“You’d do okay,” Logan assured him, ever the loyal brother. “But I’ll feel better if I drive.”

Done discussing it, Margo started to walk away. “I’m ready if you are.”

Since she didn’t even try to let him go, Dash went along with her as she took the few steps to a nearby brick retaining wall to pick up her purse and coat. Taking advantage of the moment of dubious privacy, Dash asked, “Have you taken any aspirin lately?”

Shaking her head, she said, “I’m fine.”

“Bullshit.” He took her items from her and hauled her along with him to his truck, where he fished aspirin from his glove compartment and handed them to her with a half-empty bottle of water.

For only a moment she looked defiant, then grateful. “Was I that obvious?”

“Only to me because I’m paying very close attention.”

A smile flickered over her lips before she tossed back the aspirin and washed them down. Nodding to the bags on the passenger seat, Margo asked, “What’s all that?”

“Groceries, dinner, the clothes and stuff I grabbed.” He hauled the bags out, holding them all in one hand.

The amount of clothes he’d packed in his overnight bag—enough for a week—seemed to throw her, but all she said was, “Dinner?”

“I figured I’d cook tonight. Fried chicken.” Your favorite.

That left her momentarily mute. “You cook?”

Didn’t everyone? Dash said only, “I’m a man of many talents.”

“And you want to cook tonight?”

He smiled, knowing she’d had other plans—plans to thwart his determination to wait until she had the splint removed. But he had a surprise on that score, too.

Bending to her ear, he whispered, “I’ve been thinking about that, about the care we need to take with your arm.”

“My arm is fi—”

“About making you scream with a killer O. And you know, I just might have come up with an idea that’ll work.”

Eyes darkening and cheeks flushing, Margo went perfectly still. Even the comically interested stares from Logan and Reese didn’t reach her.

“I can make you crazy with pleasure, but you have to trust me. You have to let me lead. And you—” his lips touched her ear “—will follow my directions...no matter what they are.”

Her breath shuddered in; she let it out in a soft groan. “Okay.”

Knowing he had her, Dash’s smile warmed even more. “Come on then. Let’s get the damned rental car so I can get you home alone and start on this very long, slow process.”

“Long and slow?”

“Agonizingly long. Excruciatingly slow.” He glanced at her breasts and saw that her nipples were stiffened points against her blouse. “Foreplay that I guarantee you’re going to enjoy.”

She shivered and Dash put his arm around. But she didn’t move.

“Margo? Logan and Reese are watching. One foot in the front of the other, honey.” He urged her forward and she finally got with it.

“How you can distract me like this when usually my brain would be eaten up with work—”

“You won’t slide on work. You’re better than that. But this way you can tackle it with a clear head.” He kissed her temple. “You’re every bit as primed as I am, aren’t you?”

“Well, I am now.” But then she let out a long sigh and admitted, “Yes, I was plenty twitchy before your little tease, too. God’s truth, Dash, you plague me.”

Logan and Reese pretended to be busy, but they didn’t fool anyone.

With her coat folded over an arm, Margo hid herself as she approached them. “The second either of you hears anything, I want to be told.”

Reese took the keys that Dash offered him. “They’re releasing Mr. Sweeny from the hospital tonight, so I’m going to run by there myself before I head home for the day, just to make sure everything is set. I’ll let you know how he and the girl are doing.”

Still worried, Margo thanked him.

“After I drop you two off I’m going to meet up with Cannon at the sports center to talk with the boys just in case I can find out anything else.”

“Pepper allows you to be out late?”

Logan started to reply, realized Dash had baited him, and instead glanced at the fading sun. “She understands the responsibilities of my job.”

“Yeah, Pepper is great.” But he enjoyed taking part in the running joke. Pepper could be noticeably demanding when it suited her, and despite all earlier indications, she was a true mother hen when it came to worrying about the people she loved.

Margo seated herself in the back of Logan’s car. “Cannon might not be comfortable leaving Tipton and Yvette. I got the feeling he’s taking responsibility for them both.”

“For the entire neighborhood,” Dash said. “At least that’s how it seemed to me.”

Rather than get in the front seat as Margo had probably expected, Dash squeezed into the back beside her, forcing her to scoot over, and then he put an arm around her before she could move all the way to the other side.

