“I feel your pain,” I said. After the day I’d had, this was par for the course. Aaron looked at me sideways, thinking I had no idea what I was talking about. “Hey… stuff like this happens to me all the time. It’s rough.” He wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t want to argue with the boss’s niece.
“So he’s coming between nine-thirty and ten?” Ramos asked, thinking we were getting sidetracked with all our complaining.
“Yeah. The kids usually come between ten and ten-thirty.”
“Okay. I’ll be back here by nine to wait for him. Does Slasher usually come alone?”
“Yeah. At least, I’ve never seen him with anyone else.”
“All right. Call me if anything changes.”
“Sure. See you tonight.” He almost added that Ramos should bring a gun, but stopped himself, knowing that was a stupid thing to tell a hitman.
Ramos and I left him to clean up the mess. I was hoping to buy some of those anti-aging pills, but decided now might not be the best time with Ramos watching.
Ramos handed me my helmet. “That was strange.”
“I know. Has anything like that ever happened before?”
“No. Manetto won’t be happy, but I’m sure we can take care of it.”
I snorted. “Yeah. After New York, this should be a piece of cake.”
He grinned, liking my sassy attitude. “Do you want to take the long way back?”
“Yes!” I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm. Ramos grinned. He liked the way my eyes lit up, thinking it was a beautiful thing. I chuckled and slipped on my helmet. A minute later, with my arms holding him tight, we were off.
The next twenty minutes went by way too fast. As we parked in the garage, I got off and sighed. Maybe I should volunteer to help Ramos tonight? That way I could get another ride. “Do you need some help tonight?”
“What?” Ramos’s brows rose. Was I turning to the dark side? What about my responsibilities at home with my husband and kids? Did this mean I was choosing him over them?
“What? Uh… No… I mean… uh, I just like riding your bike, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded. “So it’s all about the bike.”
“Well… yeah. Geez.” I playfully swatted his arm and turned to go. “I guess I’d better get home. Tell Uncle Joey goodbye for me. And… uh… good luck tonight. Don’t get killed or anything.”
He did that little head nod thingy, thinking that he sure liked pushing my buttons.
I shook my head and started toward my car. Instead of heading for the elevator, Ramos stood there and watched me go. I didn’t catch any words from his mind, but I definitely felt his admiration for my backside, and I nearly tripped over my own two feet.
I could have turned around and scolded him, but I figured it was better to make him think it didn’t bother me. Still, getting to my car without falling on my face became a monumental task.
I opened my door and glanced back at him. Since he hadn’t moved, I just shook my head and waved. He sent me that lopsided, sexy grin of his, and entered the elevator. I climbed inside my car and let out my breath.
I knew I should probably put up my shields and not listen to all of Ramos’s teasing thoughts. That would solve my discomfort, but, deep down, I knew I wasn’t about to do that. A part of me liked it way too much to stop. I was going to hell for sure.
After pulling into the garage at home, I came through the back door, and a soft, furry body rushed to greet me. Coco wiggled against me, shoving his nose into my hands, with his tail wagging so hard I thought for sure it might break. He seemed so relieved I’d come back that it broke my heart.
“It’s okay, Coco. I’m back.”
He barked, home. I nodded. “Yes. I’m home now. Did you have a nice walk?” He barked, yup, and I smiled, ruffling his fur. “Let’s go sit down for a minute.” He barked yup again, and followed me to the living room, where I sat on the floor in front of the couch.
He sat beside me and rested his head on my knee, looking up at me with those big, adoring eyes. Naturally, I lavished him with love and praise while petting his beautiful face. I even kissed him. Who would have thought I’d ever kiss a dog? Sheesh.
Savannah came downstairs from her room and told me all about their walk. “After we got home, I tried to get him to sit on the couch with me, but I guess he wasn’t allowed on the furniture before, because he wouldn’t do it. Should we tell him it’s okay?”
