him.”
Leaning from the bed, Daniel scooped the old orange tomcat up and eyed him. “So we meet again.”
“It’s okay, Boo. We’re not going to the vet this time.” Nicole held out the cage, and Daniel guided the wiggling cat inside. Pilar gave them a curious look when they caged Oreo, as well, and zipped up Nicole’s large suitcase.
“We’re taking the kitties with us, okay?” she told Pilar, and fumbled for a few words of Spanish. “Llevémonos los gatos con nosotros.”
Pilar gave her a weak smile and nodded as she scooted close to Nicole’s side again.
“I’ll get your bag.” Daniel pushed off the bed and positioned his crutches under his arms. “You and Pilar go on down to the truck. Jake can get the cats.”
Nicole hoisted her suitcase from the bed and extended the handle for rolling. “Don’t be silly. You’re on crutches.”
He tried to nudge her aside. “I responded to your 911 on crutches, didn’t I?”
She nudged back with her hip, noticing how hard and lean his body felt as she brushed against him. “True. And I’m sure you could wrangle my suitcase down the stairs and out to the truck, if you had the chance, but...” She started toward the door, wheeling the luggage with one hand and holding Pilar’s hand with her other. “So can I.”
Nicole bumped her suitcase down the steps from the second floor, feeling the weight of Daniel’s disgruntled scowl following her.
At the bottom of the stairs, she met her father’s frown and sighed. Somehow her father’s disapproval bothered her less than Daniel’s, a switch from years past that didn’t escape her notice.
“I still think this is a mistake.” The senator stormed toward her, blocking her path. “Let me hire protection for you. Your safety is my concern, not these guys’.”
“I trust Daniel and Jake, Daddy. They’re who I want.”
“At least take my Kevlar vest with you, in case there’s more shooting,” her father pleaded.
“I’ll be fine, Dad. Really.” When Jake took the suitcase from her, she motioned toward the second floor. “The cats are upstairs in travel cages if you’d get them, too, please.”
Jake arched an eyebrow and glanced to Daniel. “We’re taking pets?”
Daniel swung to the door on his crutches, then paused and rubbed his temple. “Apparently.”
Jake lifted a hand in concession, then tugged on the brim of his cowboy hat. “This is your gig.”
Daniel faced her father and narrowed a steely stare on him. “If you want your daughter to be safe, don’t breathe a word of any of this to anyone. The fewer people outside this room who know, the better.”
Her father puffed out his chest and squared off with Daniel. Quickly, Nicole wedged herself between the men and patted her father on the shoulder. Pilar scuttled with her, holding tightly to the hem of her sweater. “I’ll call when I can, Daddy.”
“No, you won’t,” Daniel grated.
Senator White aimed a finger at Daniel. “Listen here, pal. Don’t you try to—”
“Dad, stop!” Nicole knocked his hand down and divided a frown between the men. “We’re all on the same side here. Can’t you two stop warring with each other for even a little while?” She smacked a kiss on her father’s cheek and flashed him a taut grin. “Love you. Try not to worry. And you be careful, too.”
Jake finished loading the truck, squeezing the cats’ cages on the backseat next to Nicole and Pilar, and they got on the road just as the night blanketed the city. Pilar curled against her and fell asleep not long after they reached the dark highway bridge that crossed the marshes surrounding the city. After the first few miles, Oreo and Boudreaux ceased their plaintive mewls, and the truck grew quiet.
In the tight space of the backseat, surrounded by darkness, Pilar huddled against her, Nicole experienced a déjà vu that sent a shudder to her bones. Gritting her teeth, she battled down the panic that tried to climb her throat. You’re
Leaning from the bed, Daniel scooped the old orange tomcat up and eyed him. “So we meet again.”
“It’s okay, Boo. We’re not going to the vet this time.” Nicole held out the cage, and Daniel guided the wiggling cat inside. Pilar gave them a curious look when they caged Oreo, as well, and zipped up Nicole’s large suitcase.
“We’re taking the kitties with us, okay?” she told Pilar, and fumbled for a few words of Spanish. “Llevémonos los gatos con nosotros.”
Pilar gave her a weak smile and nodded as she scooted close to Nicole’s side again.
“I’ll get your bag.” Daniel pushed off the bed and positioned his crutches under his arms. “You and Pilar go on down to the truck. Jake can get the cats.”
Nicole hoisted her suitcase from the bed and extended the handle for rolling. “Don’t be silly. You’re on crutches.”
He tried to nudge her aside. “I responded to your 911 on crutches, didn’t I?”
She nudged back with her hip, noticing how hard and lean his body felt as she brushed against him. “True. And I’m sure you could wrangle my suitcase down the stairs and out to the truck, if you had the chance, but...” She started toward the door, wheeling the luggage with one hand and holding Pilar’s hand with her other. “So can I.”
Nicole bumped her suitcase down the steps from the second floor, feeling the weight of Daniel’s disgruntled scowl following her.
At the bottom of the stairs, she met her father’s frown and sighed. Somehow her father’s disapproval bothered her less than Daniel’s, a switch from years past that didn’t escape her notice.
“I still think this is a mistake.” The senator stormed toward her, blocking her path. “Let me hire protection for you. Your safety is my concern, not these guys’.”
“I trust Daniel and Jake, Daddy. They’re who I want.”
“At least take my Kevlar vest with you, in case there’s more shooting,” her father pleaded.
“I’ll be fine, Dad. Really.” When Jake took the suitcase from her, she motioned toward the second floor. “The cats are upstairs in travel cages if you’d get them, too, please.”
Jake arched an eyebrow and glanced to Daniel. “We’re taking pets?”
Daniel swung to the door on his crutches, then paused and rubbed his temple. “Apparently.”
Jake lifted a hand in concession, then tugged on the brim of his cowboy hat. “This is your gig.”
Daniel faced her father and narrowed a steely stare on him. “If you want your daughter to be safe, don’t breathe a word of any of this to anyone. The fewer people outside this room who know, the better.”
Her father puffed out his chest and squared off with Daniel. Quickly, Nicole wedged herself between the men and patted her father on the shoulder. Pilar scuttled with her, holding tightly to the hem of her sweater. “I’ll call when I can, Daddy.”
“No, you won’t,” Daniel grated.
Senator White aimed a finger at Daniel. “Listen here, pal. Don’t you try to—”
“Dad, stop!” Nicole knocked his hand down and divided a frown between the men. “We’re all on the same side here. Can’t you two stop warring with each other for even a little while?” She smacked a kiss on her father’s cheek and flashed him a taut grin. “Love you. Try not to worry. And you be careful, too.”
Jake finished loading the truck, squeezing the cats’ cages on the backseat next to Nicole and Pilar, and they got on the road just as the night blanketed the city. Pilar curled against her and fell asleep not long after they reached the dark highway bridge that crossed the marshes surrounding the city. After the first few miles, Oreo and Boudreaux ceased their plaintive mewls, and the truck grew quiet.
In the tight space of the backseat, surrounded by darkness, Pilar huddled against her, Nicole experienced a déjà vu that sent a shudder to her bones. Gritting her teeth, she battled down the panic that tried to climb her throat. You’re
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