One thing I knew for sure—I didn’t want to see the inside of a private BDSM room for a long, long time. The memory of the look on Matías’s face and the panic that clawed at my insides wouldn’t be leaving me anytime soon.
“Another,” I told the bartender as he passed by.
I figured the best way to chase away the memory was with my buddy Jack.
James
The drive homewas quieter than usual. Izzy had a massive hangover and kept her eyes closed during the four hours, for fear she’d throw up all over my car. Last night, the men took two hours to arrive to haul Matías into federal custody, and Izzy had thrown back more drinks than she had in over a decade.
I carried her out, kicking and screaming, and back to the hotel room. I held her hair back as she emptied the contents of her stomach, and I gave her a bath to help her relax and clean her up. I felt like shit for putting her in the situation, and I promised myself I’d never let it happen again. Her life was too precious to me to get her mixed up in our cases.
Thomas stood in our driveway, hands on his hips, and looking a little more upset that usual.
“Hey,” I said after I parked the car and climbed out.
“That was a clusterfuck, eh?” he asked.
“Nothing more than usual.”
“Tommy,” Izzy groaned, unfolding herself from the front seat of the Challenger in the most ungraceful way.
His eyes raked over her, and he shook his head. “You look like shit.”
“I earned this hangover.” She tried to crack a smile but winced. “I need my bed.”
“Can we talk?” Thomas asked, rubbing the scruff on his face.
“Sure.” I looked over at my wife who was now heading toward the door. “I’ll get everything. Go relax.”
“Already doing it,” she said, raising her arm, holding up two fingers.
I motioned toward the trunk with my head. The least he could do was talk while I unloaded the suitcases that barely fit in the trunk. “What’s up?”
“I think, moving forward, we shouldn’t involve Izzy, or any of our spouses for that matter, in any more cases.”
“Already thought about that on the way home.”
He raked his hands through his dark hair and sighed. “My mother already chewed me a new asshole when she found out where you two were going.”
“I’m sure that was pleasant.”
“I don’t remember her ever being so angry with me. I swear my phone almost burst into flames.”
I’d been on the receiving end of one of those calls in the past. It wasn’t fun. I hadn’t thought anyone could yell louder than my mother, but I was wrong. Mrs. Gallo wasn’t afraid to express herself, especially when she wasn’t happy.
“It’ll never happen again,” I reassured him.
“She’s going to want to hear it from both of us.”
“I’ll make a point of seeing her this week.”
“Your ass better be at dinner later.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, wanting to collapse in bed next to my wife and sleep until tomorrow, but that couldn’t happen because it was Sunday.
“We’ll be there.”
“Good.” He started to walk toward his bike to leave. “I’ll catch you later, then.”
