Page 229 of Back in the Saddle

“Because there’s nothing good to say,” he told me.

“What I mean is?—”

“Jessica, did I promise to get Homer for you?”

My breath was shaky again when I drew it in and let it out.

Then I said, “I think this is more than your average dangerous, Turner.”

“And I think we’re in a trust exercise we didn’t expect, Jess. This is not all I do, but it’s part of it.”

Okay, trust.

I could trust him.

It was the bad guys I didn’t trust.

“You with me?” he asked.

“Mostly.”

“Jessie,” he whispered.

“I’ll get the rest of the way while you drive here.”

“There’s my girl. See you soon.”

“’Bye, Eric.”

We hung up.

“So there it is. They’re coming,” I told Raye something she heard herself.

“Great…and fuck.”

My thoughts exactly.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

We went to the door and knocked.

“If I know you’re coming back, you don’t have to knock!” Titus yelled.

We went in, with Raye saying, “Sorry. We didn’t know the protocol.”

Titus grinned, wide and white.

“They’re coming,” I told him.

“And here’s me with my SI, waiting for the Suns game to start, thinking my night would be boring,” he replied.

“We’re not really good at boring,” Harlow, for the first time, chimed in.

“I’m gettin’ that, pretty baby,” Titus cooed to her.

She blushed.

Good Lord, it was like she was collecting gorgeous, gigantic, morally dubious, but still sweet hot guys.

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