Nicky left with Zaza and Percy waddled out of the kitchen with a round belly, mouth open wide in a yawn. “Are we done here yet? I need a nap.”
“Almost. You can go sit with Zaza if you want. I just have a few more things to do to ensure we don’t get into any trouble.”
“Why would there be trouble? We dispatched the enemy. We should be thanked.”
“I’m sure lots of people, including cops, will be happy Joseph’s gone, but they’ll still be investigating and I’d like to avoid being arrested.”
“You being in jail would be inconvenient,” Percy agreed. “Very well, then. Handle it. Promptly, though. I’m tired.”
Percy left and a few minutes later Nicky entered, huffing, “Now what?”
“We move Joseph outside.”
Her lips pinched. “You want me to touch him?”
“Not for long. We have to get him into the cold so the freezing of his flesh doesn’t set off any alarm bells with the pathologist.”
“They’re going to think it’s strange he froze outside in a crouched position,” she pointed out.
“I’m aware, but it’s the only thing I can think of that explains his current condition.”
Nicky’s lips pinched. “Let’s do it then, before I lose my nerve.”
As we grabbed hold of his hunched body, I remarked, “You’ve been remarkably brave throughout this whole ordeal.”
“Didn’t really have a choice. I couldn’t lose it in front of Zaza.” She grimaced as we had to maneuver through the open door and smacked the frozen hand holding the gun.
I flinched as it loosened the fingers enough for the weapon to fall and hit the floor—but not go off.
We continued to maneuver outside. When I said, “Drop him here,” we set the body down a few feet from the door and stepped away from it.
“You are doing amazing, considering all that happened,” I said.
“Thanks. Although, I’ll probably join you in having nightmares.”
“At least we’ll be together.” It slipped out, the assumption she’d want to stick around. I quickly backpedaled. “That was presumptuous of me. Now that you’re safe, you don’t need someone to protect you. You and Zaza can go anywhere and?—”
She put a finger to my lips. “Shut up. What happened today hasn’t changed how I feel about you.”
“There are better men out there.”
“Men who would risk their lives to save a child that isn’t theirs? Who keep worrying about my feelings and neglecting their own?” She shook her head. “I think not, and I will add, I am capable of making that decision myself. I love you. Will that always be true? Guess that will depend on how things go. But right here, right now, I want to explore what’s happening between us. I want to bask in the pleasure your presence and touch give me.”
“Will you promise to tell me if your feelings ever change?”
“Yes, but I want you to make me a promise, as well. No more of this ‘you’re not good enough for me’ crap. As Olivia Newton-John once famously sang in Grease, ‘You’re the One That I Want.’”
“Fine but I am going to be blunt and tell you right now that while I love you, too, I am not ever watching a musical.”
Her lips quirked. “And I don’t do war movies.”
“Deal.”
Rather than shake, we kissed, kind of morbid seeing as how we stood beside her popsicle ex-husband, but the moment called for it.
The kiss ended on a lingering note and she sighed. “Do we have to go back to the hotel? Having only the one room means no privacy.” In other words, no sexy times for either of us.
“I know it sucks. It’s just for the night so we can cement our story and alibi.”
