In Death 18 - Divided in Death

get tagged and have to explain why a vehicle registered to you is being used by a couple of idiotic city detectives.”
    “Sounds like fun for everyone. In you go, Lieutenant. I’ll drive.”
    She didn’t argue. Lack of sleep had dulled her reflexes, and traffic was starting to heat up.
    “You were hard on her,” he commented as he nudged the police unit away from the curb.
    “If you’ve got a problem with my technique, file a damn complaint.”
    “I don’t. She needed you to be hard on her. And when she gets her feet under her again, she’ll respect that. She’ll also push back.”
    Eve stretched out as best she could, and shut her eyes. “That doesn’t worry me.”
    “It wouldn’t. I think you’ll like her better when she starts to push.”
    “I didn’t say I didn’t like her.”
    “No, but you think she’s weak and she’s not.” He skimmed a hand, lightly, over Eve’s hair. “You think she’s foolish, and she isn’t. What she is, is shaken, on every level, and grieving for a man she knows, at the core, isn’t worthy of that grief. So she grieves instead for the illusion. And that, I think, might be even more wrenching.”
    “If you ended up naked and dead with another woman, I’d do the rumba on your corpse.”
    “You can’t do the rumba.”
    “I’d take lessons first.”
    He laughed, rubbed a hand over her thigh. “You might very well, not that you’ll ever get the chance. But you’d also grieve.”
    “Wouldn’t give you the satisfaction,” she mumbled, half asleep. “You cheating fuckwit putz.”
    “You’d weep in the dark and call my name.”
    “Call your name all right: How are things in hell, you dickless bastard? and I’d laugh and laugh. That’s how I’d call your name.”
    “Christ Jesus, Eve, I love you.”
    “Yeah, yeah.” And she smirked in her sleep. “Then I’d put all your precious shoes in the recycler, take your fancy suits and burn them in a celebrational fire, and kick Summerset out of my house on his bony ass. After which I’d have a party where we’d drink all your expensive wine and whiskey. And after that I’d hire two, no three, of the top LCs in the business to come over and pleasure me.”
    When she noticed the car was stopped, she blinked her eyes open and saw he was staring at her. “What?”
    “It just occurs to me that you’ve given this matter a great deal of thought.”
    “No, not really.” She rolled some of the stiffness out of her shoulders and yawned. “It all just came to me in one big lump. Where’d I leave off?”
    “Being pleasured by three LCs. I assume you’d need three in order to be pleasured in the style to which you’ve become accustomed in the last couple years.”
    “Yeah, you’d think that. Okay, after the orgy, I’d start on your toys. First, I’d . . .” She broke off, narrowed her eyes as she focused out the car window. “Funny, that doesn’t look like Central.”
    “You can work from home, and plan my memorial from here as well. After we both get some sleep.”
    He got out, came around, and opened her door because she hadn’t budged. “I haven’t updated my report, or checked in with the commander.”
    “Which can be done from here, as well.” He simply reached in, gathered her up, and slung her over his shoulder.
    “You think this is all macho and sexy, right?”
    “I think it’s expedient.”
    She decided to play possum when he walked in the house. At least that way she wouldn’t have to speak to Summerset. But when she heard the irritating sound of his voice she wished she could screw up her ears as handily as she could her eyes.
    “Is she injured?”
    “No.” Roarke shifted his balance as he started up the stairs. “Just tired.”
    “You look tired yourself.”
    “I am. Hold any transmissions that aren’t emergencies for the next few hours, will you? And anything that’s not priority for an hour beyond that.”
    “I will.”
    “I’ll need to speak with you about several matters after that. Put up full security, and stay in the house until I do.”
    “Very well.”
    Because she’d opened one eye, she saw Summerset’s concerned frown before Roarke turned at the top of the stairs.
    “He in on this Code Red?”
    “He knows a great deal about a great deal. Anyone looking at me would look at him.” He booted the door closed behind him, then walked over to dump her on the bed.
    “I guess you do look tired.” She angled her head as she studied his face. “You hardly