Chapter 9
FINGER
Standing in Tracker’s office with Cap, Rides, and Hot Rod watching, I maintain my stoic position. At the front of Tracker’s desk, I give him my full attention because anything less and he’ll kick my ass or shoot me in the head.
“When you are on duty to provide security and you are to be at a place to escort someone you make sure you arrive early. Not on time, not late, early. If you had arrived early,The Seerwould not have been hurt.” Tracker is scowling so hard I’m in a position where I say nothing, take what he’s dishing out and am thankful that’s all I’m getting. “Do you understand, Finger? I am layingthe blame for this last fiasco on you because if you’d been early to the diner Cilla would not have left to walk home.”
“I understand, Pres. I was helping at the rescue because Bull was stretched. I didn’t realize the time, but it won’t happen again.”
“You will stay at the diner all Cilla’s shift. I don’t care that it’s boring. You stay there and keep your eyes open. This bastard may have another go at her. If he does, you take him down, and we get him back here. We are watching where he was last seen, but he’s a sneaky bastard and keeps slithering past us.” Tracker picks up a cigar and puts it between his teeth, which tells me this is over.
I quickly say what is expected, “Yes, Pres.” Then I turn, pass the brothers watching my humiliation and make for Cilla who I’m taking back to her house. I’m sticking to her like glue from this point on.
“Oh, and Finger, Cap, Rides and Hot Rod will bring Nicholas Denning to the shed. You watch Cilla until we get him in custody,” Tracker snarls, but has that feral look on his face. I nod and quickly exit the office.
As I’m driving Cilla to her house, I keep giving her side-eyed looks because she’s not saying a word. Eventually, I can’t stand the silence. “Are you okay, Cilla?”
Turning her head to look at me, Cilla gives a small smile. “I’m okay. I know the guy was going to get rid of me because I took those pictures, but you know, Finger, I am not sorry I took them. He could have murdered all of you in one single blow. I’m not happy to ignore something like that. Bono tried to warn me, but it was too late because the guy was on me before I understood what Bono was doing. But Bono waving his arms around and bellowing like a fool didn’t help either.”
“I’ll be sticking with you from now on, Cilla. I’ll sit in the diner and watch for the fucker to come again. Pres knows where he’s been hiding, so it won’t take long to track him down and get hold of him.”
Cilla looks at me with a frown on her pretty face.Shit, why did I think that?
Once we are at Cilla’s house I watch as she switches on the coffee machine and checks out the fridge. “Let me do that. Take a seat, Cilla.”
“I can do it.”
“I know you can…but take a seat anyway. Is Bono around?” I only ask because, honestly, it’s spooky as shit to think someone dead is watching what you are doing.
Cilla lets out a tiny giggle. “No, he’s not around at the moment.”
“I’m not sure about having ghosts following us around, Cilla. It’s kinda fuckin’ spooky.”
“You get used to it. I’ve seen the dead since I was a child, so to me more than not they are just people who want closure before they move onto the next level.” Cilla jumps to her feet and opens the fridge where she takes out a beer and holds it for me to see, and yeah, I nod that I’ll have one. But seeing her take out a can of soda for herself tells me a lot about this woman, and how careful she is being with her own health.
After raiding the fridge myself, I make scrambled eggs and bacon. I throw in some toast and call it a meal. Actually, Cilla eats every bite, and as it’s early evening after eating, she takes herself to shower and get into bed.
Now, I’m not sleeping on this couch another night. I wash up and clean the kitchen before putting the TV on for an hour.Hearing no movement upstairs for quite some time, I walk up and check if Cilla is asleep.
Yeah, she’s out for the count. I quickly shower and do the last thing she’d expect, which is climbing into bed, keeping my boxers on, mind you, and lie on my back with one arm behind my head. I want to catch this asshole myself now he’s caused me grief with Pres. I don’t know how they haven’t caught the piece of shit yet, especially when they found where he was staying.
Waking the next morning, I stay perfectly still. Cilla has her head on my chest, arm wrapped around my waist, and a leg thrown over mine. I would chuckle, but the movement is liable to wake her, and she’s got that low snoring noise going on which sounds kinda cute coming from her.
I know the moment Cilla wakes, as her entire body stiffens, and she does her best to slowly extricate herself from my body. I can’t hold back the laugh, and when she shoots from the bed bolting into the bathroom, I laugh again.
It doesn’t take long to dress, go downstairs to get the coffee on, and check everything is still locked as it should be.
“Morning!” Cilla states in a way I’m not sure is good.
“Morning, you slept well. Anything to worry about from your latest health incident?" I ask, keeping my voice even. I hand her a coffee and take a seat at the kitchen table.
“What were you doing in my bed?”
Ahh, at last she has broached the subject. “Well, I’m not sleeping on that hard couch when we can share the bed. I didn’t encroach on your side. It was you who plastered yourself on top of me.”
“But…”
“Cilla, it’s happening. I’m not breaking my back on that couch. If that asshole comes after you, I don’t want to be stiff and hurting and not able to protect you. So, you’re gonna have to live with it.” Continuing when Cilla tries to speak again. “I wore my boxers. It’s not like I was naked now, is it!”