“You know, I think if he’s not used to it, we shouldn’t change his training. It’s nice not to have dog fur all over the furniture, and we can always sit on the floor like this if we want.”
“Yeah, and he’s got his new bed. Where should we put it?”
“I’m sure we can figure it out.” As we spoke, I felt the tension of the day drain away. It amazed me how much better I felt petting a dog who seemed to adore me. After speaking a little longer, we got up to get dinner ready.
With our meal in the oven, I set the dishes on the table, and Chris walked in the door. Coco barked to sound the alarm, but settled down after I introduced him to Chris. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to understand that Coco had already picked up Chris’s scent, and, after one sniff, he accepted Chris pretty fast.
It wasn’t until later in the evening that I told Chris how I’d understood Coco’s barks. We sat out on the deck swing in the late glow of the sunset, enjoying the cooler temperature. “He’s one smart dog,” Chris agreed, watching him catch the Frisbee with Josh and Savannah. “I wonder what happened to him. I don’t think his owner would have given him up so easily.”
“I know, we’ve all been wondering the same thing. Maybe I’ll pick it up at some point, but I’m not sure how much he can tell me. I mean, I usually just get one-word responses, you know?”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” After watching Coco make another great catch, Chris pulled me against him, careful of my arm. “So, how was your day?” Naturally, I told him all about the new psychic at the police station.
“So you went in just to meet her?”
“Of course. When I talked to Dimples, he wanted to know if she was for real. But, after I got there, I didn’t have much time to find out because they had to leave. I did pick up that she wants my job though. I just don’t understand why she’s pretending to be a psychic to do it.”
“That’s insane,” he agreed. “But… have you considered that she might have some psychic abilities? If she’s after your job, that’s the only reason that makes sense, even if it seems crazy. Besides that, she sounds like trouble. Are you sure you want to get involved?”
“No. But I told Dimples I’d help him. Still… maybe he won’t need me. In fact… maybe none of them will need me anymore.”
Chris’s brows rose. “You sound disappointed. But look at it this way; now that the police have another psychic, you can finally take some time off.”
He thought I’d been through a lot lately and it was taking a toll. Besides, I’d hardly had any vacation time on our vacation, so this was a good excuse to lay low and hopefully not get shot at, kidnapped, or stabbed.
In fact, staying away from the police might be the best thing that’s happened to me lately, especially with Uncle Joey’s request. He still didn’t know what to make of it. Should he tell me or wait for a better time?
What the hell? I caught his gaze and raised my brows. He swore, realizing I’d picked that up from his mind before he could squash it. “It’s nothing to be worried about.”
“Then why don’t you want to tell me?”
He tamped down his concern, thinking that we needed to be calm and level-headed about this. It could be really good… or maybe really bad. Still, no one was going to make me do anything I didn’t want to, so we could handle it.
“What’s he done now? Is he in trouble?” Worry tightened my stomach.
“No. Not at all.” Chris wished he had more time to think it through, but I wasn’t about to let it go. Plus, there was the meeting tomorrow—
�
��Chris—what’s going on?” I needed him to spit it out before I had a full-fledged panic attack.
“He’s just changing a few things in his trust. You know… in case anything happens to him or Jackie… or… uh… when they die of old age? So it’s probably fine.”
“What’s he done?”
“He’s added you to his trust as the executor of his estate.”
“What?” Shock rolled over me. “What does that mean?”
“It just means that you have to carry out his wishes. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but I guess after what happened in New York, he wants to be prepared in case something happens to him.”
I snorted. “Sorry, but that’s kind of funny. I mean… if anything happens to anyone, it will probably be me, not him.”
“You have a point,” Chris agreed, thinking I was a bona fide trouble magnet. “I don’t think you have to worry about it too much, I mean Jackie will probably outlive him, and it falls to her first.”
“Then why put me in it at all?”
Chris shrugged. “I guess because it’s better to be prepared for all circumstances.”
