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“Stop insinuating I’m not capable.”
“I’m only trying to be a good teammate.” The glare coming from her blue eyes confirmed she’d survived their ordeal in much better shape than he.
“You’re doing fine. Wonderful.” He stretched a smile across his face for her and patted the hands gripping the cell phone in her lap. “Keep up the good work.”
She laughed, and he wrapped his fingers around hers. “I was terrified for you,” he said.
“Same here.” Her voice turned all soft, and she rubbed his arm. “It was all my fault you were involved.”
He kissed her knuckles. “You know that’s not true.”
“But if I hadn’t volunteered to meet Paul, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
“You did the right thing.” He accelerated. “We got rid of DiMartino. Now we’re safe.”
They crossed Louisiana Avenue and passed the hospital where they’d gone when he’d been shot. Where Paul and the other thugs had pounced. There were no rushing cars today. No cars at all.
Cath exhaled loudly. “I’m glad there’s nothing happening here today.”
“We’re safe.” Mitch relaxed his grip. “It’s going to be downhill from here.”
“All I have to do is convince my brother to go back to jail.” She groaned.
“You’re halfway there, Cathy. He’s agreed to meet you.”
“Because he wants money to stay on the run.”
“Tell Les how much you worried.” He squeezed her hand. “Better check to see if he’s sent a new message. We don’t want to get there and find out he changed the location.”
“Shoot. I completely forgot I wanted to text him when I was on the way.”
Minutes passed, then Cath’s phone pinged with an incoming text. “He’s giving me a thumbs-up. The meeting is still on. In the same place.”
Mitch stopped at another signal and scanned the intersection. He hadn’t been in this part of town in fourteen years. “Tell me where to turn, where to carry on straight. The usual.”
“The usual can be boring.”
Was that amusement he heard? He turned his head too fast and winced.
She looked up from her cell and raised her eyebrows. “Don’t you think?”
His blood surged, sending the pain in his head skyrocketing. “Directions, ma’am. Please stay on topic.”
She studied her map. “We don’t have to cross St. Charles.”
“Good to know.” The Rex parade would be strung out along so many blocks by now nobody would be able to drive across the avenue for hours. He blotted his forehead with a handkerchief.
“The grocery’s on Magazine Street. Why don’t you turn at the next corner?” She gave him the name of the street.
He hung a left. “Let’s decide on your signal.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll be hiding nearby and listening to your conversation. Your signal will let me know when to approach your brother.”
“Makes sense.” They traded a few ideas and decided on an option. “Look at the time. We need to hurry.”
“Hard to go fast on these side streets.”