I got the keys jammed in the ignition at last and threw the car in reverse. We screeched around in a one-eighty and tore down the ramp toward the exit.
I came around the corner and yelped when Louie came into view, dragging one foot behind him and pointing a gun at us.
“I thought you said he wouldn’t come back?”
“The guy’s the friggin’ Terminator,” Indro said. “Punch it!”
I slammed on the accelerator. Louie threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding us. We screeched around the last bend and found the wooden barrier still blocking the exit.
“Don’t slow down.”
“But—”
“Security’s taking a powder, courtesy of the Loggias. Punch it.”
I slammed through the black and yellow plank, smashing it to timbers. I grimaced at the tinkle of glass.
“Was that a headlight? God damn it.”
“Don’t sweat it, doll, repairs are on me.”
“You know, Indro, before you came into my life I could count the number of times I’d almost died on NO fingers.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it was real boring.”
I glared over at him as we pulled into traffic. “Fuck you.”
“We’ll be back at your place soon enough, then I’ll do whatever you want.”
“God damn it, you’re insufferable!”
“Ah, you know you love me.”
I pulled up behind a semi, my face contorted in a worried frown.
I don’t love him. How could I love someone like him?
“You got real quiet, doll. What’s wrong?”
I pursed my lips, unable to voice my concerns.
“I—I was just worried.” I hit upon a legit concern in my desperate mental fumbling. “I mean, should we go to my apartment? Obviously, the Loggias are looking to kill me now, too.”
“We’ll be fine. You can’t hit somebody at home. It’s one of the rules.”
“I’m not part of the Maloik family, Indro. The rules don’t apply to me.”
His lips twitched into a frown. “Yeah, well, we could make that more or less official if we got hitched.”
I stared at him in shock. It took the light turning green and a honking horn to drag me out of my reverie.
“Settle down, I’m just kidding. Unless…”
“Give it a rest.” I drove toward my apartment in sullen silence. I was afraid that there would be hitmen hiding behind every corner, but Indro’s confidence was infectious.
I felt safe enough once the door had closed behind us to turn on Indro again.
“What’s with that look, Sophie?” Indro cocked an eyebrow. “You hurt or something?”
“I’m not hurt.” I sighed and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. “Indro, what are we?”
“What are we?” He laughed. “I’m a made man, and you’re the lawyer who’s going to get me off scot-free. I thought that was obvious.”
I glared at him. “Are you being willfully obtuse? We’ve been sleeping together—”
“Yeah, you’re hot, I’m hot, there’s sexy passion there, babe.”
“Will you shut up for a friggin’ second?” I sighed. “Come on, Indro. We’ve saved each other’s lives several times over. You ran up three flights of a parking garage in socked feet in the middle of winter to save me just now. You can’t tell me that’s just because I’m your defense lawyer.”
Indro turned his back on me and walked over to the window. He looked out on the city below, shaking his dark-haired head.
“What do you want me to say, Sophie? I’m not some poetry-spoutin’ college kid. I’m in the Organization. I don’t have time for… for anything other than that.”
“So, you’re just going to fuck me while it’s convenient, and then it’s wham, bam, thank you, ma’am?”
He turned back around, his dark eyes no longer cold.
“No, Sophie, I can’t just… I can’t just walk away from you. Not anymore. After this is all said and done, when the chips fall where they may, well… I was hoping we could keep it going.”
“Keep what going? Running for our lives?”
“No, keep us going.” Indro sighed. “Sophie, I got feelings for you. I was only half kidding about getting hitched, you know? I like being with you.”
My heart skipped a beat. I knew I should say something, but I found myself unable to utter a sound. At length I blurted out a lie.
“I don’t know what I’m feeling, Indro.”
The truth was, I was falling hard. Even if he was one of the so-called bad guys. I could see the hurt in Indro’s eyes, but he nodded and let it drop.
I hated myself for lying to him, but then again, I was a lawyer.
Lying was what I did.
Chapter Forty-Two
Indro
I hit the streets in a bad mood, twin Berettas locked and loaded in my jacket pockets. I dunno what I figured. What, that I would confess my growing affection and Sophie would fall into my arms? Cue the kiss, slow pan to the curtains and happy music?
That’s not the way life works. As much of a shitshow as my own life was, I should never have hoped for something different. A cold blast of wind made me sneeze. I pulled a handkerchief from my inner coat pocket and wiped my nose, hoping I wasn’t going to come down with a cold on top of everything else.
Whenever I’m feeling blue, I usually hit up Sal’s for a chopped beef sammich. For some reason, I didn’t feel like heading to any of my usual haunts. I wasn’t afraid of being attacked by the Loggias. Hell, after they made a play for Sophie I was hoping for a chance to give them a little payback.
I guess I just didn’t want to be around familiar things. I wound up taking a walk along the lake, despite the cold. Or maybe because of it. Maybe I figured I needed to punish myself for getting the feels for Sophie.
I made a game out of staring out over the lake and trying to guess where Sophie and I had almost drowned. No storm stirred up the waters. I made a silent resolution to learn how to swim better.
The wind picked up and I pulled my coat tighter around