“But surely Miguel could take care of it.” I thought he’d probably outlive us both, but I didn’t want to say that part out loud. Did that mean I was becoming cynical? Hmm… maybe I should talk to Bob about that.
“Yeah, but I don’t think Manetto wants to put that on Miguel. He trusts you, Shelby, and I think he’d rather have you take care of things.”
I shook my head. “But couldn’t you do a better job than me? Why doesn’t he just leave it to you?”
“Because I think he’s got something else in mind.” Chris knew this was the part that might upset me. “I could be wrong, and he certainly hasn’t told me this, but I think he wants to name you as a beneficiary.”
“Really? Huh… does that mean he’s leaving me some of his money?”
“I think so. I’m just starting up the paperwork. We’re meeting tomorrow, and he wants both of us there. So I guess we’ll find out then.”
“He wants me there—in a meeting with you—and you’re just telling me this now?”
“Uh… yeah.” His brows drew together. Why was I getting so upset? He hadn’t had a chance to tell me before now.
“What time and where?”
“In his office at ten. Will that work?”
He may have asked me now, but it griped me that he’d gone ahead and set up a meeting with a time and place before asking me if that would work. He should have called me first to make sure it would work for me too, but no… he’d just gone ahead without asking. What if I was busy?
I caught confusion coming from Chris. He wondered what was going on with me. He could have called to make sure the time would work, but he knew I wasn’t busy with anything at the moment, and it was Uncle Joey. Since I always jumped to do his bidding, why was I sitting there like I was angry with him?
I heaved out a breath to calm down. “Uh… sure, ten should be fine, but next time, can you call and ask me before you set something up? I mean… it’s true that I’m not busy with anything at the moment, but things can change. I could be helping the police… or a client… you never know.”
“Right,” he quickly agreed. “Of course. I can do that. I just thought… never mind. I get it, and I should have spoken to you when we set it up.”
He rubbed his chin, thinking that I seemed more stressed than normal. Was there something else going on that I’d kept to myself? Had Chief Winder coerced me into doing something for him again, and I hadn’t told him? “Don’t you have to be cleared before you can go back to work for the police?”
I pursed my lips. Why did Chris always think the worst? Sure, I kept things from him, but not so much anymore. “Yes. But don’t worry, the chief hasn’t asked for my help on anything.” I didn’t want to mention that he’d told me to take some time off, since it still rankled.
“But I forgot to mention the other reason I went in to the precinct. I met with a counselor. His name’s Bob Spicer, and he’s really nice. He basically cleared me to return to work.”
Chris’s brows rose. “Wow… that was fast… but… I guess that’s good.” He couldn’t tell how I felt since I wasn’t smiling about it. “So what did he tell you?” He was hoping he’d given me something to help with my short temper, because being in the hot seat was not fun. I’d always been a little dramatic, but lately, it had gotten worse. Of course, after everything I’d been through—
He glanced my way, knowing I’d just heard that. Frustration mounted that he was never going to get this right. He should know better, but damn it… how was he supposed to function if he couldn’t think? And why did I have to pick up every little thing that went through his mind.
He remembered how hard it was when I’d first discovered my mind-reading ability, and how he’d asked me to put up my shields around him. He’d learned that wasn’t the answer, because it just made him look like a tyrant.
So what was he supposed to do about it? He hated hurting my feelings, but some of his thoughts were deeply personal. He’d never say any of those things out loud… but I knew it all, and it made life difficult for him… and for me.
“Chris… don’t get too upset. You’re right. It’s difficult, but not insurmountable. Most of the time, it doesn’t bother me, but I’m struggling a little. Just like you said… er… thought… I’ve been through a lot lately, and I’m a little uptight. But now that I’m seeing a counselor it’s bound to help. Maybe I can bring up how hard it is for you in one of my sessions, and see if he has some good suggestions?”
“He knows you can read minds?” Shock rippled through him. He didn’t think I’d ever tell anyone that.
