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“You don’t want me to vanish and you know it.”
She twirled the charger and called his bluff. “Why is that?”
“You need me to keep the armed thugs away.” He grinned. “Take one dose of Mitch before bedtime, and your problems will be gone in the morning.”
The heat wave coming off him assured her exactly what that dose could be. “I don’t have a headache. And I have no idea what the magic word is.” She closed the door on his big boot. “Would you mind…?”
He straightened. “Get a good night’s sleep. We’ve got a lot on the schedule for tomorrow.”
“You’ve planned tomorrow without talking to me first?”
“You’ve had a hectic day, to say the least. I’m doing you a favor. All you need to do is get a good night’s sleep.”
“You’re patronizing me.”
He held up his hands. “Heaven forbid.”
Chapter 8
“What’s she going to do when you find your fugitive?”
Mitch splashed water on his face and grabbed a towel, swiping behind his ears to get the last of the shaving cream. He’d managed to squeak Cath Hurley’s presence past Jack and Kurt, but Hal was having none of it.
“What do you think?” Mitch waved for Hal to back out of the bathroom doorway. Down the hall, his bedroom remained closed, but he lowered his voice. “I arrest him like any other skip and take him to jail.”
“You don’t want her undermining you.”
“Not going to happen.” Working with her would doubtless give him more nightmares than he already had. She’d already been responsible for a whole lot of sleeplessness.
Mitch draped the towel around his neck and shooed Hal toward the room where he’d stashed his clothes.
“She helped him escape,” Hal said. “It seems to me she also interfered when we tried to go after him.”
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know. She’s been honest with me for the most part. It’s the only reason I brought her here.” Mitch stared at her closed door. Hal didn’t need to know about his vow to protect her. Even though he’d advised Mitch to get to know her, he might say the same thing as Jack. “My show of good faith should bring her around. I plan to do what I have to in order to get there.”
His bedroom door opened and Cath stepped into the hall, looking sexier than she had any right to be. She saw them and curled her bare toes against the cold floorboards, saying nothing.
“Good morning.” Mitch tugged on the ends of his towel, spotting one of his T-shirts under the open collar of the robe she wore. His itchy fingers wanted to strip that soft knit over her head and—Not happening. “I see you made yourself at home in my dresser.”
She clutched the collar closed, and her luscious pink lips pulled taut. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“What if I do?” He might have to remove a few unlocked items from his bedroom. Or was he already too late?
“I’ll wash and fold it with the utmost care and thank you for the loan.” Her gaze swung to his brother. “I didn’t expect to meet you.”
“Why not?” Hal looked her up and down. “I live here.”
“Yeah, of course.” She rubbed her face and sighed. “I guess I wasn’t thinking.”
Hal stared at her, his mouth growing thinner by the minute.
“I apologize for my brother. I’ve never seen him act so crazy.” She gave a half shrug as if at a loss for words, something Mitch didn’t believe. “How’s your shoulder?”
“Hurts.” Hal cupped the arm in the sling.
Mitch glanced at his own bandage. “Your brother did a lot of damage.”
“I’m sorry.” She reached toward Hal but must have thought better about touching him because she went back to hugging herself. “What can I do to make up for what he did?”