“No, hold on. I have been trying to get in touch with you all goddamn night and your phone goes straight to voicemail. Hold your horses if you think you’re going to hang up on me right now.”
“I’m sort of in the middle of a crisis.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“Seriously, I—”
She cut me off again. “What the hell happened last night? I’ve never seen you like that. You were like an amnesiac right out of a bad soap opera. And I would know, I watch General Hospital a lot.”
“Uhhh…”
“Sure. Now you’re at a loss. Do you have any clue what kind of questions I’m fielding from Tyler tonight? He’s not an idiot, Secret. He knows something out of the ordinary happened last night, and I don’t know how to explain it to him without…you know. Telling him.”
“Don’t.”
“Duh.” I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “But I’m going to need something to tell him that he’ll buy.”
“Tell him I had a head wound.”
“That gave you selective amnesia.”
“He should buy selective amnesia better than most people.”
Cedes paused. I should have known better than to say that, because she wouldn’t gloss over it. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing, forget it.”
“Missy, once you’re out of whatever crisis you’re in, you and I are going to have margaritas and a very, very long chat.”
“There’s something else.”
“Yeah?”
&nb
sp; “Next time you see me, it’s important you ask me—”
“Oh. You sneaky devil, why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I see you. Tell me now.”
My pulse dipped, and my blood went cold. “Cedes, no, that’s not…” But it was too late. The line was dead. And if I didn’t haul ass, more than the line would be dead soon.
“Oh God,” I breathed out, my eyes going hazy with pink as tears flooded to the surface. “Oh my God.”
“Go.” I’d forgotten Holden was there, and his voice gave me a start.
“But, what about…” I nodded to Lucy.
“I think I’m capable of taking care of her until Genevieve gets here. It’s my fault you’re messed up in this to begin with, so I’ll take my part of the responsibility now. Go.”
I wanted to believe he’d be okay without me. Logic told me he was the best person to guard Lucy, and I couldn’t help him by staying, but I needed to know I’d done all I could. I took my gun from its holster and laid it on the end of the bed.
“What’s that for?” he asked.
“Just in case.”
“Secret…”
“No.” I shook my head. “Don’t argue. Please.”