But he was starting now.
“Now go to sleep, sweetheart,” he said, all soft.
I loved it when he let himself call me “baby.”It didn’thappen often, in fact, not since our Come to Jesus.
That was my first “sweetheart.”
I’d never forget it.
Not ever.
I settled back into bed, pulling the covers over me.
I didn’t watch but I did hear soft noises from the cushionsas he settled back to the couch.
It took a while before I said into the dark, “I hope it’sone of the guys from tonight.”
“Me too, baby.Now please, go to sleep.”
It was the please that got me.
I closed my eyes.
And with Mo watching over me, keeping me safe, I driftedoff.
And slept like a baby.
Chapter Eight
Piece of Cake
Mo
The next night, standing backstage, eyes scanning thecrowd during Lottie’s last set, Mo tried to control his thoughts that were onthe fact none of the guys they’d tagged last night was their guy.
And his thoughts were on that because they were also on themost recent letter they got.
The ugliest.
The most troubling.
The one that was delivered to Smithie Monday and includedthe news that the guy knew all about Mo, and that Mo was going to be cleansedhimself, this being executed, as in made dead for “consorting with the soiled.”
The letter that also shared the members of Hawk’s crew whowere supposed to be doing drive-bysand randomlykeeping an eye on Lottie’s house while he was inside keeping an eye on Lottie,as well as Mo when he was out with Lottie, had missed this guy somewhere alongthe line.
The letter that had Mo so tweaked, he was close to having toadmit that to Hawk, this being right before he shared he was taking Lottie toBali.
All these thoughts clashed with all his thoughts aboutLottie, and all his responses—mentally, emotionally and physically—that weremaking it nearly impossible to do his job.
The way she stepped in with Carla being the most recent.Notonly getting her to go to the emergency room, getting her mom to look after thewoman’s children, and also her chat with all the girls that night, afterlearning Carla was out for at least five days, probably more like ten.
They were taking a collection.
Carla was on paid leave.
But she wouldn’t feel the loss of her tips.
And finally, Lottie saying to Dominique, who’d brought inLottie’s first take of tips from her first set, “Everything I get tonight goesinto the envelope for Carla.”
