Page 194 of Fury

Her eyes glimmered, and she pushed off me, sitting up, sniffing in air. “Thank you for telling me. I mean it, Finger. Thank you.”

The sudden lack of the press of her body, her warmth against me, was wrong. I was thirsty, withered, bone dry, and the gallon jug of cool water had been taken away from me too soon.

Lenore slid her hand from mine, and I released her. She swallowed hard, her face still pale. “I need to see Tania.” Rising from the sofa, she moved toward the back of the store, through stands and racks draped with sexy lingerie.

I let out an exhale. Colorful bras, panties, scraps of fabric, erotic bands of ribbon mysteriously held together, begging to be stroked, begging to be filled with warm bodies. Her touch was on all of them. Her carefully planned out thoughts, her offbeat wishes. These were all personal items that people stashed in drawers or closets, keeping them hidden only to be revealed on special occasions and to a chosen few. Here in her store, Lenore had brought these fantasies out into the light to play and dazzle. It was another world, dreamy, sensual, seductive.

I brushed a hand across my mouth, where I wanted her lips to be right now. “Yeah, you should go see her. I just brought her to her house.”

“Okay.” She slung a huge black leather handbag studded with metal grommets over her shoulder, grabbing a set of keys by the register.

I stood up, taking her in. Her taking me in.

What radiated between us was an insistent bass that drilled deep. Adamant. Jarring even, like an emergency alert system that wasn’t in your power to turn off. You had to listen to it, endure it. Pay heed to its warning.

I was paying heed.

I said, “I’m coming over tonight.”

Her eyes flared. “You’re what?”

“Tonight. Expect me.”

That night after visiting Reichin his prison cell and making sure everything and everyone was locked down at my club, I got myself to Lenore’s house around eleven o’clock. This time, I rang her bell.

She opened the door, her hair pinned up, no trace of makeup. Her cheeks reddened at the sight of me. “You’re here.”

“I’m here.”

“Look, I’m okay, really. I was shaken up earlier, but you don’t have to—”

“You going to let me in?”

She took in a breath and moved to the side, pushing her door open wider. I entered her house.

“Did I wake you up?” I asked, parking my helmet on a chair, taking off my jacket.

“No. I was working.”

Sketches of small rectangular and round cases with her brand logo were all over the table.

“What’s this?”

“I’m working on this makeup line idea. I’m picky about the packaging, I want to get it just right.”

I sat on the edge of her sofa. “You saw Tania?”

“I did.”

“Must have been real hard for you.”

“Anything can happen at any time and usually does.” She collected her sketchpad and colored pencils, piling them in a stack on the coffee table.

Suddenly, I didn’t want to talk about any of that. I wanted to just be here, be with her. I handed her a charcoal pencil that had rolled away from her reach. “Your store’s real nice. I like it.”

She let out a laugh, taking the pencil from me. “Men usually do.”

“I’ll bet.” I leaned back on the couch, stretching my legs. “I know a few of my men do. Their old ladies come up and shop once in a while. I heard you’re a little pricey, though.”

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