Darius walked in on cat’s feet from somewhere in the back of the house. He looked around at everyone.

“I forgot to bring the dip,” he remarked.

I nearly laughed, that was more like the Darius I knew.

“Darius,” Ally said, finally showing some reaction, she was staring at Darius and her face was wearing a tentative welcoming smile.

“I see you and Indy haven’t changed much,” Darius told Ally.

Everyone looked at everyone else. No comments were made because it was more or less true.

“That was anti-climactic,” Eddie said after several beats.

I walked up to Rosie and slapped him upside the head.

“Ow!” Rosie shouted at the same time Chowleena barked.

I stared at him then slapped him upside the head again and Chowleena barked again. She thought we were playing and wanted to be in on the fun.

“You idiot!” I yelled and then smacked him another one.

“Ow! Quit it! She’s hitting me.” He looked at Lee. “Do something, you’re the police!”

Lee simply watched.

“He isn’t the police,” I told Rosie and hit him again.

“Ow!” Rosie looked with desperate eyes to Darius.

“You?”

“Me? Police?” Darius actually started laughing. It took years off his face and made him handsome again. If I wasn’t in such a tizzy, I might have stopped to appreciate it.

I smacked Rosie upside the head again, Chowleena barked again.

Rosie looked wildly around and yelled, “You all have handcuffs and guns. How do you have handcuffs and guns unless someone’s the flipping police?”

Instead of hitting Rosie upside the head, I shoved his shoulder.

Eddie slowly raised his hand.“Indy, guess I’m gonna have to ask you to quit doin’ that.”

I got up close to Rosie and stared down on him. “If I wasn’t so happy you’re alive, I’d kill you.”

Rosie seemed to deflate.

“Indy, I’m sorry.” he said, looking miserable and smelling worse.

“Sorry? A week ago you had three friends. Now Tim’s dead, The Kevster’s behind bars for trying to save your pot plants and I don’t have all afternoon to tell you all that’s happened to me. Newest nightmare, bookies are taking bets on if I’ll go off with icky, creepy Wilcox.”

Rosie blanched and said, “Euw. He looks like Grandpa Munster.”

“That’s what I’m sayin’!” I shouted at him.

“I wish I had all day to watch this show but I got things to do,” Darius put in. “You gonna call this in?” he asked Eddie.

“Yeah.” Eddie’s eyes moved to Lee. Eddie had taken off his shades and slid an arm in the collar of his tee so they were hanging at his throat. “We gotta talk. Do you think Betty and Veronica here can keep an eye on these two?”

“I get to be Veronica,” Ally said instantly.

I turned to her. “Why do you get to be Veronica?”

I didn’t want to be Betty, Betty was a doormat. Veronica had attitude.

“I’m so Veronica,” Ally said in answer.

“Unh,” the hit man groaned.

“Jesus,” Darius said.

Lee jerked Rosie around and sat him on the couch next to his would be killer.

He pointed at Rosie and said, “Sit. Stay.”

While I was watching Lee, I felt a hand at my back and my shirt was lifted up. I twisted my head to see Eddie there, then felt his hand slide into my shorts and pull out the gun.

He could have pulled it out by its butt and barely touch me. He didn’t do that. He slid the length of his index finger along the gun, the rest of his knuckles fisting around the butt, grazing the small of my back, making certain I felt his warmth against my skin nearly to the top edge of my underwear. And, I had to admit, it felt nice.

Provocatively tactile.

When I turned back to Lee, he was watching and the muscle was going in his cheek.

“Outside,” Lee said to Eddie.

Eddie handed me the gun and said, “Point this at the bad guy and don’t take your eyes off him. If he moves, shoot him. Got that?”

I nodded.

Lee, Darius and Eddie left the house.

I pointed the gun at the hit man, pulled the pepper spray out of my pocket and gave it to Ally saying, “How’d you find Rosie?”

“You know all those leads I told you about?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I tracked them down, gave out more cards, the leads led to more leads and here I am. Rosie.”

I was impressed.

“You are the shit!” I told her.

“Damn straight,” she replied on a grin.

Then we heard voices through the front screen door.

“She was on a ride-along,” Lee clipped.

“Yeah, a ride-along with a Chow,” Darius commented.

“She got in a f**kin’ quick draw with a hit man in broad daylight and she was armed with a goddamned taser!” Eddie snapped.

“It’s none of your business, Eddie, but she and I made a deal,” Lee said.

“Yeah, I heard. A deal struck while she was cuffed to your bed. Christ, I never thought I’d see the day when you were led around by your dick,” Eddie returned.

Uh-oh.

Them’s fightin’ words.

I chanced a glance to Ally and even she’d gone pale.

“Boys,” Darius said low.

“You know, I’m almost compelled to let you have her for a week and see if you can control her,” Lee put in.

Um… say what?

“I’d take a crack at that,” Eddie replied.

Oh… my… God.

“Er… I think there’s something I forgot to tell you,” Ally whispered at my side but I wasn’t listening.

“Yeah, I noticed that,” Lee said and his voice had gone scary. “A kiss on the neck, your hand down her f**kin’ pants. I’m warnin’ you, Eddie, it’s the three strike rule.”

“Uh… Indy?” Ally said.

“Shh!” I shushed her.

“I told you a year ago to make your move or I would. Now you have and I get to the station and I hear she’s runnin’ through a Highlands neighborhood, her hands cuffed behind her back, tear gas in her face, Coxy’s ass**les shootin’ at her and some crazy ex-con takin’ a bullet for her. What the f**k is that all about?”

“Eddie,” Darius said, obviously trying to break the tension, “this is Indy we’re talking about. That sounds like a normal Saturday night.”