“You bet.” Jimmy knew that was a demand for information as soon as possible, and he would happily oblige after he told Cold what was happening. Right now, the fewer people who knew, the better. “Thanks so much for everything.”
Charlie rose from his seat and shook Jimmy’s hand, holding on a few moments too long. “I do hope whatever you have isn’t catching. Feel better, Mr. Poe.”
Jimmy could barely bring himself to look Charlie in the eye. He forced himself to smile as he graciously said, “Thank you, Charlie. We’ll be in touch soon.”
“Whenever you have need of me, I’m at your disposal.”
“Great. Yup. Thanks!” Jimmy turned and had to resist the urge to sprint outside. He had to remain calm, cool, and collected. He had his phone back out as soon as he hit the sidewalk, waving frantically at Jerry.
Jerry was standing beside the limo, ever ready, blinking in surprise at seeing Jimmy. He glanced at his watch. “Monsieur, it is not time to go home yet. It’s too early.”
“Jerry, it’s a matter of life and freakin’ death! We have to go now!” Jimmy exclaimed, opening his own door. “Home, please!”
Jerry didn’t question him further, shrugging and moving to take his place in the driver’s seat.
Jimmy couldn’t bear the thought of telling Jerry that his sweetheart was a snitch. He dialed Cold’s number repeatedly, but he got nothing but voicemail. Frustrated, he kept trying up until the very moment he was running out of the limo and through the front door of Cold’s mansion.
He started calling for Cold, racing upstairs to find their bedroom empty. He groaned, hurrying back down the steps and nearly smacking into Jerry. “Shit! Sorry!”
“MonsieurLegrand is outside,” Jerry said, lightly patting Jimmy’s shoulder. “By the pool is where you will find him.”
“Thanks, Jerry!” Jimmy said, his guts turning. There was a part of him that wanted to apologize to Jerry for what was about to happen, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He could only hope that Jerry would understand and forgive him for ratting Charlie out.
His heart heavy, he hurried to the patio doors.
Jimmy couldn’t believe his eyes when he walked outside. The entire patio and poolside had been completely transformed into a tropical paradise. There were colorful hanging lanterns everywhere, freshly planted hibiscus flowers, and it even smelled like the beach.
Clusters of bright seashells decorated all the furniture and the faint sound of Caribbean music caught Jimmy’s ear. He felt completely transported, and he’d actually forgotten for a few moments why he was looking so frantically for Cold.
Cold turned, surprised to see Jimmy standing there. He’d been in the middle of pouring champagne and smiled. “You’re early, Jimmy. I’m not quite ready...”
“Rod,” Jimmy said, quickly approaching and trying to break the spell of the romantic setup. “This is incredible, really, I love it, but I need to talk to you. Right now.”
“Just a moment,” Cold said firmly, finishing off his pouring and setting the bottle aside in a bucket to chill.
“Rod, wait—”
“James David Poe,” Cold said, reaching into his pocket and dipping down to one knee, “you’re the love of my life; a love I never thought I would have—”
“You have to listen to me!” Jimmy insisted, groaning loudly when he saw the ring in Cold’s hand. “I know you’re proposing, but this is life and death!”
“Will you please marry me?” Cold asked politely, as sincere and genuine as Jimmy had ever heard him.
Jimmy had waited so long for a proposal like this, sweet and romantic and totally perfect, but he couldn’t take it. This information was far too important. Desperate, he exclaimed “Dammit, Rod! Charlie is a fucking fed! Our wedding planner is an undercover federal agent!”
He waited for Cold’s response: rage, fury, very angry promises to murder Charlie as soon as possible.
Instead, Cold only looked mildly annoyed. He sighed, bowing his head as he tucked the ring away. He stood up, brushing off his pants with a scowl.
“Rod?” Jimmy demanded. “Did you hear what I said? Me telling you that Charlie is a federal agent?”
“Yes,” Cold replied curtly, “I already know.”
