You think I’m too--”
Her weight issue was between us. I didn’t have to read her mind to realize that she was assuming that I was instantly furious because Hood wanted me to take a fat lady on my investigation.
Missouri. What the hell had Bark been doing in Missouri?
I cut Amber off. “I think you’re Hood’s bed partner. You’ll report to him on my every move. I don’t need a spy.”
“You would have had no trouble taking me if you didn’t know I was sleeping with Hood?”
“Well--” She would be a distraction to me, either way.
“I’ve slept with you now.” She made a face. “Fucked you, anyway. That’s about all he and I do, too.”
“I don’t want to know.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “In fact, I want to forget this. Could you find a bathroom and wash--thoroughly?”
The odor of us filled the whole room now. I couldn’t think.
I added, “If he doesn’t have a camera in here, I would be happy to keep this between us.”
She harrumphed. “You don’t think Frank and Giselle aren’t gonna tell him?”
“Frank won’t say a word, and why would Giselle?”
Amber looked at me like I was stupid, and maybe I was. It took me a minute to say, “Where’s the men’s washroom?”
“Down the hall. The other way from where we brought you in.”
“So, we’ll go and wash. Right?”
“Sure.” She didn’t look happy, though.
I asked, “What are you mad about?”
“You want it to be a secret.”
“Call me crazy.”
She flinched.
“I like to stay breathing, if you don’t mind.” Hood was not known for great patience, any more than I was. And on his turf--I didn’t have a chance at survival if we got into it. At least, I didn’t think so. It just wouldn’t be smart to push my luck.
Maybe the second best, second son syndrome was working in my head. I had my place in the world, and it wasn’t sniffing up the Lobos ladder. Certainly wasn’t friggin’ pissin’ off the biggest boss I knew--in his own house, even.
Truth was, I was just holding the reins on Wolf E. until Bark resurfaced. I could think about killing him all I wanted, and in my dreams, but I had no real plans to do it. I was sure he’d have a good explanation for everything.
“You are shitty at guarding your thoughts.”
“I know.”
She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a pill. “Take one of these.”
It was a nothingness, looked like one of those salt tablets you dissolve under your tongue.
She prodded me. “Go ahead. It won’t kill you, I promise.”
“Sure it isn’t what you’re on?”
Smiling, Amber said, “I’m sure. Judging from the time it took for you to get--” She broke mid-sentence, noting that I was erect again. “You don’t need that.”
“Do you?”
Amber, irritable, said, “Just take the fucking thing before I hold you down and shove it--”
I popped it into my mouth. Part of me hoped it was a pain killer--or similar to a cyanide pill. I feared a little for Hood’s vengeance. Out would have been a nice finish to the day. I mean, what wolf didn’t want to screw right before he died?
Amber asked, “Is it that bad?”
Guess I made a face, and coupled with my thoughts--which she has no remorse in reading--I suppose she knew where I was at in my thinking. “You have no idea.”
She grinned. “We’re back to that again, are we? Come on.”
She led me out another door to the bathrooms. “That pill will work by the time you get yourself cleaned up.” Before she left me, she put her hand to my cheek, looked me in the eyes and asked, “Why haven’t you been to Lobos before?”
“I have, a few times.”
She said, “I would have smelled you. I would
Her weight issue was between us. I didn’t have to read her mind to realize that she was assuming that I was instantly furious because Hood wanted me to take a fat lady on my investigation.
Missouri. What the hell had Bark been doing in Missouri?
I cut Amber off. “I think you’re Hood’s bed partner. You’ll report to him on my every move. I don’t need a spy.”
“You would have had no trouble taking me if you didn’t know I was sleeping with Hood?”
“Well--” She would be a distraction to me, either way.
“I’ve slept with you now.” She made a face. “Fucked you, anyway. That’s about all he and I do, too.”
“I don’t want to know.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “In fact, I want to forget this. Could you find a bathroom and wash--thoroughly?”
The odor of us filled the whole room now. I couldn’t think.
I added, “If he doesn’t have a camera in here, I would be happy to keep this between us.”
She harrumphed. “You don’t think Frank and Giselle aren’t gonna tell him?”
“Frank won’t say a word, and why would Giselle?”
Amber looked at me like I was stupid, and maybe I was. It took me a minute to say, “Where’s the men’s washroom?”
“Down the hall. The other way from where we brought you in.”
“So, we’ll go and wash. Right?”
“Sure.” She didn’t look happy, though.
I asked, “What are you mad about?”
“You want it to be a secret.”
“Call me crazy.”
She flinched.
“I like to stay breathing, if you don’t mind.” Hood was not known for great patience, any more than I was. And on his turf--I didn’t have a chance at survival if we got into it. At least, I didn’t think so. It just wouldn’t be smart to push my luck.
Maybe the second best, second son syndrome was working in my head. I had my place in the world, and it wasn’t sniffing up the Lobos ladder. Certainly wasn’t friggin’ pissin’ off the biggest boss I knew--in his own house, even.
Truth was, I was just holding the reins on Wolf E. until Bark resurfaced. I could think about killing him all I wanted, and in my dreams, but I had no real plans to do it. I was sure he’d have a good explanation for everything.
“You are shitty at guarding your thoughts.”
“I know.”
She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a pill. “Take one of these.”
It was a nothingness, looked like one of those salt tablets you dissolve under your tongue.
She prodded me. “Go ahead. It won’t kill you, I promise.”
“Sure it isn’t what you’re on?”
Smiling, Amber said, “I’m sure. Judging from the time it took for you to get--” She broke mid-sentence, noting that I was erect again. “You don’t need that.”
“Do you?”
Amber, irritable, said, “Just take the fucking thing before I hold you down and shove it--”
I popped it into my mouth. Part of me hoped it was a pain killer--or similar to a cyanide pill. I feared a little for Hood’s vengeance. Out would have been a nice finish to the day. I mean, what wolf didn’t want to screw right before he died?
Amber asked, “Is it that bad?”
Guess I made a face, and coupled with my thoughts--which she has no remorse in reading--I suppose she knew where I was at in my thinking. “You have no idea.”
She grinned. “We’re back to that again, are we? Come on.”
She led me out another door to the bathrooms. “That pill will work by the time you get yourself cleaned up.” Before she left me, she put her hand to my cheek, looked me in the eyes and asked, “Why haven’t you been to Lobos before?”
“I have, a few times.”
She said, “I would have smelled you. I would
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