Page 18 of Immortal by Morning (Argeneau #37)
Lilith responded to the question by turning and running through the living room to the front door. There she paused, and turned
to look back at Abril.
“Right,” she said with resignation as she straightened to follow the Lab. “Potty time.”
“I shall take her,” Crispin offered.
She didn’t have to look over her shoulder to know he was following her. Abril could sense it.
“You don’t have any clothes on, Crispin,” she pointed out. “And you are not standing out there in my boss’s front yard in nothing but a towel.”
“I have a suit jacket here I could wear with the towel. It is not wet. And it is wool. It would keep me warm.”
“No,” Abril said firmly as she headed into the kitchen to get Lilith’s leash. She nodded at Roberts as she walked past where
he sat at the island, and then glanced back to Crispin as she said, “You are not standing out in the front yard in your suit
jacket and a towel either. The neighbors would go crazy, and Gina would kill me.”
Crispin was definitely sounding disgruntled when he said, “Well, you shouldn’t be out there by yourself with her. Someone
has dropped who knows how many bodies in the garden here. And that someone could be out there even now trying to figure out
if it is safe to approach the tent.”
Abril swung around from collecting the leash from the closet to glare at Crispin. An expression that started to slip as her
gaze slid over him in the towel. He had a beautiful chest. Giving her head a shake, she started walking toward him and then
moved around him as she headed for the door muttering, “Thanks. Now I’m going to be a nervous wreck out there with Lilith.”
“I can—” Roberts began, but Abril did not allow him to finish.
“Thank you, but no, Detective Roberts,” she said firmly. “Lilith is my responsibility. We will be right out front. You’ll
be able to watch us on the camera.” Pausing in the doorway between the kitchen and entry, she glanced back and asked a little
anxiously, “You will be watching, yeah?”
“Yes,” he assured her gently.
Nodding, Abril continued out of the room.
Gina kept a flashlight by the sliding doors in the kitchen for Lilith’s nighttime potties. Sadly, Abril hadn’t thought to
grab that. But she also didn’t want to go back into the kitchen and risk one of the men insisting on taking Lilith out for
her. Roberts taking her out would’ve left Abril feeling guilty. Crispin taking her out would’ve left her horrified as she
imagined all the foofaraw that would cause.
Sighing with resignation, Abril snapped the leash onto Lilith’s collar, unlocked and opened the door, and led her outside.
For one minute after closing the door, at least until her eyes adjusted, Abril really couldn’t see much. Lilith didn’t appear
to have the same problem and immediately dragged her down the steps and off onto the grass.
Not being able to see much didn’t keep Abril from looking around a little worriedly. She could make out some darker shadows
surrounding her in the inky night. But mostly it was just too ill lit to see much of anything. Except Lilith.
As pale in color as the Lab’s fur was, Abril could actually see her lighter blur moving around. She wasn’t sure, but suspected
Lilith was sniffing out a spot to relieve herself, and simply let the pup lead her around as Abril continued to keep her eye
open for any movement.
They said that animals could sense your mood and Lilith seemed to prove that true. She hardly looked around at all before settling on a spot, relieving her self, and then turning to lead the way quickly back toward the house.
Abril would never admit it to Roberts and Crispin, but she felt a distinct sense of relief when she closed the door behind
them and locked it.
Praising Lilith for being a good girl and promising a treat, Abril unhooked the leash, set it on the table next to the doors,
and then led the dog into the kitchen to get her the promised biscuit.
“Did you see anything out there?” Crispin asked as she gave the treat to Lilith.
“No,” she responded, and then eyed him sharply. “Did you put your clothes in the dryer or the washer?”
“The washer,” he said at once. “I hope you do not mind, but I thought—”
“No, it’s good and of course I don’t mind,” she assured him. “I was asking because while your pants may already be ruined,
they might not be. But if they aren’t, it’s better to wash them first to get the chlorine out before drying them.”
A moment of silence passed, and then Roberts said, “You two should go play a game, or watch TV or something in the living
room.”
When Crispin turned to peer at him, his partner added, “I am taking the first shift guarding the tent. You might as well relax,
Crispin. Besides, I am getting tired of looking at your hairy legs.”
Of course, those words made Abril look at Crispin’s legs.
They didn’t look overly hairy to her. While there was some hair, his legs were also shapely and muscular from what she could see.
And she was presently seeing quite a bit.
Crispin had reclaimed his seat at the island while she was outside, and his towel on this side had fallen away to hang down, leaving the one leg exposed very high up on his thigh.
Forcing herself to look away before she began to drool, Abril muttered, “I’ll go check the laundry and see how long it will
be until the washer is done.”
She escaped the room without being stopped, and with only Lilith following her.