The lights came on and we stood there. We heard footsteps and then the others were there. Annette joined the huddle then I felt Jet burrow in. I don’t know how we did it but we managed to do a group hug on the narrow stairs.
Al except Daisy and Jason.
“God f**king dammit,” I heard Jason yel .
“What the f**k good are you!” Daisy shouted at her bodyguard.
I ignored them and held on to my friends, crying and trembling.
trembling.
* * * * *
Hank opened the door to his house one-handed, his other one held mine. Shamus came at us but before he could do his doggie welcome, Hank commanded, “Stay!”
Shamus skidded to a halt and sat, his doggie head swinging in confusion back and forth between the two humans.
Hank pul ed me inside, locked the door and walked me into the kitchen. Only then did he drop my hand.
He went to the light switch.
I went to the freezer.
I grabbed a towel and put ice in it and then put it on my hand.
After he turned on the light, Hank shrugged off his jacket and threw it over a dining room chair, gave Shamus a head scratch and then walked to me. He stopped close, then his hand came up and he pul ed something from my hair. It came back down and there was a piece of straw between his fingers.
“Wrestling in the hay bales,” I said, staring at the piece of straw.
When I looked to Hank, his mouth was tight.
Bil y escaped. It wasn’t hard. It was pandemonium; people everywhere, mil ing about and not knowing what was going on as the lights had come up. He’d easily slipped away.
They closed early and the cops came. I talked to the people who ran the haunted house, including the guy who was head of security. Carl had already told them my story and they were kind and understanding. It was close to closing anyway, they promised me, no harm done. They seemed more worried about me than anything. The monster who got hit in the nose had only had it bloodied, not broken.
Malcolm and Detective Marker came together and got there quickly, using a Kojak light.
Malcolm walked right up to me, kissed the side of my head, then put his arm around my waist and didn’t let go. I was leaning into him when Hank arrived.
Hank came up to us interrupting our conversation, pul ed me away from his father, turned me into his arms and held me, tight. “How’re your ribs?” he asked.
I nodded that they were okay but didn’t answer verbal y. I was lost in his arms, taking what I could, wrapping my own around him.
The rest of the interview went on with Hank’s arms around me and my cheek resting against his shoulder.
Lee and Eddie showed simultaneously. There were a lot of meaningful glances with glittering angry eyes between the men.
Indy went home with Lee, Jet with Eddie, Al y went back with Carl. I gave Indy, Jet and Al y hugs before they went.
Daisy took Annette and Jason back. Hank and I walked them to the limo. People were standing around it, staring at Daisy like she was an unknown rock star, likely mistakenly thinking this fuss and muss was about her. I gave out more hugs and they left. Daisy and Jason stil looked pissed.
Annette looked worried.
Hank put me in his 4Runner and we drove home without a word exchanged between us, both of us lost in our thoughts.
There, in his kitchen, I looked at Hank.
“He could have hurt Indy,” I said.
“Yeah, but he didn’t,” Hank replied.
“He could have.”
“He didn’t.”
“Hank –”
“Let me tel you something about Indy.”
I closed my eyes and looked away.
“Look at me, Sunshine.”
I opened them and looked back.
“You said you’d die, you’d go with him, before you let anyone get hurt. Remember that?” Hank asked.
I nodded.
“There’s no way in hel India Savage would let that happen.”
“I barely know her,” I whispered.
“You’re wrong about that,” his arms slid around me. “You know her because she’s just like you,” he said.
That was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to me.
Tears fil ed my eyes.
“Whisky,” my voice broke on his name and I shoved my face in his chest. I dropped the ice on the floor and clutched onto his sweater at either side of my face.
Then it hit me and it hit me hard. I pushed away, out of his arms and stomped my foot. “That f**king ass**le! ” I screamed.
Shamus woofed.
My eyes turned to the dog. He was standing at the edge of the cabinets, his body tense, staring at me.
“Sorry Shamus,” I said.
At his name, his tail started wagging and he came and pressed against me. I leaned down to give him a body rub and picked up the ice. I tossed it underhand into the sink and kept rubbing Shamus’s body but looked up at Hank.
“I’m going to f**king kill that motherfucker,” I announced.
Hank stared down at me.
“He pushed Indy down the stairs,” I continued.
“Roxie, calm down.”
“I’m not going to f**king calm down. I’m going to hunt that bastard down and murder him.”
“Oh f**k,” Hank rocked back on his heels, his eyes went to the ceiling, his hands went to his hips.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothin’.”
“What?” I asked, louder.
His eyes came back to me. “You aren’t huntin’ anyone down.”
“Wel … no,” I said, staring at him like he was crazy. “I was just saying that because I’m mad as hel . I wouldn’t begin to know how to hunt him down.”
“Let me handle it,” he said.
“Okay.”
“Seriously.”
I straightened from the Shamus Body Rub and Shamus sat on my feet.
“I said okay.”
“Indy comes to you with any bright ideas, you say, I’m handling it.”
“Okay,” I said.
“Jet, Daisy, my f**kin’ sister, come to you with grand schemes, you tel them I’m handling it.”
“Okay,” I repeated, my brows drawing together, thinking maybe he’d gone a little round the bend. “Whisky, are you al right?”
“I know how those women work. You want to get even with Flynn, you’re angry and they’l talk you into it.”
“Hank, I said I wasn’t going to –”
“It won’t even seem that way. They’l make it seem like it’s your idea.”
“Whisky.”
“Tex either.”
Good God.