“No… of course not,” I said, keeping my voice low. “He thinks I have premonitions… but it’s basically the same thing, and it would be nice to hear what he has to say about it, right?”
He didn’t think it was the same thing at all, but what did he know? “I guess it doesn’t hurt to talk about it.”
“I agree. I’m meeting with him again day after tomorrow, so I’ll ask him about it then.”
“Okay, sure.”
I glanced up, noticing that both Savannah and Josh were sitting with Coco on the grass, but they’d each picked up a few snippets of our conversation. Savannah wondered if something bad was going on between Uncle Joey and me. But Josh’s thoughts nearly gave me a heart attack. He wondered if he’d heard Chris correctly. Had he said something about reading minds? Was he talking about me?
As the blood drained from my brain, a voice called from the side of the house, and we all turned to find Angel Molina and his dog, Pepper, standing by the gate. Both Josh and Savannah hurried over to the pair, and I sighed, grateful for the reprieve.
I’d called Angel earlier about Coco, and he’d said he’d come by sometime tonight to meet him. Was I saved by the bell, or what? Of course that didn’t change the fact that Josh might ask me about it later.
Coco took to Angel and Pepper right away, and we spent the next hour admiring the dogs and catching up. After his brush with the law, Angel was thinking about becoming a cop, and then hopefully a detective, so he could help people the same way I’d helped him, especially the innocent ones.
I thought that was a noble thing to do, but it worried me, since he’d be on the front lines with all the risks it entailed. But, wasn’t that what I did, without going through the ranks? Maybe we could even work together sometime? I could definitely go for that.
We had a pleasant visit, and it was late when Angel left. Before we could discuss where Coco would sleep, Josh said goodnight and called Coco to follow him down the stairs. Savannah didn’t like that and told Josh she wanted Coco to sleep in her room.
It was like a dam breaking, and Josh let out all his pent-up frustration, arguing that he was sick and tired of Savannah always getting her way, and Coco was just as much his dog as hers. Savannah began to yell back, and both of them got louder and louder with each word.
“You’re upsetting Coco,” I said, even though it was obvious to everyone. “Why don’t you take turns? He can sleep in Josh’s room tonight and Savannah’s tomorrow.”
“But mom…” Savannah moaned.
“No buts. This is the fair thing to do, and Coco doesn’t need more upheaval in his life.”
Savannah’s thoughts turned to Coco and everything he’d been through. With a pout, she gave in. “Fine.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Coco moved to her side and snuffled his nose against her hand. She petted him and knelt down to give him a hug. While petting and talking to him, she secretly hoped he’d choose to go with her if she kept it up.
Josh worried about the same thing, and he let out a pent-up breath of frustration. Coco tipped his head toward Josh and, after a quick lick at Savannah’s face, he followed Josh down the stairs. Savannah wiped the moisture off her face and hurried up the stairs to her room.
After her door shut, Chris and I just stared at each other. “That was interesting,” Chris said.
“Yeah. Do you think Savannah will get over it? I mean… she’s the one who’s been pushing so hard to get a dog.”
He shrugged. “True. But I have to agree with Josh that Savannah tends to get her way a lot more often than he does.”
“Yeah, maybe, but that was interesting. Coco was like a referee between them. Have you ever seen anything like that before?”
“No. It makes me wonder what kind of training he’s had.”
“Yeah, me too.” I agreed.
After checking on Savannah, and locking up the house, we got ready for bed. I’d been holding my worry at bay, but, once we slipped under the covers, I let it all out.
“While we sat on the deck swing, Josh heard us talking.”
Catching my agitation, Chris’s brows drew together. “What did he hear?”
“He overheard you asking me if I’d told Bob that I could read minds. You said that part pretty loud. I think Josh got distracted when Angel came over, so he didn’t say anything. But now he’s wondering if that’s what I do. This is terrible.”
Dying Wishes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 14) Page 5