Vin headed out of the room, and she followed him upstairs in silence. As he tried not to feel stalked, he reminded himself that she wasn’t the problem. He was.

When he came to the doorway to the master bath, he said, “Gimme a minute.”

After shutting himself in, he turned on the shower, took off his clothes, and got under the hot water. He couldn’t feel the spray, even on his busted face, and took it as evidence that however drunk he thought he was, he should be a little more generous in his assessment.

When he stepped out, Devina was waiting with a towel for him. He didn’t let her dry him off, even though she no doubt would have done a better job, and he put a pair of pajama bottoms on even though he normally slept naked.

They settled into bed, side by side but not touching, the television’s flickering like that of a fireplace with blue flames. In a moment of madness, he wondered if the walls were going to melt up here, too, but no. They stayed the same.

On the TV, Fred and Ginger were dancing around, her gown swinging wide, his tails doing the same.

Either Vin hadn’t been out for very long or this was a marathon on whatever channel she’d chosen.

“Won’t you tell me what happened?” Devina said.

“Just a bar fight.”

“Not with Jim, I hope?”

“He was on my side.”

“Oh. Good.” Silence. Then, “Do you need to go to the doctor?”

“No.”

More silence. “Vin…what were you dreaming about?”

“Let’s go to sleep.”

When she reached for the remote to turn the TV off, he said, “Leave it on.”

“You never sleep with the television on.”

Vin frowned as he watched Fred and Ginger moving in sync, their eyes locked as if they couldn’t bear to look away. “Tonight’s different.”

CHAPTER
16

Pounding on his door woke Jim up the next morning.

Even though he’d been dead asleep, he was instantly conscious…and pointing the muzzle of a forty across the studio. With the blinds drawn across the big window in the front and the two small ones down over the kitchen sink, he had no idea who it could be.

And considering his past, it might not be a friend.

Dog, who was tucked in beside him, lifted his head and let out a ripple of inquiry.

“Not a clue who it is,” Jim said, throwing the covers off and going buck naked to the far side of the front drapes. Parting them ever so slightly, he saw the M6 parked in his driveway.

“Vin?” he called out.

“Yeah,” came the muffled response.

“Hold on.”