Smiling at her disgruntled expression, he helped to fasten her seat belt.

“We talked about that.” Logan got behind the wheel, denying her the opportunity to switch things around. “I convinced him they’d be safer once we found the guys responsible, so for now, he’s willing to trust Reese to help see to their protection.”

“We’ll definitely get them,” Margo decreed. “Sooner would be better than later.”

“We’re on it.” Logan started the car. “But until then, watch your ass.”

“My words to you, Detective.” Margo got comfortable against Dash. “But yes, we’ll be careful.” She glanced up at Dash. “Both of us.”

* * *

PULLING HIS STOCKING cap a little lower, Curtis ordered, “Follow them.”

Toby, who’d also worn a hat and kept his back to the scene, glanced over his shoulder. Two vehicles headed in two different directions. Without looking at Curtis, he asked, “Which one?”

“The car.” Curtis took off his glasses and polished them on a sleeve. “I want to know where they go, what they do—I want to know where she lives, if she’s alone or if he stays with her. I want to know...everything.”

In that inscrutable way of his, Toby said, “No problem,” and in two long strides he reached his big muscle truck. He’d catch them at the next light and because he was good, Saul knew he wouldn’t lose them.

Curtis held back, looking at the police station, at the truck the big cop drove, and then at Saul.

Feeling like an anxious puppy hoping for affection, Saul waited. Ever since the cluster-fuck where the cop had gotten away, Curtis had been more glacial than usual—which was saying something given Curtis’s aloof manner. Saul was used to him being that way to others. And to some extent he froze Saul out, too.

But never like this.

Taking in Saul’s ball cap, his aviator sunglasses, Curtis smiled.

And Jesus, that scared Saul more than anything else. He’d been told to disguise himself and so he had. He’d left the morning whiskers on his face, dressed down in an old corduroy jacket and worn jeans. Should he have worn a fake mustache, too?

Very uncertain of his brother’s mood, he asked, “Everything okay, Curtis?”

“It will be.” He approached Saul, his expression indulgent in that big-brotherly way. He cupped his face. “No more fuckups, Saul.”

His thighs actually felt shaky. “No—no, there won’t be. I swear.”

“You like spending my money, don’t you, Saul? You enjoy the house I supply, the clothes. The playtimes?”

“Yes.” It was thanks to Curtis that Saul never had to work a legitimate job. Curtis was a genius at making money, and even better at entertaining.

“Very soon,” Curtis continued, as if Saul hadn’t spoken, “you’ll get the opportunity to right your wrongs, to make up for the extra trouble you’ve caused me.” His fingers tightened, squeezing into Saul’s face, deliberately painful. “You will not disappoint me again.”

As Curtis walked away, Saul stood there, working his jaw, awed by his brother’s strength...and hating him just a little for it.

* * *

MARGO COULDN’T BELIEVE how affected she was by the promise of getting alone with Dash. Never had she experienced such a level of anticipation. And here she’d thought he might not be exciting enough.

She’d missed the mark on that one by a mile.

Dash’s muscular thigh pressed against hers and his long arm kept her close. Logan continued to talk, probably just to make conversation, but Margo didn’t bother trying to follow along. When necessary, Dash replied.

He also kept his fingers teasing her arm. The sunny day had warmed his skin, amplifying his scent, making her blood surge. She wanted to put her nose in his neck, but not with Logan continually glancing in the rearview mirror.

Hopefully on the outside she looked impassive because on the inside an inferno of sensation and need burned. She kept thinking about Dash naked, running her hands over all that solid muscle, rough hair, warm flesh.... She could almost feel the wet heat of his kiss, his hard fingers on her, in her....

She closed her eyes, but that only made her picture him over her, his biceps bulging, his hair-roughened thighs spreading her more slender legs as he slid deep.

Drawing in a shuddering breath, she tried to compose herself—and instead drew the attention of both men.

Gaze dark and knowing, Dash watched her.

Logan asked, “You okay?”

Get it together, Margaret. “I’m sorry. I... It’s not easy for me to...” The stammering didn’t help. She straightened away from Dash. “No offense to you or Reese, but I’d rather be handling things myself.”

“I know.” Sympathetic, Logan said, “I’d feel the same, so I get it. But don’t worry about it. You’ll be plenty involved.”