Lee stopped outside the door and flattened himself against the wall and, with quick head jerks, he peered around the door, Luke beside him, as Donny pulled open the inner door.
“Jack,” I breathed.
More gunshots, Shirleen and I sucked in breath as Lee then Luke surged around the door and into reception.
My body jerked as I heard shouts, gunshots, close, very close.
I saw both Lee and Luke were inside reception, both moving and firing just as I noted, on another screen, Hector running up the stairs, taking them three at a time.
Without thinking, I turned and bolted to the door.
Before I got close, Shirleen caught me in two strong arms and pulled me back.
There were more gunshots and I closed my eyes, put my hands over my ears and I heard Jack’s voice, soft and reassuring, coming at me from my memory banks the night of my rape.
It’s okay. It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re safe.
The pain of fear for Jack sliced through my gut.
Then the gunshots and shouting stopped.
My eyes flew open and I looked to my left at the monitors. Shirleen and I stood, her arms wrapped around me, and we watched. Luke, the police and now Hector were in the reception area. Luke and Hector were advancing, both still armed, guns pointed to something on the ground, the police were moving around talking into the mouthpieces at their shoulders.
Lee had disappeared.
“Can we go out now? Can we go?” I asked Shirleen.
“Hang on, baby. Stay with me,” Shirleen cooed softly.
“Lee. Jack,” I whispered.
“Hang on.”
We lost sight of Hector and Luke and Shirleen and I stood silently watching the monitors. It seemed odd and distressing that everything was normal at Fortnum’s.
They had no idea.
No idea.
It could have been seconds but it felt like hours before the door opened and Hector stood there.
Shirleen’s arms dropped away and I surged forward, my body slamming into his, his arms closing around me.
“Please, please, please, please, please,” I breathed into his throat.
“Jack got clipped, just a nick in the neck, he’s fine. He’d had time to put on a vest,” Hector said and I could feel the vibration of his voice at his throat against my lips.
“Lee?”
“Lee’s fine. He’s seein’ to Jack.”
My body sagged into his, his arms got tighter and I felt rather than saw Shirleen squeeze by us and leave the room.
I tilted my head back and looked at Hector.
“Are you okay?”
He dipped his chin and his black eyes caught mine. “Yeah, mamita. I’m all right.”
My arms tensed. “I’m so sorry. So, so, sorry.”
I watched as his eyes flashed and he murmured, “Cállate, mi amor.”
“It’s my fault,” I went on.
“Cállate,” he repeated softly.
I blinked then my brows drew together in confusion. “What’s that mean?”
“It means shut up.”
Oh.
Well then.
“That sounds nicer than the English shut up,” I told him.
His lips twitched. “It isn’t.”
I didn’t have the time to worry about Hector being rude.
I took in breath and asked, “Marty?”
Hector replied immediately, “Not good. He should have driven himself to the hospital, not here.”
I moved on. “Donny?”
“Donny and his boys were all down with officers workin’ on ‘em when I got here. But Luke and Lee got a lot of experience with this shit. They don’t shoot to kill, just neutralize.”
That might be so but there was no way they had time even to aim.
So I told Hector, “What just happened was insane, they didn’t have time –”
He interrupted me by saying firmly, “They had time.”
I stared at him and realized he wasn’t lying.
I decided to move on again. “Why did it all…” I stopped then started again, “What happened?”
His face dipped lower, he touched his lips to mine and he said, “We’ll talk about it later. After we talk to the cops and after we’re done sittin’ in the hot tub.”
Right away, this made me smile. I couldn’t help it, even with all the drama, the very thought of sitting in a hot tub with Hector sounded great.
No, especially with all the drama.
And there it was again.
Drama. Gunfights. Paramedics. Police officers. Fear. Panic. Life-threatening situations. Jack getting “clipped”.
And Hector swept it all away with hot tub promises.
I snuggled closer then my smile faded.
“I’m not allowed,” I told him.
His head jerked with surprise right before his face changed and he looked like he was about to laugh.
Now, really, seriously, truly there was absolutely nothing funny about this.
“You’re not allowed?” he repeated.
“My tattoo,” I explained. “The tattoo guy said –”
He interrupted me again. “It’ll be okay.”
I cocked my head and asked, “You sure?”
One of his arms came from around me and his hand went to my neck then up, his fingers sliding into my hair. Instead of tilting my head back, he tilted it down and I felt his lips moving against the top of my head.
“I’m sure.”
Then he kissed me there.
After that, he and I went out into the hall and I took over “seein’ to Jack”.
* * * * *
“Back in the news today is Nightingale Investigations. Some months back the private investigations firm achieved local fame while guarding the lead singer of a popular local band. This afternoon, on Broadway, a gunfight played out between –”
The newscaster was cut off when Hector pressed a button on the remote and the TV screen went blank.
I lifted my still wet haired from the hot tub head from his chest and I looked up at him.
“I was watching that,” I protested.
He threw the remote on the nightstand, his body turned into mine and I found myself on my back with Hector mostly on top of me.
“I don’t wanna watch the news,” he told me, his eyes locking with mine. “I wanna fool around with my girlfriend.”
My belly melted even though we’d just “fooled around” in the hot tub not an hour ago.
“We just fooled around in the hot tub,” I reminded him, as if he could forget. One thing was certain sure, I couldn’t forget. Hot tub sex was amazing.
(Oh Lord, I hoped he couldn’t forget).