doorway.
Del jerked and rose, taking a long sip of the now cold coffee. “That’s me.” She cleared her throat, “You must be Mr. Romano,” she said softly. “I’m Del.”
He walked forward and extended his hand. Another gorgeous dark and dangerous man, Del thought. Quietly he asked, “How is he?” His eyes scanned Luc’s frame from the bandages to the IV hookup.
“He’ll be okay. Why don’t we go downstairs where we can talk.”
The man could out stride Sasquatch. Delilah struggled to stay even with him, but suddenly he stopped, running his hand through his hair. “I apologize, Ms. Burke. Del. My wife thinks she’s broken me from my two worst habits.” He slowed his walk substantially. “Can we walk outside? I have a feeling I’m going to be a disappointment to her when I hear what you have to say.”
His look was grim but ever the gentleman, he held out his arm for her to precede him through the front doors of the hospital before pulling out a cigarette case and holding it open to her view. “In case she makes you report to her, you’ll notice there’s only one.” He lit the single cigarette, pocketing the case, inhaled deeply and said, “What happened?”
Del filled Ridge in on the sequence of events.
Ridge sat on the concrete wall that bordered the landscaped walkway. Putting his cigarette out in the sand filled container, he looked at her with concern. “He didn’t tell me his tires had been slashed.”
“He said he didn’t know at first. He found out late morning when the tire center called him.”
“And you think he might have been targeted tonight?”
“Cops tend to be suspicious when, co-incidentally, a decades old concrete planter comes tumbling off the roof to bonk a man on the head the day after someone has intentionally slashed his tires.”
“I see what you mean,” Ridge said. “Look, I’m more than Luc’s boss. We’re friends. Whatever I can do…”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Is there anything you’d like to confess, officer?” Ridge smiled.
“What do you mean?” Del said.
“I heard a pretty police officer came by the studio, twice this week, to see Luc.”
“It might’ve been police business.”
He just nodded and raised his hands. “None of my business.” He turned to leave.
Del said, “Okay. It wasn’t business.” Romano turned back with a smile. “But I haven’t known Luc that long. I was hacked that he didn’t call the police—me—when he found out about his tires.” Then a thought struck her. “Mr. Romano—”
“Ridge, please.”
Del nodded, “Did Luc talk to you or your wife about a problem he was having at the studio?”
“A problem?” Ridge’s eyes suddenly resembled a deadly bird of prey. He was focused entirely on her response.
Should she bring it up if Luc hadn’t mentioned the harassment issue to his boss? This was sticky. On one hand she felt like Ridge would want to know but it was Luc’s personal business, and he’d asked her to let him handle it. Maybe he’d had a talk with the woman and had gotten his point across. Del didn’t think that woman would take a scolding kindly. But until it became police business, it wasn’t Del’s problem to handle.
“Never mind. He must have worked it out. I think I’ll go back upstairs.”
Ridge shook her hand. “I’m going to check in with the desk and get back to Buffy. She was concerned, and she has to leave on a business trip in the morning. If Luc won’t ask, you let me know if I can do anything. Agreed?”
“Agreed. Thanks for coming.”
“Oh, and you should know I arranged for my orthopedist to take Luc’s case. He’ll be here early tomorrow.” Ridge’s eyebrow crooked. “Staying the night?”
“Until I find out who’s targeting Luc…count on it.”
Chapter 17
D el tried to get back to her nap in the uncomfortable chair then realized what had awakened her, movement from Luc’s bed. Opening her eyes, she saw a tall woman stroking the hair
Del jerked and rose, taking a long sip of the now cold coffee. “That’s me.” She cleared her throat, “You must be Mr. Romano,” she said softly. “I’m Del.”
He walked forward and extended his hand. Another gorgeous dark and dangerous man, Del thought. Quietly he asked, “How is he?” His eyes scanned Luc’s frame from the bandages to the IV hookup.
“He’ll be okay. Why don’t we go downstairs where we can talk.”
The man could out stride Sasquatch. Delilah struggled to stay even with him, but suddenly he stopped, running his hand through his hair. “I apologize, Ms. Burke. Del. My wife thinks she’s broken me from my two worst habits.” He slowed his walk substantially. “Can we walk outside? I have a feeling I’m going to be a disappointment to her when I hear what you have to say.”
His look was grim but ever the gentleman, he held out his arm for her to precede him through the front doors of the hospital before pulling out a cigarette case and holding it open to her view. “In case she makes you report to her, you’ll notice there’s only one.” He lit the single cigarette, pocketing the case, inhaled deeply and said, “What happened?”
Del filled Ridge in on the sequence of events.
Ridge sat on the concrete wall that bordered the landscaped walkway. Putting his cigarette out in the sand filled container, he looked at her with concern. “He didn’t tell me his tires had been slashed.”
“He said he didn’t know at first. He found out late morning when the tire center called him.”
“And you think he might have been targeted tonight?”
“Cops tend to be suspicious when, co-incidentally, a decades old concrete planter comes tumbling off the roof to bonk a man on the head the day after someone has intentionally slashed his tires.”
“I see what you mean,” Ridge said. “Look, I’m more than Luc’s boss. We’re friends. Whatever I can do…”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Is there anything you’d like to confess, officer?” Ridge smiled.
“What do you mean?” Del said.
“I heard a pretty police officer came by the studio, twice this week, to see Luc.”
“It might’ve been police business.”
He just nodded and raised his hands. “None of my business.” He turned to leave.
Del said, “Okay. It wasn’t business.” Romano turned back with a smile. “But I haven’t known Luc that long. I was hacked that he didn’t call the police—me—when he found out about his tires.” Then a thought struck her. “Mr. Romano—”
“Ridge, please.”
Del nodded, “Did Luc talk to you or your wife about a problem he was having at the studio?”
“A problem?” Ridge’s eyes suddenly resembled a deadly bird of prey. He was focused entirely on her response.
Should she bring it up if Luc hadn’t mentioned the harassment issue to his boss? This was sticky. On one hand she felt like Ridge would want to know but it was Luc’s personal business, and he’d asked her to let him handle it. Maybe he’d had a talk with the woman and had gotten his point across. Del didn’t think that woman would take a scolding kindly. But until it became police business, it wasn’t Del’s problem to handle.
“Never mind. He must have worked it out. I think I’ll go back upstairs.”
Ridge shook her hand. “I’m going to check in with the desk and get back to Buffy. She was concerned, and she has to leave on a business trip in the morning. If Luc won’t ask, you let me know if I can do anything. Agreed?”
“Agreed. Thanks for coming.”
“Oh, and you should know I arranged for my orthopedist to take Luc’s case. He’ll be here early tomorrow.” Ridge’s eyebrow crooked. “Staying the night?”
“Until I find out who’s targeting Luc…count on it.”
Chapter 17
D el tried to get back to her nap in the uncomfortable chair then realized what had awakened her, movement from Luc’s bed. Opening her eyes, she saw a tall woman stroking the hair
Similar Books
