“I should get up.” He had the worst time trying to pull himself away from her bed.
“You should.” She ran her fingers over his chest.
He didn’t move. He just laid there, caressing her back.
She giggled at him. Then she leaned back to brush his lips with hers.
“You can’t be late for work.”
He groaned as he smiled. He kissed her back, then unfolded himself from her. He pulled himself off the bed.
She got up with him, stretching with the lazy grace of a satisfied cat. He watched her, and she gave him a provocative smile. She was the sexiest thing he had ever laid eyes on, and worse, she knew it.
He grabbed some of her clothes from the duffle bag. He tossed them on the bed. The sooner she was dressed, the more likely he wouldn’t be late for shift change. He slid on her bra, then fumbled with the clasp. He had always hated them anyway.
Laurie took mercy on him. She turned around so he could fix it.
Then he pulled on her panties. It felt strange for him to be working in reverse but he liked the intimacy of it. He pulled on her shirt. Then he helped her into her jeans before kissing her.
Laurie broke away from him to get his clothes from his duffle bag. She helped him into his boxers and jeans. Then pulled his shirt over his head. They stood for a few minutes embracing.
“I’ll wait here for a little while. So we don’t leave at the same time. Have a good day at work.”
He chuckled at her. Dante walked out into the hallway via his unused bedroom.
Dante tried not to swagger in. There was something about taking a beautiful woman as your lover that just screamed from every pore of a man. He bit back a grin and tried to clear his mind before he entered the living room. Dean and John were watching TV, as usual. There hadn’t been a day in the past week he’d seen them do anything else. Dante heard a door open behind him down the hall, and he turned expecting to see Laurie, but he saw Jason instead. Jason walked toward the bathroom, disappearing behind the door.
Dante turned back to speak to John and Dean, but what he said was drowned out by the sound of shattering glass as two bullets burst in through the window.
Dean and John dropped to the floor.
Dante crouched, covering his head as he threw himself into the hallway, away from the windows. Dante’s mind cleared of everything else except getting to Laurie. He ran to her door and opened it to find her on the ground covering her head. A bullet flew through her window, hitting the wall near Dante. He dove down and crawled to Laurie. Bullets flew around him.
“Stay down and come with me!” he shouted to her.
He covered her body with his as they crawled to the safe room door. He popped open the door, shoved her in and locked it. He heard more breaking glass, as the windows in the adjoining bedroom shattered. Dante pulled out his cell phone and called for back-up.
“PD is on their way. ETA five minutes,” the dispatch said in his ear.
“Behind you,” he heard Dean shout from the living room. Then there was a volley of gunshots.
The assailants were in the house.
“We don’t have five minutes!” Dante shoved the phone in his pocket.
He crawled over the bedroom floor on his forearms. The cheap carpet scraped and burned against his skin as he moved to the open bedroom door. He ducked his head around the doorframe to assess the situation.
Jason was just down the hall in the bathroom, firing his gun into the living room. Dante was about to crawl out into the hallway when he heard an ear piercing scream.
Laurie.
He turned to see a large man drag Laurie out of the safe room. Dressed in black, like the hand of death, the behemoth grabbed her by the throat and raised his gun. Dante fired his gun without a second thought.
Taking a clean shot to the head, the man that held Laurie jerked forward, falling to the ground.
Laurie screamed and fell with him.
Fearing the worst, Dante sprinted to her side. He crouched down beside her, as she sat up.
She shoved at the man’s arm draped over her.
“Are you okay? Are you okay?” He grabbed her shoulder. Her expression was full of wide-eyed terror.
She frantically grasped for the dead assailant’s gun. Dante watched as she took aim and shot in front of her into his unused bedroom.
He looked up to see another man standing there. The armed gunman she shot staggered from the blow, falling to the floor.
Dante lunged toward the man, who was not dead, but bleeding from the abdomen. Dante wrestled his gun away with a few swift strikes of his fist. Then he pulled a pair of cuffs from his belt. Having cuffed the gunman, he ran back to Laurie.
She stared at the man she shot in horror.
