Page 74 of Shades of Mercy

“You must have known it would, because you called it a confession.”

She got him there. “You ruined me for everyone else.”

Her mouth quirked at the corners, and she playfully pinched him. “I like the sound of that, but really, why?”

He shrugged. “I needed to work on myself.”

She cuddled closer. “Was it worth the wait?”

“Well worth it.” He pulled her closer.

A knock on the door brought them both up on the bed.

“Are you expecting someone?” she asked.

“No, at least not tonight.”

“What do you mean,not tonight?”

He pushed up, grabbed a pair of jeans from his drawer, and pulled them on. “I called Mateo and told him where we’d be.”

“You did what?” she whispered but it was as powerful as a scream.

“He needed to be brought in on this so we didn’t put him in danger.” He looked through the slats of the blind. “Mateo is here,” he mouthed.

“Shit!” she mouthed back.

She jumped off the bed, swiped up her clothing, and raced for the bathroom.

A more urgent knock came on the door.

Dragging open the door, Jag was met with an angry-looking Mateo. “There better be a good reason why you brought my sister back here.”

*****

Mercy stepped out of the bathroom and saw Mateo. His eyes were narrowed.

“I made Jag bring me here, or I would have come alone,” she said to Mateo, making things clear.

“I made the rules clear. You were to stay at Storm Pass until I gave you the clear.”

She was tired of being told what to do as if she couldn’t make her own decisions. “Well, I decided it was time I came home. Be grateful that Jag called you and told you because I wouldn’t have said a word.”

“Neither of you is on my good side right now.”

“That’s fine. But you need to hear what I have to say. My business is on the line, and it means a great deal to me.”

After she explained her suspicions about Howie, while Mateo listened intently, he seemed to soak in her theory. “You could be onto something, but why come back here?”

She pulled her legs up into the seat. She couldn’t sit on the bed where she and Jag had just had sex before Mateo arrived.

“I’m going to speak to him.”

Mateo laughed. “For someone so brave, you don’t know how criminals act.”

“This involves me too. It’s time you stop looking at me like a child.”

“Do you agree?” Mateo looked at Jag.