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“She’s independent,” Gianni said.. “And it seems like she’s worked damn hard to get where she is. If you care for her at all, respect her forthat. If not, you two won’t last.”
She hung up.
Lowering the phone, I stared at nothing, thinking again of the argument that morning.
Shit.
Had I fucked up or what?
* * *
When I arrivedat Tina’s office, I could see her at her desk through the open slats of the window blind. I went to open the door, but it was locked. Frustrated, I knocked.
She jumped, swinging her head around to look at me. Several seconds ticked by as our eyes locked, but there was no awareness in them.
A bad feeling settled inside.
I jerked on the doorknob again.
That seemed to pull Tina out of her spell. She hurried to unlock the door. I yanked it open and caught her in my arms, the anger I’d felt earlier forgotten.
She was shaking. Between those fine tremors and her pallor, she suddenly seemed frail. Turning my face into her hair, I nuzzled her. “Are you okay?”
“No,” she whispered. “Hold me for a minute, okay?”
“Anytime you want.”
We stood there for a long time, bodies close, feeling the mix of our energies until I felt her relax. She nudged my chest gently, and I eased my grip. As she stepped away, her eyes met mine.
Letting out a sigh of relief, she said, “I feel better now. Thank you.”
She turned her back to me, and I wrapped her in my arms. I closed my eyes and kissed her head, grateful that we were in a better place than this morning.
Damn it.I could be such an idiot sometimes.
“I’m sorry I was an ass before we left the house,” I said.
She glanced at me, a weak smile on her lips. “Yeah, me, too.”
That surprised me.
She must have seen it on my face, because she turned to me. She leaned against the desk, crossing her arms over her chest. “Don’t take it the wrong way—you can be an overbearing control freak. But you don’t have any say in how or when I go to work.Ever.” She heaved out a breath. “But…I realize you were trying to take care of me. I’m not used to letting anyone do that.”
She looked away, expression tight.
“What is it?”
Blue eyes returning to mine, she said, “A cop from Houston PD and the fire marshal came by earlier. They think it was arson.”
“I know.”
She cocked a brow.
Shoving a hand through my air, I said, “My sister, Gianni. She knows half the cops and firefighters in the city. She got word earlier and called to let me know.”
Tina nodded, gaze falling to the floor. “Somebody deliberately set my home on fire. It’s making me sick.”
Going to her, I lifted her chin until we were eye to eye. “Is there anything I can do?”