Dante crouched beside her, taking the gun from her shaking hands.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” he shouted over the continued gunfire.
“I’m not hurt.” She shook her head. Her clothes were bloody, but it didn’t appear to be her blood.
Dante turned back toward the two rooms. He didn’t close the safe room door. Instead, he shielded her with his body. He had to find a way to keep her safe, but the bullets were still flying in the windows. He could hear Dean and John shouting. Then he heard sirens. Relief flooded his veins. Back-up had arrived.
There was a few more minutes of bullets exploding inside and outside the house. Then they stopped. As Laurie and Dante crouched in the opening of the safe room, they heard the stamping feet of people running past the windows. A few seconds later, a second group ran past. Through the shattered windows they heard an officer cry out.
“Stop! Police! Drop your weapons and get down on the ground. Stop!”
Shots were fired outside the house. Then there was silence.
Dante waited, every muscle coiled, ready to explode. Laurie clutched his shirt with tense hands. He could feel her trembling, her breathing ragged.
“Dante! Where are you?” Jason charged into the bedroom.
“We’re in here.” Dante let out the breath he was holding.
“The assailants—” Jason stopped as he saw the two men. “What the hell happened?”
“They got to the safe room.” Now that he could hear himself, he turned to Laurie. “What happened, Laurie?”
“I don’t know. You closed the door. I sat down on the chair. A second later that guy opened it and pulled me out.” She stared at the man at her feet.
She was breathing in short gasps.
Dante put his arm around her and she buried her face in his chest. Dante looked at Jason over Laurie’s head.
“They knew where it was and how to open it,” Dante said. “I have to get Laurie out of here.”
Jason nodded, understanding Dante’s unspoken conclusion. Dean and John charged into the room. Blood stained John’s shirt from his bicep down to his wrist. Both of them looked exhausted.
“Boss, the gunmen fled. Whoa.” John stopped in his tracks.
“I have to get Laurie out of here.” Dante didn’t answer their questioning looks.
“But PD is going to have questions.” Dean’s gaze traveled between Dante, Laurie, and the two men on the floor.
“I don’t care.” Dante took Laurie by the hand. “Laurie is our only priority.”
He led her to the bed. He gently pushed her down to sit on the edge. He started zipping up her bag and his.
“Can I…” Laurie started to speak through her trembling jaw. Her voice broke on a sob.
“What do you need, sweetheart?” Dante cupped her face, bringing her eyes up to meet his gaze.
“Can I change first? Please?” Pain ripped through his chest at her gentle plea.
Dante looked down at her clothes. They were spattered with blood. She would attract attention wherever he took her.
“Yes, of course.” He unzipped her bag. He pulled out a clean pair of jeans and a shirt, and handed them to her.
“Boss?” Dean asked.
“What, Dean?” He led Laurie to the bathroom. He closed the bathroom door for Laurie and turned around.
“Where are we going to take her?” Dean came to the doorway.
“You aren’t going to take her anywhere. I’m taking her somewhere safe. You three are staying here to file the police report and answer their questions.” He unloaded his gun and handed it to John.
“That’s my weapon. I shot the man who tried to kill Laurie. I ran to Laurie, but I didn’t see the guy in the other room. Laurie did. She grabbed the first assailant’s gun, and shot the man in the other room. He was armed. He was ready to fire on both of us.”
“How did they get her out of the safe room?” John stared at Dante’s gun.
“Good question.” Dante arched his eyebrows at him. “John, Dean. I need you to sweep the vehicle. Get me the gun in the dashboard. Jason, I need you to go talk to the detective. They’ll be at the door any minute.”
They all exchanged glances but didn’t move. None of them knew what to do. Dante didn’t know either; he just knew he had to leave with Laurie.
“Now.” Dante clapped his hands together. They all filed past him. He turned around and knocked on the bathroom door. “Laurie, are you okay?”
There was no response.
“Laurie?” Silence. He pulled open the door.
Laurie stood in the middle of the bathroom in front of the sink, still in her bloody clothes, trembling. She held the clean clothes in one hand. The other hand covered her eyes and forehead, trying to shut out the world.
