Page 24 of Some Like It Deadly
She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. “I don’t think insulting your best friend and premier client is the way to win friends and influence people.”
“I don’t know…” Richard paused at one corner of the flower kiosk and began to inspect the different arrangements. “I think it would influence me greatly.”
And just like that she was tempted to buy the pansies so she could enjoy Richard’s reaction. Angling so she stood just behind him and to the side, she scanned the street. Tall buildings hemmed them in and crowds of pedestrians straggled past—and that didn’t take into account the cars on the street.
The follow car made a pass and she made sure not to look at it. The less attention she drew to it, the better.
“What do you think of these?” Richard held out a colorful bouquet of carnations and lilies with a spray of baby’s breath interweaved through them. “Do they say I’m a nice guy you want to like?”
Sparing the flowers a brief glance, she shrugged. “They say you’re a sweet, thoughtful man trying to make amends.”
“So, I should add chocolate?” He studied the flowers, then the other items on the display.
“No, no chocolate.” She pivoted, her attention on her car.
Just two normal people out to pick up some flowers on the way to dinner. Nothing to see here, folks.
“Women like chocolate,” he argued.
“That’s gender profiling and not wholly accurate. For example,Idon’t like chocolate.” A man leaned against the wall across the street, but from the wear of his jeans and the dirty state of his shirt, she identified desperation and sadness, not threat.
“You don’t?” Richard swung all the way around and she met his gaze.
“Not particularly, no. It’s nice enough as an accent, but I’m just not a fan.” Yes, she was aware it made her a bit odd, but she’d always preferred other flavors to chocolate. The world, however, disagreed, and everything swam in chocolate these days.
“Whatdoyou like?” He held a second bouquet, similar to the first, but boasting three white roses in the center, next to the first.
“Strawberry.” She grinned. “Fruit flavors, I’m crazy about them. Most fruits I like.” All the hair on her body stood up. She’d missed something. Every sense went into high alert.
“Interesting. Do you think this is better with or without the roses?”
“White roses symbolize pure love and I’m pretty sure that’s not the message you’re planning on sending.” What had she missed? Her gut clenched.
The follow car went around again. The kid across the street was still there. A homeless person sat parked in the breezeway between two buildings. The world slowed down. A group of teens were arguing loudly about their evening plans. The coffee stand did a brisk business for five-thirty in the afternoon.
“So yellow, then. Those are friendship.”
“Yes, white is pure, yellow is friendship, and red is lust.” Her palms itched. He needed to pick out his flowers and they needed to get back in the car. “Find the ones you want?”
“Almost.” He circled around the kiosk and stood on the building side of it. “Why not chocolate?”
“What?” She started to follow, but a glimmer caught the corner of her eye. The world slowed down as she traced the movement—where had she seen it?A car parked illegally on the other side of the street and the driver’s side door opened. Sun gleamed off the windows above and cast a glare that bounced off the passing vehicles.
“These are perfect. All carnations, lots of different colors, with lilies and something else I have no idea what it is, but it’s pink—so maybe she’ll like it. Why not chocolate?” Richard stopped right next to her, but she wasn’t focused on him. All she saw was the gun.
Turning hard, she drove her shoulder and hip into his much larger frame. They went down in a tangle of arms and legs as three hard, hollow cracks echoed over the street traffic.
And that’s when the screaming started.
Chapter 7
Richard
His heart stopped and he forgot to breathe. When Kate had stumbled and collided with him, he’d started to catch her, but then they both hit the pavement. The sound of the bullets, the flower baskets around them, and the shop window behind them exploded the air. Water and glass rained over them and Richard wrapped a hand around Kate’s head and tried to shield her.
People screamed, tires squealed and then another set of tires squealed. In the distance sirens cut over the din. Richard shifted. “Kate?” When she didn’t answer immediately, ice slithered through his veins and he sat, carrying her with him. “Kate?”
She swung wide eyes to look at him. Her disheveled hair spilled around her face and the shoulder of her jacket was soaked with water. “Are you hurt?”
