“I bet.”
Mom reached for her coffee. “You saved me a call. I have a friend whose son is interested in graphic design. He’s been dragging his feet since he graduated college and his parents are trying to get him to make a decision on his career.”
“Dragging his feet. How long as he been out of college?”
“Four years.”
“Let me guess. He’s living in their basement.”
I totally saw the answer on Mom’s face, but she tried to sugarcoat it. “He’s not as bad as that.”
Uncle Guy and I shared a look.
Mom confessed, “Oh, all right. He’s a twit, but would you talk with him?”
“Fine.”
“Good. Friday at Seven at Delaney’s. His name is Kit.”
“You already set it up?”
“Millie can be quite determined.”
“Not determined enough to get her son out of her basement.”
Mom grinned over the rim of her cup. “Touché.”
It was Friday and I met Kit at Delaney’s, but only a few minutes into the evening and I knew I had been hoodwinked.
Kit started the evening by suggesting we blow off dinner and head to a club. I didn’t understand how a club would be conducive to talking, but he didn’t want to talk. He was on the prowl. Luckily I was not the focus of his attention, but it did mean I got dressed in my business-like attire for nothing. Plus I was hungry because we had skipped dinner.
“Hey, you don’t mind if I take off with Candy here, do you?”
Candy, seriously? Her name was Candy. I bet with an i and a heart over it. “No, by all means please…”
My phone interrupted us, thank God. It was Damian calling; he saved me a call. It had been decided that I could attend this meeting without the need of a shadow. I had been dropped off though, with instructions to call when I was done.
“Perfect tim—”
“Are you still at Tansy’s?” I had called him earlier to share we had changed venues.
“Yes.”
“Stay inside, by the bar, and wait for me. I’m only ten minutes away.”
It was his tone that had fear running like ice through my veins. “What’s wrong?”
“Just stay visible.”
“What’s happened?”
“By the bar, Thea. No bathroom, I’ll be right there.”
My hand actually shook when I put my phone away. Kit and his hook-up were gone. Damian wanted me by the bar so I walked on unsteady legs toward it and grabbed an empty stool at the end. The bartender appeared—long hair pulled back into a ponytail, a full beard and mustache, and tats down his arms. But it was the size of him that comforted because it wasn’t likely anyone would approach with him near.
“What can I get you, babe?”
“Just water, please.”
“You got it.”
He placed the water before me and flashed a smile. “You need anything, I’m Sully.”
That was good to know. “Thank you.”
All kinds of scenarios bombarded me and with each one I grew more and more scared. Before I went into freak-out mode, Damian appeared. It was the manner in which he appeared though that was alarming.
“We need to go.” But Damian was already pulling me from the club and at a pace I couldn’t keep up with.
“I can’t walk that fast.”
His head jerked back to me and I honestly think he was contemplating tossing me over his shoulder. He didn’t though; he slowed his pace but not by much. We hit the front of the club and I tried to pull free, but he wasn’t letting go.
“You are going to rip my arm out of the socket. What is going on?”
“Someone took a shot at Cam. He’s fine.”
The only thing that kept me together was his hand wrapped around mine, without that I might have shaken apart. “Where is he?”
“At the precinct. He’s fine. Pissed as hell though.”
Thinking about Dad, the possibility that history was repeating itself, I grew hysterical. Mom, did she know? Someone should be with her.
“Mom?”
“She doesn’t know.”
Tears fell as I tried to pull from Damian. “Thea, he’s fine.”
“I’m not losing him too.”
His hand tightened on mine at the same time I saw his jaw clench. He yanked me into a bar a few doors down from where we had just been and pulled me back toward the bathrooms. He pushed me up against the wall. “Thea, calm down. He’s fine.”
“He could have died.”
“He didn’t.” He moved into me as he curled his big body around mine. “I won’t let anything happen to him or you.”
I wanted to press my face against his chest, to borrow some of his strength. Tears burned my eyes as my body shook in fear.