Page 20 of Sean's Sunshine

“You should try a Ford SHO,” Jai told him. “But we will treat your car well.”

“Trust us,” Ernie said. “This is the guy who helped Ace and Sonny make Jackson’s car.” He paused. “Before, you know. The thing.”

Sean knew his eyes lit up. From what he understood, “The Tank,” as Jackson and Ellery had called their modified SUV, had been totaled—or nearly totaled—in the whole clusterfuck that had started with his own stab wound and ended with the sick guy in Cotton’s bed getting wounded. This right here—the bailing out of the giant Russian guy—was one final piece to that whole gigantic puzzle, which Sean thought was probably above his pay grade. But that didn’t belie the fact that The Tank had been a prime example of vehicular beauty, and anybody who could treat a carthatnicely had to be good people.

“They’d take a look at my baby?” he said, feeling a little bit giddy. “Because that would be—”

“Later,” Billy muttered. “Come on. You’re starting to sound loopy.”

They shuffled out toward the front door, leaving Jai and Ernie to find their way home. Sean gathered it was somewhere down south, but again, above his pay grade.

“You stay here,” Billy said, indicating the shaded overhang in front of the ER. “I’m going to go get Lance’s Mazda and come back for you.”

Sean didn’t bother to argue—he couldn’t even talk. He’d maxed out his stamina for the day, he thought ruefully. Fortunately Billy knew what the car looked like—had probably spotted it pulling in—and was back in a moment with a battered but sound two-door Mazda that would be a lot easier to get in and out of than the Charger.

A thing Sean barely noticed, because what he really saw was that Billy was no longer wearing his shirt.

Sean made a questioning sound as he limped forward and opened the door, and Billy nodded at the seat, which was sporting a new blue cotton tee cover.

“It was covered in that guy’s blood,” Billy said. “And it was tacky but not dry, and seriously gross. No, no—don’t say a word. You look up upholstery cleaners close to the house, then I’m getting you home for your little nappy poo and then taking this thing out to get clean. Seriously, it’s a good thing your giant Russian buddy didn’t get caught with all this blood in the car. Dumbass cops would have arrested him before they realized he was bleeding.”

Sean made a gasp of protest, but it was no use. He couldn’t defend the people in his profession without the air to make a case.

An hour later he was lying in bed, barely edging sleep when he got the text from Jackson.

Thanks for helping out. What do I owe you for the upholstery cleanup?

He smiled a bit.Nothing. We’re good. Billy’s getting it done now.

Must be nice.

You’re the one who sent him.Jackson hadn’t even consulted him about it—just told him he’d arranged a nurse. Thinking about that now, Sean was thanking his lucky stars he hadn’t ended up with Randy or Cotton or even Curtis, who seemed like a nice enough kid but who might have gotten mean when Sean pushed back. Billy was an ornery asshole, but he was never mean.

You got stabbed working on our case. Figured we owed you.

Sean laughed softly to himself.I walked under an overhang and ran into a sociopath with a knife. As I recall, you’re the one who administered first aid and called Officer Down.It was funny, that moment—not funny “ha-ha” but funny “augh!” Sean had heard the scuffle on the balcony of Jackson and Ellery’s second floor office and had been hurrying to help. There had been that dramatic difference between the shade and the sunshine, and as his vision was adjusting to the shade, Henry had shouted and a small heavily muscled man had run into him.

And Sean’s chest had exploded in pain.

He frowned.You never did tell me what happed to the guy who knifed me. I know he died, but I don’t know how.

There was a moment of thought bubbles across his phone, and then Jackson texted,You know those two guys you just helped?

Yeah.

The big scary Russian one showed up with Ace, their friend. Ace saw Ziggy—the asshole with the knife—about to get away and threwhisknife at Ziggy’s chest. Missed his heart by half an inch. And then Ziggy ran away, and Ellery opened the door to the Tank, and the guy ran into it, fixing that half inch.

Sean knew it was bloodthirsty… and didn’t care. He knew it probably made him an awful, vengeful person, and still he didn’t care.

That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

Ain’t it the truth. Get your nap, cop. You still have work in this world to do.

At that moment the door to the duplex opened, and he heard the sounds of someone moving about, putting keys in the key bowl, and grabbing a water from the fridge. A moment later Billy peeked into the bedroom.

“You should be asleep,” he said.

“Any minute now,” Sean answered on a yawn. “That was quick.”