Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 143382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
Then I sipped my martini.
Genesis did too, before she said, “Girl, I don’t know what kinda magic you got.” She lifted her martini glass. “I mean, it’s vodka and olive juice, so how can it go wrong? But you make it so, so right.”
“Thanks, sister,” I said.
“I’m feeling peckish,” Persia announced. “I hope, while those boys go kick ass, Titus lets us order a pizza.”
“Indian,” Genesis put in.
“Shit, now I want both,” Persia complained.
I wondered how our chicken was doing in the Crockpot.
I wondered how Henny was doing all by himself in a new space.
I wondered if Homer was hanging in there.
A vision of the last time I saw Homer outside his tent assaulted my brain, and a sharp stab of pain went through it.
The door opened, and I peered over the back of the couch to see Titus entering, and Eric, hand on the door handle, torso swung in, eyes on me.
“We’re moving out,” Eric said.
I stood again. “I need to go with you.”
Eric did a slow blink along with his brows going up, but he said nothing.
“Homer might need me when you get him out.” I shook my head. “No. He’s going to need me, Turner. I don’t want to go in, but I want to be close.”
“Babe, we’re putting together an approach on the fly, and we’re gonna need every man.”
“Just close. A block away. I’ll be safe. I won’t move a muscle, I swear. You can call me when you’re done.”
“You’re not anywhere near unless we have a man on you, and all we got is Tex and Duke, and it’ll take either of them at least half an hour to get here, and you know, we don’t have that time.”
“I’ll take her,” Titus said.
I whipped around to him, nearly spilling martini, and gave him a happy smile.
“No offense, man, but I just met you,” Eric said.
“None taken. I’d feel the same if she was my baby. So understand, I’ll take care of her like she’s mine,” Titus retorted.
Luna stood. “One goes, we all go.”
Raye stood. “Angels unite.”
Harlow stood. “There’s gonna be a bunch of homeless people who are gonna need a soft touch, so we all have to go.”
“Shit, can’t fit you all in the Camaro, we’ll have to take the Jag,” Titus decreed.
Awesome.
The situation warranted it, and until that moment, I wouldn’t have thought I had it in me.
But I guessed I did.
I channeled Harlow and turned girlie, pretty please begging eyes to Eric.
“Fine,” Eric bit off.
Damn.
That shit worked.
“You go, we’ll follow,” Titus said.
Eric scowled at him, doing some silent badass brainwave communication.
“I got this,” Titus said impatiently. “Go.”
Eric looked at me, he did it hard, and I could tell he was leaning toward changing his mind.
“I’m falling in love with you,” I blurted.
His eyes went dark, his face went soft, he dipped his chin and said, “See you soon, honey.”
Then he was gone.
I jumped when an arm was slung around my shoulders.
I tipped my head back to see Titus smiling down at me.
He smelled like fresh raked leaves and bergamot, with the barest hint of patchouli.
In other words, awesome.
“Well played, baby. Well played,” he said.
I sucked back the rest of my martini.
Titus busted out laughing.
Once he got control of his humor, we headed to his garage behind the garage, got in his amazing, black Jaguar SUV and headed out.
TWENTY-FIVE
CHICKEN TACOS
I’d been patient a long time.
I really had.
So it wasn’t untoward when I snapped, “Oh my God! This is agony.” I turned to the girls in the backseat and asked Raye and Luna, “Did it take this long when they cleared out those traffickers?”
“No, it didn’t take this long,” Luna said quietly, holding Raye’s hand.
“I see the martini wore off,” Titus remarked.
I sat straight in my seat, crossed my arms on my chest, knowing Raye was freaking just like me and I didn’t need to make it harder on her, so I only thought to myself, if Eric gets dead doing this for me (and Homer, and all the rest of them, and everyone else those assholes were fucking over), I was going to kill him.
“Well, shit,” Titus murmured.
He was staring in his rearview mirror.
I turned around and that was when I saw the police lights. And within a few seconds, heard the sirens.
They were heading our way.
The two patrols shot past us, and it didn’t take a genius to know where they were going.
“Is this good or bad?” I asked unevenly.
“I know one thing. If those motherfuckers put holes in your boys, they aren’t calling the police after they did it,” Titus answered.
My heart started thumping, and I turned again in my seat to look at my chicks.
“This is the clean-up crew,” Titus concluded as another police car shot past.
I smiled at Raye.
She smiled at me.
My phone vibrated at my ass, I whipped it out and engaged the screen.