Page 64 of A Matter of Time

“Sam, I⁠—”

“So help me God, if you don’t tell me where you are right this second, I will shoot you myself as soon as I find your scrawny ass.”

I chuckled. “I thought you liked my ass.”

No answer.

“Is that not right, Detective?”

“You cocky piece of shit. You’re gonna throw that in my face now?”

“Actually, I’m not gonna do anything at all to you or with you or… Shit.” I was really tired suddenly. The very last of my adrenaline was gone. I wanted somebody to take care of me. “Just have the other detective call me, all right? I don’t wanna see you anymore. I gotta go. I gotta call somebody to⁠—”

“Don’t you dare hang up on me again or I will… Oh, look at that,” he said at the same time I heard the sharp squeal of brakes.

My head came up, and I saw him double-parked on the street. He slammed his door and came around the front of his SUV. I didn’t even try to stand. I leaned my head against the wall next to the stairs instead. Everything hurt, and I was cold right down to my bones.

“Jory, I’m gonna⁠—”

“God,” I groaned. “What do you want?”

When he didn’t say anything, I looked up into his face. His jaw was clenched and his dark eyes were locked on mine.

“I think I…” There was a ringing in my ears, and I felt like someone had shoved an ice pick into my skull between my eyes. “Oh shit.”

He crouched in front of me, and his hands moved to my face as I rode out the pain. When it receded, I stared into his eyes.

“Jory, your lips are blue.” He groaned before he blew out a breath. “Christ. Can you walk?”

I shook my head.

He took me in his arms, crushing me to his hard chest, and the warmth was instant and amazing. “I’m taking you home with me, so wrap your brain around it.”

“Okay.”

When he stood up, I put my head on his shoulder, and he rubbed his chin over my head. As everything spun, I was lifted into the car seat. In the SUV, he stroked my hair as I closed my eyes. He had the heater up on high, and all I heard was the sound of the blower. I didn’t remember the rest of the drive.

I was warm, and every single part of me felt heavy. I rolled over and realized I was under a sheet and several blankets in a huge bed.

“You awake?”

I looked up, and Sam stepped away from the window where he was standing.

“Kind of.”

He took a breath. “Good.”

“Thanks.”

“You want something?”

I carefully shook my head.

“This is my place, obviously. I live here alone, so⁠—”

“What am I doing here?”

“You passed out in my car. I had to do something.”