Jamie-5 (10 page)

“You’re mine too. I love you, Pi, but he needs me and I have to help. Please answer for me.” Markus needed her in Nevada this time. There was a missing woman and her son and the husband was frantic with worry.

“Why can’t you just send the stuff here again? I’m too tired to leave again. Just send it here and I’ll let you know if I find anything. I’m worn out, Markus.”

“You’re not quitting on me are you, Dane? That doesn’t sound like you. Come on, just this one and I promise to give you as much time as you need to rest up. I need you here because this is where she went missing. Please?”

“Markus, that’s what you said the last time, and the time before that. I can’t keep doing this.

I need some time off. I appreciate you keeping me out of the media, but I’m exhausted and I need to have some down time. I’m not getting sick like before.”

~~~

Anger surged through the phone at her. Anger and something that was there and gone so quickly that she nearly missed it. Hate—white-hot hate that boiled over her and through her. Fear rippled through her. Then he was talking again.

“You come out here and fix this for us and I’ll make sure I don’t call you for a while. You’re right, I’ve been pushing you pretty hard, but you’re needed so much that I forget about you sometimes. Please come out and I’ll make it right.”

Dane looked at Pi. Dane was missing something and she was not sure what it was. When she tried again to read Markus, she hit a wall. If it was from the distance or the phone, she didn’t know, but she did not want to go to Nevada. Not now, not ever.

“Let me think about it. I’ll call you back tonight and I’ll give you my answer then. I have to go house hunting and we were just about to walk out the door. I promise I’ll give it my utmost consideration. Good bye, Markus.” Without waiting for him to reply, she hung up. She turned to Pi.

“What is it, Missy Dane? He say something bad to you? I hurt his twig and berries this time for sure. He never get it up again.”

“No, nothing like…twig and berries? I don’t even want to know. Let’s get going. I have to leave a number for James, but all I have is this one. Why don’t we stop at the mall and get us a cell phone for ourselves? I want one that you can watch programs on. How about it?” Dane went to her room and got dressed. She did not look at the bed that smelled like James.

She had already used the towel that he had when she got out of the shower. Feeling incredibly stupid for acting like a love sick teenager, she dropped it into the hamper, but not before putting it to her nose and smelling for his scent again.

The first stop was lunch. It was nearly eleven and both women were starved. Dane wanted to try something different, like anything that was not Chinese, and Pi agreed just this once she would go along. They had an enjoyable lunch of pasta and salad and Pi had two shots of Saki. It made for an interesting early afternoon.

The phone buying was funny and by the time they were given their new numbers and shown how to use them, it was nearly two. Dane called Jamie’s office and left her new number for him, telling him that she and Pi were out and that she did not know when they would be back. If he wanted to meet them for dinner somewhere, that would be fine too.

They were looking at the second house when he called her back. Pi had already crossed the first one off the list and this one was not fairing much better. Something was wrong with them both and no amount of trying to tell her that it could be changed helped. When Dane answered, she was a little tense.

“Having a bad day? You sounded so happy earlier. What’s happened?” She could just picture him sitting at a desk with his feet propped up.

“Pi doesn’t like this house because the kitchen is too small. Just how big does a kitchen have to be anyway? It’s to cook in, not raise a family in. The last house didn’t have a yard. Okay, I agree with that one. I need to build something on the property and that was a little yard.” She took a deep breath and forced a smile in her voice. “How’s your day going?”

“I wanted to stay in bed with this beautiful woman, but duty called and I had to leave. I have an idea, why don’t the two of you come over to my house for dinner? I have a huge kitchen and Byron and Taylor are coming over too. I was thinking Pi could fix us some more of that Kung Pao that we had the other day at your townhouse. And Morgan wants to be there too. You think that would be all right? Or we can go out. It’s up to you guys.” Dane turned to Pi and asked her. To be honest, Dane didn’t want to go home anyway. She’d have to deal with Markus and she hadn’t thought of him as much as she thought she might. It was too nice being normal for a change. Dane handed her phone to Pi when she started asking questions about the cooking arrangements.

She needed to make things right with Cait, Dane knew that. She had thought about the way she had treated the woman all these years after talking with Jamie. It was not fair what she had done, or what she had said to her. When Pi handed her the phone, Dane made a decision.

“Do you think your entire family would like Pi’s cooking? I mean, if she’s going to cook for a bunch of people, everyone might as well enjoy it, don’t you think? Unless you’d rather they didn’t. I can understand that.” She closed her eyes and hoped he would understand what she was asking.

“I’m sure they would. Cait and Spencer won’t be able to make it. She’s still in the hospital, but I think Paddy gets to go to the nursery tomorrow. Maybe someone can take her some leftovers, if there are any.”

Dane took at deep breath. “No. Pi loves to cook. I just hope your kitchen is big enough. She can get quite messy when cooking. We’ll clean up before we leave so don’t worry about that.”

“I’m not worried, because you’re not leaving. I plan on making love to you again all night and in my bed. Tomorrow’s Saturday, I don’t have to get up early, and you are not going to be able to move.”

“Oh.” She felt stupid, but that’s all she could squeak out. Her body felt as if he was standing next to her breathing on her neck, his fingers caressing her skin.

“Oh is right. I’ll see you at six. I love you, Dane.” And then he was gone.

Dane and Pi ended up at the grocery store next. Neither of them wanted to look at any more houses and they had already set up three appointments for tomorrow afternoon and three more for Sunday.

