“Maybe you don’t know me too good.”
“I know you, Smithie, and you’re not that man.But I am.”
“Fuck,” Smithie bit out, his way of conceding the point.
“She’s safe.It’s done.We can all move on.”
Abruptly, Smithie asked, “You love her?”
Without hesitation, Marcus answered, “Yes.”
Smithie was back to muttering.“Fuck, now Igottafind a new dancer.”
Marcus smiled into the dark.“She likes to dance, Smithie,but yes.Eventually, she’ll be busy having our children, and my guess is Daisywill feel the need to put all her attention into that.”
“I like you enough to hope you don’t have girls,” Smithiemumbled.
Marcus hoped he did.
“Thank you for being the first man in her life she couldtrust,” Marcus said.
Again, there was silence.
After Marcus gave him time for that, Smithie replied, “Thankyou forbein’ the second.”
Then Smithie hung up.
Marcus flipped his phone shut and turned his head to lookout the window in order to watch Denver slide by on his way home to Daisy.
“Boss,” Ronald growled.
Marcus stared out the windshield at Lee Nightingale standingbeside the elevator doors, arms crossed on his chest, one booted foot up, thesole resting against the concrete.
Yes, Nightingale was good.
Marcus’s building was secure.In other words, it had armedsecurity guards that looked after everyone, not just Marcus.There were codes.There were monitored cameras.And Nightingale looked like he’d been waiting forsome time, undisturbed.
“It’s okay,” Marcus said.
Ronald swung into his spot and bit out, “Fuck!”as Marcusthrew open his own door.
Lee pushed away from the wall.Marcus closed his door andmet him halfway across the short space.
Nightingale shoved his hand in his pocket as Ronald warned,“Not another move.”
“It’s fine, Ronald,” Marcus said, not looking fromNightingale.
He pulled his hand out of his pocket, lifted it, and fromhis fingers dropped a necklace—delicate gold chain, at the bottom a row ofpearls.
“Wasn’t the time to give you this an hour ago,” Nightingalemuttered.
Marcus lifted his hand palm up.
Nightingale let the pearls go and they fell into his hand.
His fingers closed around it.
“Do you work on retainer?”Marcus asked.
