“At least it’s not in the closet,” Bishop snarked back.
I saw his barb hit home, and the detective froze, the grin on his face disappearing and the life drained from his eyes.
“Fuck you, Devereaux,” Micah said, stalking out the apartment door.
I could have sworn Bishop muttered, “Been there, done that…”
Okay, it was obvious now that the two knew each other, and from the sound of it, they didn’t like each other much. I could have chalked up the interchange to a hookup gone wrong, but there was something in Bishop’s gaze as he stared at the detective. Something… ravenous, but distrustful. He looked at Micah like a man dying of thirst who wasn’t quite sure if the water in front of him was a mirage.
The detective paused at the doorway and turned back around, his gaze licking over Bishop’s body and there was an answering hunger in his face. There was definitely more to this story than either of them was telling.
“Good night,” he said, then shut the door calmly, but firmly, behind him.
“What the hell is your problem with him?” I asked Bishop as I tacked the business card up on the cork board near our phone.
Bishop was sitting in the recliner and Kaine was seated on the couch. I sat down next to Kaine and sighed as he put his arm around me again. That small touch seemed to make everything so much better…
Bishop just glared at the coffee table, his face like a thunderstorm. I could almost see little bolts of lightning flying off here and there.
“Seriously, Bish, you were really being an—” Kaine began.
“I know! Okay, I just— I know,” Bishop exploded. He stood and began pacing the living room.
Kaine and I looked at each other. This was looking very interesting indeed…
“I’ve known Micah for… well, a while now,” Bishop said, running his hands through his hair in obvious frustration. “He makes mesofucking crazy! It’s like he knows what I’m thinking and feeling, and he knows exactly how to—”
Bishop stopped himself, realizing we were both avidly following his rant. Kaine had a soft, knowing smile on his face as he looked at his brother, and I could feel an answering one on my own.
“Oh, fuck you both,” Bishop said without heat, and dropped back into the recliner.
It took me a while, but I finally convinced Kaine and Bishop to go home, which had been no mean feat. I thought only the fact that Bishop had an 8 a.m. class and Kaine was supposed to work that night got them to budge.
“Come with me,” Kaine whispered as we stood in the doorway. Bishop had gone out to the car to give us a minute to say goodbye. He’d been tight lipped over the sexy detective, and we hadn’t been able to get any more information out of him. “You can hang out in the bar, and we can talk between customers.”
“Yeah. Talking and a dance club. Those go togethersowell…” I teased.
“Well, you could dance for me…” he said, waggling his eyebrows in what I assumed he thought was a sexy manner. I wasn’t going to tell him it just made him look silly. Okay, sillyandsexy. Sillily sexy? I didn’t think that was even a word.
“I— No. We have a lot to talk about, I know,” I said, stopping him from interrupting. “And Iwantto talk. But I’m not going to let Vivian come home to an empty apartment when there’s someone messing around in the neighborhood.”
I could see that Kaine was angry with my decision, but it wasmydecision. Okay, not angry. Furious. But one thing I’d learned in dealing with my father was to deal with someone who was angry, and I refused to run from things anymore. I’d hugged him and walked him out to the car. I’d at least understood his anger came from a place of concern, not control.
It was around eleven that night that I heard a knock on the door. I’d texted Vivian and she was due back in about twenty minutes. I had told her to call me when she got close and I’d wait for her outside. I didn’t want to take any chances with my friend’s life.
When I opened the door, I saw Micah—Detective Asano—standing in the hallway. His coat was over one arm again, his sunglasses were back in place and he looked a little embarrassed. Which he should have. Sunglasses at night weresonineties…
“Hey,” he said eloquently.
“Hey yourself, Detective,” I said. “Want to come in?”
“Nah, I just— I just wanted to say, I’m sorry about earlier. As you might guess, your friend and I have some… history,” he said, looking anywhere but at me.
“Yeah, I kind of figured,” I responded. “I’m glad you came back, though. I didn’t really get a chance to thank you. For calling the report in, everything.”
“No problem,” he responded. “You were in shock. It happens to everyone at some point.”
His eyes became a little distant, as if he was replaying some scene in his own head.
