She took one bite but her stomach churned. “Do you think Couch did something to her?”
“We have no way of knowing. But if the bastard harmed her, it wasn’t your fault.”
She appreciated that Dante always tried to soothe things over. Maybe if he’d been around when her mother was so depressed, he might have been able to show her mom that life was worth living.
In silence, she finished her second piece of pizza while Dante plowed through five pieces in no time.
She finished and wiped her mouth. “Do you think I could take a shower? I didn’t get a chance before you two showed up.”
“Sure, sugar. Use the bath in Trax’s room. You’ll like it.”
“Thanks. I need to cover my hand. Do you have a plastic bag?”
“We do. Go ahead and get ready for your shower, and I’ll be in to tie you up nice and tight.”
She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to see her in her bra or panties, but if she wrapped a towel around herself, she should be covered enough.
Trax disconnected and walked into the living room. “Clay and Dirk will be working the case.”
That made her feel better. As soon as she stepped into his bedroom, she halted. The living room was bright and colorful, but his room looked like it belonged in an Afghan tent city. Everything was either gray or black. That included the furniture, bedding, and wall color. What was up with that? Not that it wasn’t nice, but it was as if Trax had hired a totally color blind decorator.
Curiosity got the best of her and she quietly opened Trax’s top dresser drawer. She whistled and ran a hand over the top of the perfectly stacked black underwear. Touching his personal items was close to touching the man himself and a unique thrill sped through her.
One pile contained black T-shirts and another black briefs. She was surprised he’d carried a white handkerchief, which by now was ruined by her blood.
After temporarily satisfying her curiosity about the enigmatic man, she then spotted her clothes neatly folded on the bed. Checking the pile, she found a pair of jeans, two T-shirts, two pairs of socks, and three panties, but no bras or nightwear. From the amount of outfits Dante had grabbed, he didn’t think she’d stay long.
He’d be in shortly with her plastic bag, so she ducked into the bathroom to change. Holy mother of God. Trax had no hand in this décor. It was light and airy. The white sinks sat atop a black cabinet, but the walls were a yellow-beige and the floor tiles were white with swirls of yellow and gray. A huge jetted tub sat in the corner and a large walk-in shower was on the right. The bathroom was larger than her kitchen.
The only items on the cabinet were her toiletries all neatly stacked. Dante had brought her toothbrush, toothpaste, and shampoo. While she would have liked her razor and face cream, she could last a day without those amenities.
As quickly as she could, she toed off her boots and slipped her jeans over her hips. Because of her injured hand, she sat on the edge of the tub to pull them off. Her lopsided tugging wore her out, but she rested after they reached her ankles. Next she tackled her sweater, which caught on her bandage.
“Grr.”
“Need help, sugar?”
Oh, fuck. She had her pants to her ankles and her sweater over her face. At least he wouldn’t see the blush. There were two options. Yell at him to get out, or since he’d already gotten an eyeful, ask him to help, and then politely suggest he leave.
“Please.”
Dante took care removing the sleeve over her bandage. With the sweater came her T-shirt. Her hair flew in every direction and she patted it down with her good hand. He appeared to be all business as he bent on one knee and removed her jeans. Then he stepped over to the counter and picked up the plastic bag. “Let me cover that hand.”
She waited for some snide remark about her bra and panties not matching, but he played the role of the gentleman. She held her hand out and in about twenty seconds, he’d taped the baggie over it. From the looks of it, no water would get in. He waved a roll of plastic wrap. “What’s that for?”
Dante nodded to her knees. “Thought I’d waterproof your knees, too.”
The man thought of everything. “Cool.”
With equal proficiency, he wrapped both knees in plastic then taped the top and bottom. She might look funny, but at least she could shower without worrying about getting the bandages wet.
“You good?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He twisted around, walked out, and closed the door. How sweet was he? Why couldn’t she have found someone like him before? Needing to wash this horrible day away, she turned on the shower and the water instantly turned warm. Now that was a nice feature.