BooksBarbecue
Back We Were Killers Once
Chapters (65)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty–one
  25. Twenty–two
  26. Twenty–three
  27. Twenty–four
  28. Twenty–five
  29. Twenty–six
  30. Twenty–seven
  31. Twenty–eight
  32. Twenty–nine
  33. Thirty
  34. Thirty–one
  35. Thirty–two
  36. Thirty–three
  37. Thirty–four
  38. Thirty–five
  39. Thirty–six
  40. Thirty–seven
  41. Thirty–eight
  42. Thirty–nine
  43. Forty
  44. Forty–one
  45. Forty–two
  46. Forty–three
  47. Forty–four
  48. Forty–five
  49. Forty–six
  50. Forty–seven
  51. Forty–eight
  52. Forty–nine
  53. Fifty
  54. Fifty–one
  55. Fifty–two
  56. Fifty–three
  57. Fifty–four
  58. Fifty–five
  59. Fifty–six
  60. Fifty–seven
  61. Author’s Note
  62. Acknowledgments
  63. Also by Becky Masterman
  64. About the Author
  65. Newsletter Sign-up

Beaufort looked at the time. Three A.M. He knew how to tell whether Gloria was still his woman, or whether he had to make other plans. He went to the dresser drawer that had been allotted to him, pulled out a T-shirt and shorts and put them on. Leaving the drawer open, he went to the closet for his suitcase and put it open on the bed. He packed his clothes slowly and neatly to give her time to think.

That’s what she did, stand there watching him and thinking. It was a game of chicken they played in the night. But Beaufort won the game.

Gloria, defeated, spoke first. “What are you doing?”

“Clearly there are trust issues here, and I don’t think it’s good for me to stick around,” he said. Trust issues. He was picking up more and more of the lingo of this new world.

She didn’t beg him to stay so he pushed a little more, but kept his voice calm. “First you’re nosing around in my computer. Now this?”

That did it. Rather than point out it was technically her hardware even if they were his searches, she all but fell to the floor and hugged his ankles. “Jerry, please don’t go.” It went rapidly to crying after that.

“Have I ever struck you?” he asked, and his tone was aggrieved. “Have I ever so much as laid a finger on you in anger?”

“No! You’ve been great!” she protested.

“Then don’t embarrass yourself. You’ll feel lousy about it tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s my fault, I had no business looking in your wallet. I’m sorry.”

“Honey, nothing has happened. I moved in for a while and now I’m moving out. I didn’t take anything from you that you didn’t want to give, am I right?”

Gloria nodded, still sobbing and not bothering to wipe away the tears.

Beaufort was glad to not move out. Right now he didn’t think she would do anything. What could she do? And on what grounds? So far he hadn’t committed any crimes. It wasn’t a crime to be an emotional freeloader and he had been careful not to step over any lines, never stole anything from her. Never even bruised her, though he had come to think that wouldn’t be a deal breaker for her. She was pretty much his.