“Yes, you can,” she says, and as we exit to the street she halts and turns to face me and adds, “And believe it or not, Rick Savage, I find that incredibly sexy.”
I pull her to me. “You shouldn’t, but I’m glad you do.”
Heat burns between us, but the door to the restaurant opens and explodes with people. We step right and when she shivers from the swift shift from the sixties to the evening forty-something mountain air, I quickly grab the light jacket she’s holding, and help her put it on. Then I slide my arm around her and set us in motion.
***
Adam
Lucifer and I are perched on the low rooftop of a building, him sitting on the ground with his MacBook open, me with binoculars, watching Candace and Rick stroll downtown Sonoma.
“Dexter just got here,” Lucifer informs me. “He’s grabbing us food.”
“My stomach says thank you, but tell me again, why the hell is he here?”
“He said and I quote: ‘Why the hell did I think visiting my fucked-up family in San Francisco would be any less fucked up than it ever is?’ I’m pretty sure work is his escape.”
“Yeah well, Savage doesn’t like or trust people he doesn’t know well. He barely trusts you. Let’s keep Dexter being here on the down-low.”
“Fuck,” Lucifer curses suddenly.
“Hey man,” I say. “It sucks, but it’s his honeymoon.”
“I don’t give two flips about Dexter and Savage. We have facial recognition on Max.” He’s already standing, shoving his computer into his bag. “Rooftop. Two buildings down.”
I curse, and stick the binoculars to my face, spotting him and the glint of a rifle. “He’s got a gun,” I say, dropping the binoculars to my chest. I’m already running. “I’m going after Rick and Candace.”
Lucifer pulls his weapons. “I’ll cover you and send Dexter after Max.”
***
Savage
We eat our ice cream inside the ice cream parlor, and when we exit to the street, Candace grabs my arm. “Candy.” She points to a candy store. “For later. We can take it home.”
“Not yes, but hell yes,” I say. “Let’s go.” I grab her hand and we start a fast walk, nearing a jog.
A car passes, and I pull her along, running across the street and down a block. She’s laughing as we walk into the store. “You are crazy. I say ‘Candy’ and we're literally running for the goods like it’s a treasure.”
“Exactly,” I say, giving her a wink and heading for the display cases of chocolate. Five minutes later, I’ve had the counter clerk bag about a hundred dollars’ worth of every chocolate they sell. That includes an elderberry truffle, whatever the fuck that is. We’re just about to pay when Candace spies the cotton candy.
“I’m stuffed, but I have to have it,” she says. “It’s been forever and it’s even pink. I wonder what the pink tastes like.”
“Sugar,” I promise. “Sticky sugar.” I lean in close. “I’ll lick it off for you when we get home.”
She grins. “Promise?”
With that response, I decide it’s time to head back to the room.
I pay for the sweets and once we’re outside, I motion to a bench where we can eat and I can call for a car. “No signal,” I say, standing up and walking a few steps. Right about the time I get a signal, I pause with a rush of unease. My gaze lifts and out of nowhere it seems, Adam is running toward Candace. At the same instant, the crack of gunshots pierces the air. One, two, they keep coming.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Savage
It’s as if everything is in slow motion.
Adam and Candace go down and I see blood. There’s more gunfire, but it’s not coming from the same weapon, rather multiples weapons but I can’t see the shooters. I react, doing all I can do with no target. And at this point, all I can do is what I do. I run for Adam and Candace and throw myself over the top of both of them. Adam groans beneath me and I can hear Candace murmuring, “Oh God. Oh God, oh God, oh God.”
More like Mother of God, help me save them. More bullets crack in the air, pinging from multiple locations, but nothing flies in our direction or hits me. I give it thirty seconds, and since I’d like to live another day, and for Candace and Adam to do the same, I know I need to get us under cover. I pull my weapon, roll off of Adam and scan my surroundings to find no obvious threat. Adam, in turn, rolls to his back, his arm pouring blood. “Tell me she’s okay.”
I’m already leaning over Candace.
“My arm,” she whispers. “It’s my arm.”
I rip open her sleeve, relieved to find what turns out to be a surface wound that will hurt and bleed like a bitch, and require stitches, but it’s not going to cause permanent damage. Adam got her out of the line of fire and saved her damn life. “You’re okay, baby. It’s just a deep gash. It took some flesh, but you’re okay.” I pull off my shirt, rip it and tie her arm off to stop the bleeding before I do a body check for any other injury. Once I know she’s clear I move to Adam’s side and get right to work on his arm.