“I don’t have a dress,” Mac said. “We’ll have to postpone until I can go shopping. In a few months or so.”

“Baby…”

“I’m kidding. Except about the dress. I really don’t have one.” She gave a small scoff. “And I have a meeting all afternoon, so I don’t have time to get one. You’ll have to tell me where we’re going so I can plan a different outfit.”

I took a note from Judge’s playbook.

I’d go shopping for my woman.

“Someone will be by with a dress in a couple hours.”

“Ward—”

“Text me your shoe size, too.”

“You’re insane.”

“They’ll leave it on the porch so you don’t have to talk to them. You won’t even have to see ’em.”

Proving she knew me, she muttered, “You just want the easy access.”

“Baby, if you think wearing pants would stop me, you’re wrong. You can be in a damn suit of armor, and I’ll still find a way to take what’s mine.”

“Once again, you’re insane.” That time when she said it, her voice was softer. Breathier.

Christ.

If I was alone, I’d be trying to convince her that phone sex in the middle of the workday was good for productivity.

“Yeah, but you like that about me.” When she didn’t respond, I wondered if our call got cut off.

Or if she hung up on me.

“Mac.”

“Hmm,” she said distractedly, making me go alert.

“What’s wrong?”

“What? Oh, sorry. Nothing. Kind of.” She let out a long sigh. “One of my students is mad that I contacted her mom. She texted me something, but it’s not loading.”

“Is your internet down again? I can swing—” Glitch’s words ended in an oomph when I reached back and smacked him in the chest.

The line went silent again.

After an eternity, Mac said quietly, “I’m on speakerphone.”

“Bluetooth,” I corrected, like that made any difference.

“And you’re not alone.”

“Glitch is here,” I admitted, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Anyone else?”

I looked in my passenger seat. “Judge, too.”

“Hi, guys. Enjoy your last day with Ward before I throttle him.”

“Fair enough. It’s been a good run,” Judge shot back.

I caught a glimpse of a man approaching the building we were staked out in front of. “Gotta run, baby. Murder me later while you’re wearing the dress.”

“Whatever you say, neighbor.”

“Smart-ass.”

“I learned it from you,” she said before hanging up.

“Ready?” I asked.

Judge shook his head. “Give it a minute to get going.”

“We wait much longer than a minute, it could be done.”

Keeping an eye on the clock, Judge noted, “Shit sounds good with Mac. Other than the fact she’s gonna kill you in your sleep.”