In the club’s parking lot, Vin walked through rows of cars, but he wasn’t tracking much…at least not until he caught sight of the guy with the mustache and glasses who’d witnessed the fight from the head of the corridor. Fortunately, as they all passed each other, the man ducked his eyes like he didn’t want any trouble and continued pulling on his parka, like he’d gone out to a car to get the thing.

When they got to the truck, Vin slid into the passenger seat and carefully rubbed his aching face.

Letting his head fall back, he despised the spinning, twirling tangle of pain that was making his skull scream. And the headache got even worse as it dawned on him that whereas he was headed back home, Marie-Terese had returned to work. Which meant she was with other men at this very moment, giving them—

He had to stop going there before he went totally mad.

Looking out the window, he watched streetlights flare and fade as Jim took lefts and rights and stopped at intersections on the way to the Commodore.

When they rolled to a halt in front of the high-rise, Vin released the seat belt and popped the door open. He had no idea whether Devina was going to be at the duplex or whether she’d have headed over to the place she still kept in the old meatpacking district of Caldie.

As he hoped she wasn’t in his bed, he felt like a bastard.

“Thanks,” he said to Jim as he stepped out. Before he shut the door, he leaned in. “Life is too frickin’ crazy sometimes, it really is…. You never know what’s going to happen, do you.”

“You got that right.” The guy ran his rough hand through his hair. “Listen, go be with your woman. Make up with her, okay?”

Vin frowned as something dawned on him. “Is this it? For you and me? Are we done now?”

Jim exhaled like he was disappointed his relationship advice was being ignored. “No, not hardly.”

“Why won’t you just tell me what you want?”

Jim just braced his forearm on the top of his steering wheel and stared across the seat. In the silence, his pale blue eyes seemed ancient. “I told you why I’m here. Go be nice to Devina and then get some sleep before you fall on your ass.”

Vin shook his head. “Drive safe.”

“I will.”

The truck took off and Vin went up the graduated steps to the Commodore’s lobby entrance. With the swipe of a pass card, he opened one of the doors and walked into the marble lobby. Over at the sign-in desk, the older, overnight security guard glanced up, caught a look at Vin’s puss, and dropped the pen he was holding.

Guess the swelling was kicking in. Which would explain why one of Vin’s eyes was having trouble blinking.