“Knock yourself out, Ace. Just don’t get lost. You wouldn’t want me to take a sudden vacation on you.”
“I trust you won’t back out of the deal, Troubleshooter. You need the money.” He gave a polite nod, almost a bow to Angel. “Miss.” Then he turned and strode down the hall.
She gave a delicate sniff when she turned back to me. "Well, I must say your company is much more a gentleman than you. You had better come in quickly. I don't want the neighbors thinking I'm the sort of lady that entertains men in my apartment."
I wondered what her neighbors thought about the last few times she had entertained me at her apartment. Still, a gentleman never argues with a lady, and neither do I.
It didn't take her long to get her kit together. A few minutes later I sat in her brightly lit bathroom while she tortured me nice and slow. Just when I thought she was getting some payback for standing her up, the slug dropped in the bowl beside her, staining the water crimson.
"It's ok, baby. You can stop crying now."
“C’mon, sweetheart, you know a man in my profession doesn’t cry.” I scrubbed my eyes. "I'm not sure what's worse — the slug going in, or you getting it out."
"Not too much tissue damage. Funny. It almost looks like it was pushing itself out. You're lucky it didn't hit the bone. Or that they weren't using bio rounds. If that carried a cyanide or nano cap, you wouldn’t have made it out the door.”
"Yeah, lucky most goons aren’t worth the cost of arming with bio rounds.” I shrugged, then immediately regretted it. My entire arm throbbed. “This is New Haven, after all. Slugs are more common than cockroaches. Every time you turn around you’re stepping on one.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Not around here you’re not.”
“Of course not, darlin’. I was referring to where I hang my hat in the Flats. You can get a box of slugs cheaper than a box of smokes.”
“All it takes is one to kill you, Mick.”
She tried to sound angry, but I knew she wasn't. She couldn't stand to see anyone hurt. It's what made her a great nurse and a bad one at the same time. You have to have a certain detachment from emotion if you deal with blood and wounds every day, and that just wasn't my Angel. As much as she loved the medical field, I knew she was glad when I got her the new gig.
Her face was so close that our lips almost touched. I wanted to kiss her, but I settled for studying her face instead. The mole on her cheek, the tired shadows under her eyes from a long day at the office.
She was a dish.
"Baby, I don't see how you get yourself in these jams.” She shook her head as she wrapped up the arm in a professional-looking sling. "Are you ok?"
"Lessee, so far I've been blackmailed, tailed, grilled, lead poisoned, and half-drunk to boot. All in all, it's been an average day.” I traced her jawbone with a finger. "Nothing a little tenderness can't take care of.”
Her violet-tinted eyes narrowed slightly, but a smile curved her lips. “You’re an injured man, Mick Trubble. I don’t think you can handle a little tenderness tonight.”
I wrapped my good arm around her slender waist. “Only if you promise to take it easy on me, sweetheart.”
She laughed as she traced a few of the scars I’d collected. For some reason, dames always seem to be impressed by the fact that you’ve been nearly killed a few times. “Guess I walked into that. You know better, though. Your friend will be back in a short while… ”
“I think what you’re saying is that time is short, and we gotta enjoy the moment.” I lifted her up as I stood. She weighed practically nothing, but all of that nothing felt extra soft and silky laid up against me. “Besides, you already worked me outta my shirt. Do you still have those satin sheets with the hummingbirds on them?”
“I do. Why?” She looked demurely from over her glasses.
“I kinda forgot what they look like. How’s about you show ‘em to me one more time?”
Her laugh was rich and husky in my ears.
There’s times when the body just has to recuperate, no matter what you try to do otherwise. Going a few rounds with Angel in between those hummingbird sheets was almost as strenuous as catching that slug. The lovemaking was hazy; just her body glowing softly under dim lights, moving in unison with mine like a dream I didn’t want to wake up from.
And I didn’t, at least not for a while. I drifted straight into that deep sleep, laid out like a brand new drunkard until the sound of voices brought me halfway back. Sounded like Poddar arguing with Angel. I tried to wake up, but it was useless. Dreams found me, pulled me back into their clammy embrace…
Black choppy waters surrounded me, along with hysterical laughter. I sank quickly; limbs heavy as stones pulled me into gloomy depths. Bubbles fled for the surface as they escaped my screaming throat. Something like glowing eyes flashed in front of me, giving me a view of—
I’m not the kind of man that you want to wake up suddenly. The slightest touch and I had the Mean Ol’ Broad aimed right at Poddar’s eyeball, which widened slightly as his hand retreated from my shoulder. I gave him a cheerful grin.
“Gotta take a few loud footsteps, Poddar my man. The Broad here isn’t too familiar with you yet.” I put her away and sat up slowly as Poddar regained his composure. “How long have I been out?”
“It’s almost seven p.m. You’ve slept all day. Your lady friend would not let me wake you.”
“That’s because he needed his rest.” Angel walked in with a steaming mug in her hand. “Here, drink this.”
It smelled like goat urine and tasted twice as nasty. I gagged a bit, but managed to choke it down. “Trying to kill me, sweetheart?”
“It’ll clear your head and keep the pain away. Stop being such a baby.”
Her phone buzzed. When she left to answer it, I turned to Poddar. “Any luck in finding clues on Ms. Kilby?”
His face twisted in frustration. “I found nothing at her apartment. No signs of struggle. I spent all of last night asking questions. No one around had seen or heard anything.” His eyes were haggard as his fists clenched tightly. “It’s like she vanished into thin air.”
“Well, don’t get yourself too worked up, Ace. The ol’ Troubleshooter is practically good as new. Why don’t you scope out the garage for evil eyes while I say goodbye to my Angel.”
She waited in the hall with my flogger and Bogart. “I washed your clothes while you were knocked out, Mick. Don’t know why, since you seem to like accessorizing your outfits with bloodstains.”
“Thanks, doll.” I let her help me into the flogger. “You’re a peach, Angel. A real lifesaver.”
“You’d do the same for me, Mick.” Her face turned almost shy all of sudden, soft and vulnerable when she looked down. “I wish you’d get away from this lifestyle of yours. I hear there’s a price out on your head.” She looked up with earnest eyes. “Why don’t we get out of town, just you and me? I have a little bit put away. We could be gone before anyone knows what’s happened.”
I pushed a stray strand of hair from her face. “Look doll, I’d love to do that. I really would. But I got a lotta baggage right now. The type that would do you some serious damage if it fell on your pretty little head.”
“You don’t think I’m willing to take that risk?” Her eyes smoldered with lavender fires.
“I know you would. That’s why I gotta keep you out of it. But I’m trying, sweetheart. I just gotta take care of some debts; wrap up a few scores, that’s all. Can’t you give a man some credit for trying?”
Even her sigh was pretty. “I used to think you meant it when you said that. But you don’t believe in change, Mick. You’re a grifter. Here one minute, all smiles and charm. But when a girl turns around, you’re gone with the first strong wind.”