~~~

Jamie was headed out the door at five-thirty when his phone rang again. He did not recognize the number so was slightly cautious when he answered. But the frantic-sounding foreign language at the other end threw him.

“Missy Dane break car bad. She call a-team now. You have swirl or gas to use at house?” Jamie sat down. “Pi?” He was trying to work out what she said when his office phone rang too. It was Damon. He answered it as well. “Hang on, I got another call.”

“Yes, it Pi. You know more Chinese women? I say Missy Dane break car. You have gas?”

“Dane wrecked the car. Is she all right? Where are you?” Jamie stood and almost strangled himself with the other phone.

“She call a-team now. You very hard to understand. You don’t speak good English.” Jamie was not even going to go there. He felt as if he was in an off world and he was the only one speaking his language.

Damon said, “Triple A, maybe? Ask if she called an ambulance. I haven’t a clue on the gas, buddy.”

“Dane called Triple A? Is there an ambulance on the way?” Jamie started rubbing his forehead. He wanted to hang up with his brother and go to Dane, but he was afraid he’d need him to translate again.

“That what I said.” More Chinese, then he heard Dane. “She mad at me. Said I should mind own business. I ask you who business is it when man try to kill us both? You come and get us?

We at Asian Market at Three Z’s road. Missy Dane head hurt, but she be fine she said.”

“I’ll meet you at your house. I was just calling to confirm. Should I tell the others to not come?” Damon was saying. Jamie was sure he should say no, but knew that he needed to make sure Dane got to his house. Without Pi there, he knew that Dane would not come either.

“No. You can look at her there. Christ, I have a headache. I’ll pick them up and bring them to the house. Could you call Tucker for me and have him meet me at the Asian market on Triple C? I’m sure that’s where they are.”

It took him less than twenty minutes to get there and Tucker was already there. He was rubbing his forehead as he stood in front of Pi. The woman was gesturing at ninety miles a minute. Jamie knew just how he felt. He saw Dane sitting in the back of an ambulance with her head between her knees. When she sat up to look at the medic standing outside the open doors, his heart clenched in his chest. Her face was bloodied and she had been crying.

~CHAPTER 11~

Dane saw him coming toward her and wanted to leap from the bed and go to him. Her head was pounding, but she was not sure if it was from all the noise and people or her hitting her head on the steering wheel. She also did not know if she was mad at him or not. But when he touched her arm and then pulled her into his, she melted against him and started crying. He didn’t say anything. He just held her.

“Are you all right, baby? Pi was a little…well, I was going to say hard to understand, but I think you know what I mean. I’m either going to have to get a translator or learn Chinese. I still have no idea what she meant by my indigestion.”

