Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(46)
Author: Gena Showalter

I wrapped my arms around my middle. My ice had melted on me, too, leaving me damp, so the air-conditioning was colder than it should have been. "No. Did you?"

"Not really. They pulled on masks as they got out of the car. So where’d you learn to shoot like that and where’d you store your gun? You didn’t leave it behind, did you? Because I know it’s not currently in your possession."

"I told you. I never had a gun. Well, not on me."

He flicked me a quick glance over his shoulder. "No, you said you didn’t have a gun. What do you mean, you never had one? You fired at the bad guys."

"No. I didn’t shoot those men. Someone else did."

The car jerked – I think Rome’s foot flexed on the pedal. He turned his head to flick me another glance, this one through narrowed lids. Not wanting to admit to the rest just yet, I looked away from him and focused on Sherridan, who was curled on the floorboard of the passenger seat and staring at me through the slit between the bucket chairs.

You okay?she mouthed.

I nodded. You?

So far.

In unison we reached for each other and twined our fingers.

"Shit. They’ve already started to block off the exits," Rome muttered. The car slowed, eased into another driveway, then backed out and headed in the opposite direction. "We’re going to have to brave an interrogation. Belle, Sherridan, switch places."

Switch – "What? Why?"

"Do it. Now." No compromise.

Sherridan and I shared a wide-eyed, confused look before squishing together, shimmying around each other and changing locations. The bright sun was suddenly glaring at me, spotlighting me.

"Good. Now sit up and buckle."

My heart was currently in the process of racing our car. My heart was winning, and my blood was chilling. "I thought we needed to hide."

"I doubt the bad guys will try anything with this much fuzz on location." Fair enough. I buckled, my hand shaking, and the moisture on the gauges crystallized again. I wanted to reach out, touch Rome in some way, absorb his strength, his heat, but didn’t.

"What are you going to tell the police?"

"I’ll get to that. First, tell me about the gun you don’t have." Was he trying to distract me? Well, it was working. That didn’t mean I was ready to give him the truth, though. I swallowed, searching my brain for the least incriminating excuse. "Guardian angel?" I said weakly. I’d meant it as a statement, not a question. How many times had I done something similar in the past few days? I had to gain better control of my voice inflections.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. "Try again."

No matter how I laid this out, Rome was going to hate it. He would shout, maybe lecture me. "Someone was there, all right?" I tossed the words like a weapon. "Someone was there, helping me. Shooting the bastards to protect me."

"Someone – a man?"

"Yes."

"Was he cute?" Sherridan asked.

"Yes, but you’re not dating him." You’re not going near him, I silently added. I didn’t know what I’d do if Memory Man decided he wanted Sherridan’s memories of me, too.

"And you didn’t think to tell me he was there?" Rome asked quietly. "I could have talked to the man, learned more about his purpose."

"He took off when you arrived." I think. M-Squared was wily, I’d give him that.

"Or so you think," was the harsh reply, as though he’d read my mind.

"I’m sensing anger, Rome," Sherridan said. "The guy saved her. You should kiss his ass in thanks, not yell at Belle because you failed her."

I loved Sherridan.

Rome ran his tongue over his teeth. "I can drop you off here, you know."

"All right, kiddies," I said, clapping to gain their attention. "That’s enough. Rome didn’t let me down, and Sherridan’s staying right where she is." Who would ever have thought I’d be placed in the role of moderator? Usually, I had to be moderated.

"What’d the guy say to you?" Rome demanded, not allowing the subject to drop.

"Nothing." I rolled up the ends of my jeans, removed my shoes and tugged off my socks. They were too wet, having collected most of the water that had dripped from my skin. "Well, he told me not to be afraid of him and that he’d help me."

"That’s something. But who was…he. Oh, hell, no." The steering wheel whined as it bent backward.

"Tell me it wasn’t Memory Man, Belle."

Sometimes it sucked to love a man who was good at putting clues together. "So you want me to lie?" Crack.The top half of the steering wheel detached from the bottom half.

"He called me, too," I added. Might as well disclose the full truth, now that our channels of communication were so open.

Like a child who’d just been told he couldn’t play with his favorite toy anymore, Rome tossed the decimated piece on the floor.

"Jealous?" I asked hopefully.

"Hardly."

He was, I thought, trying not to grin. He really was. His breath was sawing in and out and his teeth were grinding together. That was more than just anger, and what sweet progress it was! This was the Rome I knew and loved. A man who wanted me all to himself, who hated for other men to even glance in my direction. Sounded Neanderthal, but I loved it.

In the past, boyfriends hadn’t cared who looked at me or even what I did with the person doing the looking. I’d been a kind of backup plan for them, easily discarded when something better came along.

To Rome, I’d always been that something better, and he’d wanted to cherish me.

"We’re being pulled over, ladies," he suddenly said. "Let me do the talking."

"What!" Sherridan shouted. "Why? You weren’t speeding. At least, not that much." I rubbed my palm over my chest, my heart once again fluttering wildly. "Think they know we – " Rome gave a single shake of his head. "They’d have guns trained on us if they suspected. They’re just taking names, finding out who was out and about in this area during the shootout." The car slowed, then came to a halt altogether at a curb in front of a sprawling two-story house.

Once again I found myself watching a scene play out through a rearview mirror. The black-and-white car door swung open. Booted feet hit the ground, and then a short, stocky male was unfolding himself from the car and standing.

I groaned when his rough, weathered features came into view.

"What?" Sherridan and Rome demanded in unison.

"I know him." And that was not a good thing! "I bet he’s trying to catch us riding dirty."

"Wait. You know the policeman?" Rome asked, brow furrowing.