Taken aback, Ann seated herself and then touched Gaby’s arm. “I don’t see anything freakish about you. In fact, I think you’re a lovely young lady.”
Flashing a look of disbelief, Gaby snorted. “Yeah, right.” She stuck her leg out toward Ann. “Wanna pull the other one?”
Ann chastised her with a look. “You are not freakish, Gaby. Outspoken, certainly. But that’s almost . . . refreshing.”
“Uh-huh.” Since Ann nearly choked spewing that falsehood, Gaby didn’t take her words to heart.
“Mort tells me you’re very capable. I think that’s a wonderful quality for a young, single woman to have. Not many people, male or female, are fully independent.”
Unable to help herself, Gaby asked, “So what does Luther say about me?”
Ann subdued a knowing smile, and leaned toward her. “For the most part, Luther keeps his own counsel. But when you have been mentioned, it’s with frustration and often urgency.”
“Huh.” To give herself a moment to digest those words, Gaby again drank her coffee.
“It appears that he cares for you, Gaby.”
“You’re a cop,” Gaby told her. “You should know that appearances can be deceiving.”
“Not with Luther.” At her leisure, Ann settled back in her seat, crossed her legs, and turned thoughtful. Steam rose from her cup and a lock of pale blond hair fell over her shoulder. “I’ve never known a man to be more rock solid, in his work, and in his convictions, than Luther.”
Great. Just fucking great. All that meant is that he’d never be able to reconcile his lofty principles with Gaby’s recondite purpose.
From behind her, Gaby heard Mort ask, “Are you worshipping another man, Ann?”
Gaby twisted around and found Mort striding in. His smile teased, and he went right past her to press a warm kiss to Ann’s mouth.
It was . . . nauseating. For most of the time that she’d known Mort, he’d been weaselly, pathetic, and annoying. Now he seemed . . . more manly.
Gaby could barely choke it down. “Eavesdropping?” she asked him.
“Just a little.” Both hands on Ann’s shoulders, Mort winked at her.
Winked.
Yeah, she was definitely going to hurl. “Why the hell are you so chipper?”
At her question, Mort laughed aloud. Ann ducked her face to hide her humor.
And it struck Gaby. “Oh yeah. The whole sex thing. You got laid last night, right?” Shaking her head, a little irritated at their combined good humor, she added, “Nookie has transformed you, Mort. I swear, even your hair looks thicker.”
Strangling, Mort scowled at her and smoothed a hand over his sparse brown hair. But his pale blue eyes twinkled and he stood taller, straighter. His paunch seemed less noticeable—maybe because he wore clothes with improved style, or maybe because he was now more active, more fit.
And maybe because Ann cared for him.
“Gaby has a, um, sexual question for you, Mort, so I’ll take my turn showering and let you two talk.”
Startled, Mort grabbed Ann’s arm to detain her. “You don’t have to rush off.”
“Oh, but I do.” She patted Mort. “I’m afraid this is out of my comfort zone.”
“I doubt it,” Gaby told her. “I was just curious about what Mort does to you. Luther did some stuff to me, but I’m not sure if it’s normal or not.”
They both stared at her.
“Well, that got your attention, didn’t it?” Under her breath, she muttered, “Pervs.”
Mort shook himself. “Maybe it’d be better if you asked someone else your questions.”
“Like who? The hookers? Luther insists they have a different slant on things, but since Ann’s not a hooker—”
“No, she’s not.”
Ann stiffened. “Definitely not.”
“Right. So I figured she’d have a different take on the whole sexual gratification thing. I mean, Luther keeps telling me it’s entirely different for women who aren’t in the flesh trade.”
“Oh God,” Mort said. He cleared his throat. “I’m sure Luther is . . . normal in his appetites.”
“And you picked that up by osmosis? You don’t even know yet what he did to me.”
“I’m out of here,” Ann said with emphasis.
Before she could leave, Luther’s voice, harsh with indignation,filled the room. “No need, Ann. I’ll explain things to Gaby—again—when we’re alone.”
Sighing, Gaby tilted her head back and looked at Luther upside down. “You have the uncanny ability to sneak up on me.”
His smile was mean. “Maybe it’s just that you’re not as slick as you think.”
“No. That’s definitely not it.” She looked back at Mort with an expression that said Luther was way off base with that one. “You don’t keep the door locked?”
“Usually.” Sex might have revitalized Mort, but his unease in the face of Luther’s obvious disgruntlement still left him stammering. “Luther. Nice of you to visit. Can I get you some coffee?”
“Thanks, no.”
Because she didn’t look at Luther, Gaby had to judge his heavy silence by the looks on Ann’s and Mort’s faces. Not good.
“You’re being a bully, Luther. Lighten up before Mort pisses himself.”
The insinuation that Mort lacked courage sent Ann over the edge. “That’s enough!” She propped her hands on her hips. “They,” she said, meaning the men, “might tolerate your abhorrent bad manners toward Mort, but I will not.”
Gaby eyed her militant stance. The robe detracted somewhat from its effectiveness. “Odd. What Luther did to me was real relaxing. Almost put me to sleep.” She cocked one brow up. “Mort must not be doing it right for you to be so high-strung.”
Startling Mort, Ann rounded the table. For a moment there, Gaby thought the woman would attack her.
Instead, Ann stopped beside her and glared. “Listen up, little girl.”
Gaby straightened in her seat. “Little girl?”
“Your obnoxious behavior doesn’t fool anyone, least of all me.”
She dared? Rising to her feet, Gaby growled again, “Little girl?”
“You can be as eccentric as you like, but if you behave like a child, then that’s exactly how you’ll be treated.”
Gaby narrowed her eyes. “You must be hiding a pair of brass balls somewhere under that fluffy robe.”
“Not impressed, Gaby,” Ann shot back. “In my line of work, I’ve seen it all, and lady, you’re not the worst, not by a long shot.”
Cocking out a hip and folding her arms, Gaby grunted in disdain. “Well, that just goes to show that someone’s not paying attention.”
Exasperated, Ann threw up her hands. “I get it that you lack social skills, lady. But that is not an excuse for your cruelty.”
Cruelty? That gave Gaby pause. “When have I been cruel?”
Though Ann was much shorter, she held herself like a woman who knew how to do combat. Police training? Luther could tell her that it’d do her no good against Gaby.
Not that Gaby had any intention of hurting her. Ann was what people called “petite.” She’d feel like a fool battling with a petite little fluff like Ann.
And besides, neither Luther nor Morty would like it.
“Mort claims you’re a friend, yet you take every opportunity to belittle him. You say unforgivable things, and you—”
“It’s okay, Ann,” Morty said.
“No, it is not!”
No, it wasn’t, Gaby agreed. But in the middle of processing all of Ann’s accusations, absorbing them and sorting them out, tragedy struck Gaby.
The force of it bowed her back and left her blind.
In the periphery, she heard Ann say, “Oh no, what is it? What’s wrong with her?”
Luther grumbled, “Not again,” while Mort said, “Get out of her way.”
Seeing flames licking the sky, hearing an agonized scream, Gaby groped for the chair back and braced herself so she wouldn’t collapse under the force of the image. Inside her head, the prediction blackened, the screams escalated.
It was too much. It was happening now.
Pushing away the hands that reached for her, Gaby stumbled from the room. If the others followed, well, she couldn’t stop them—just as she couldn’t stem the tide of physical torment flooding the nerve sensors of her body.