“Indigestion? I’m afraid I don’t know either. I told her not to call anyone. The guy must not have had insurance so he didn’t hang around. They’ve taken away our car. I don’t know how I can…I can’t ride in a taxi everywhere I go.”

“We’ll figure it out. My brother is going to meet us at my house since you won’t go to the hospital. We’ll figure out what she meant about swirling or gas. I cannot imagine what she wanted to know for.”

“Oh. Gas or electric. What do you cook with, gas or electric?” Dane watched the police captain come toward her. She might have laughed at his expression if she could not feel him so loudly. He was being promoted but was afraid he would mess up the job so badly he’d be fired, or someone would get hurt.

“Your friend said that you were stopped when you were hit. That sound about right, Mrs.

Wallace? She gave me a description of the car, but…well, could you maybe help me out? I think there might have been a bit of a…language barrier. Plus, I’m not so sure she thinks I’m going to do a damned thing about this.”

“We were stopped at the sign there at the end of the street. The black SUV ran the light and hit us. He probably didn’t have insurance or something. I think…Pi was in the back seat or she might have been seriously hurt. I’m sure it’s all right, Captain.”

“Well, ma’am, I might believe that if I didn’t already have a few questions about the night Mr. Grant here was beat up in the park. I know you said you weren’t doing anything illegal, but now this is the second attempt on your life in about a week. Next time you might not be so lucky.”

“This was a simple case of hit and run. I don’t know how you’d think it was anything but. Pi didn’t say that, did she? I think she watches too many police shows.” Dane looked around, suddenly scared.

The car that had followed her the other night had been a dark SUV. The night that Jamie had been attacked, there had been another one parked next to her car. She swayed slightly and had it not been for Jamie, she would have fallen.

“Wanna start from the top again? What can you tell me about the car, Mrs. Wallace? Did you see a plate number? Anything that might make it stand out to you?” Captain Tucker’s voice sounded tense and she was having a hard time focusing on it.

She stood and without looking at either man, she pulled out her phone. “I’ll call us a taxi to take us home.”

When Jamie took the phone from her and closed it, she started to demand it back, but the look in his eyes stopped her. He looked not angry, but very angry. She started to turn away from him and was surprised when he pulled her against his body.

“Tuck, I’m taking the women home to my house. My family is waiting on us. Damon will have a look at her head. If you wouldn’t mind stopping out there after you’re done here, that’d be great. I don’t think she should be out like this much more, do you?” Dane was sure that the cop wanted to disagree, but he too must have seen something in the younger man’s eyes and agreed to come by later. Jamie did not so much as lead her to his car, but dragged her behind him in a long stride she had to run to keep up with.

“I really don’t think—” He turned back so quickly she ran into him. She backed up as far as she could with him still holding her hand.

“Not a word. I mean it, Dane. You say one word and I will haul you over my lap and beat your ass.” When she opened her mouth, he took a step toward her and she snapped it closed again.

Their groceries were loaded into his car and they were on the way within ten minutes. He still had not said a word and for once, Dane was glad that Pi did not shut up. But as each mile passed, Dane got madder herself. By the time they pulled into his driveway, she was boiling over.

The door opened as she walked up the steps and Dane went inside, past the three people sitting in the living room, and straight to the bathroom. She was going to be sick. Nothing churned her belly up like anger, and she had plenty of it.

“Open the damned door. I want to talk to you. Dane, damn it, I said to open the fucking door.”

She threw open the door and right at him. “Now you want to talk! Now you have something to say to me? You ever treat me like I’m some five-year-old again and I will knock you on your ass. The nerve of you telling me that you will beat my ass like I’m…I’m not a child, do you hear me! Having sex with you does not mean you have the right to act like I’m some…some possession of yours. That man wants me dead. Dead, did you hear me?”

“Were you going to tell me that you were being followed? Did it occur to you that you might be in danger and that I’d, gee, I don’t know, maybe might care? Did you even think that…”

“Of course, I forgot to include the great James Andrew Grant in my daily musings. Let me see, today I thought about buying a house and believe it or not, I made the decision to have red sauce instead of white on my pasta, and eight days ago before I had sex with you, a man followed me home. Pardon me all to hell and back because I didn’t think to let you know then.