Hard-ass?”
“It’s probably better than what you’re thinking.”
“You really want to know what I’m thinking? Because it’ll bring that pretty blush I saw in the restaurant back there when I mentioned wet dreams.”
“God!” The comment drove her hand back up to her aching head.
“There it is again.”
Aaron opened the door and slid out, holding his hand out to assist her in following him.
Out on the chilly sidewalk, lit so bright by street lights and storefronts that it could have been the middle of the afternoon rather than early evening, the crowd was being held back by one uniformed policeman while another was speaking to a hulking brute incongruously dressed in a suit. When the brute caught sight of them, he held out one beefy hand.
“No need to get out, Aaron. You and Miss Beckett can get back in the car. I’ll take care of this.”
Presumably the hulk was the limousine driver. She hadn’t seen him before as Winston had been the one to usher her into the car initially and the evil gray glass responsible for her massive headache had separated them from him for the duration of the drive.
“That’s okay, Ralph, although Miss Beckett should probably see a doctor fairly soon.” Winston patted the other man on the back. “You all right?”
“Fine, but pissed as hell.”
The policeman asked, “You were in the back seat?”
“Yes. Aaron Winston.” He held out his hand to shake the cop’s hand and the cop, looking surprised, complied. “This is Virginia Beckett.”
Virginia nodded.
“But I’m afraid other than a bad bump on the head by Miss Beckett, we don’t really know what happened. We didn’t see anything.”
Ralph spoke up, a testimony to his relationship with his boss apparently that he gave just the facts, no defensiveness in his narrative. “About a minute or two after we left the restaurant, I noticed this black SUV tailing us. I didn’t think anything of it at first, except that he was hanging too close, when the guy swerves out from behind and then cuts in front of me. I jammed on the brakes. That was the first time.” He directed that comment to Virginia and Aaron. “Then he does it again. So I slowed down to keep some distance between us, figuring he was the kind of jerk who liked to play games with limousines to prove what a big man he was. But out of nowhere, the guy slams on his brakes, a dead stop, so I had to slam on mine, which of course caused this pile-up here.”
He gestured behind them and Virginia noticed for the first time the smoking remains of several smashed bumpers.
“He sped away after that.”
“Was anyone hurt?” she asked.
“No, it doesn’t look like it,” the cop answered. “Just a lot of pissed-off drivers. And frankly, once they find out who you are, Mr. Winston, I think you might have some lawsuits on your hands.”
Ralph swore, but Aaron said easily, “No problem. If that’s the worst of it, then I’m happy to settle. I’m glad nobody’s hurt.”
Virginia got the disquieting feeling that he did not mean he was glad only in the financial sense. Aaron Winston with half a heart? An actual human being? She shuddered at the thought, half smiling.
He took her arm. “Do you think we could make whatever statement you need quickly and Ralph can get you the insurance information and whatever else you need? Miss Beckett took a pretty bad bump on the head. I’d like to see she gets a doctor as soon as possible.”
“Paramedics are on their way.”
The cop’s pronouncement was born true with the usual siren fanfare a moment later.
Virginia found herself in capable medical hands soon thereafter. A paramedic asked her questions, flashed a penlight in her eyes and felt around the nasty bump. All the while, she tried to listen to the conversation with the cop going on without her.
“You sure it wasn’t an accident?” she could hear the cop asking.
“Yes,” Ralph responded without hesitation. “This guy was definitely trying to
“It’s probably better than what you’re thinking.”
“You really want to know what I’m thinking? Because it’ll bring that pretty blush I saw in the restaurant back there when I mentioned wet dreams.”
“God!” The comment drove her hand back up to her aching head.
“There it is again.”
Aaron opened the door and slid out, holding his hand out to assist her in following him.
Out on the chilly sidewalk, lit so bright by street lights and storefronts that it could have been the middle of the afternoon rather than early evening, the crowd was being held back by one uniformed policeman while another was speaking to a hulking brute incongruously dressed in a suit. When the brute caught sight of them, he held out one beefy hand.
“No need to get out, Aaron. You and Miss Beckett can get back in the car. I’ll take care of this.”
Presumably the hulk was the limousine driver. She hadn’t seen him before as Winston had been the one to usher her into the car initially and the evil gray glass responsible for her massive headache had separated them from him for the duration of the drive.
“That’s okay, Ralph, although Miss Beckett should probably see a doctor fairly soon.” Winston patted the other man on the back. “You all right?”
“Fine, but pissed as hell.”
The policeman asked, “You were in the back seat?”
“Yes. Aaron Winston.” He held out his hand to shake the cop’s hand and the cop, looking surprised, complied. “This is Virginia Beckett.”
Virginia nodded.
“But I’m afraid other than a bad bump on the head by Miss Beckett, we don’t really know what happened. We didn’t see anything.”
Ralph spoke up, a testimony to his relationship with his boss apparently that he gave just the facts, no defensiveness in his narrative. “About a minute or two after we left the restaurant, I noticed this black SUV tailing us. I didn’t think anything of it at first, except that he was hanging too close, when the guy swerves out from behind and then cuts in front of me. I jammed on the brakes. That was the first time.” He directed that comment to Virginia and Aaron. “Then he does it again. So I slowed down to keep some distance between us, figuring he was the kind of jerk who liked to play games with limousines to prove what a big man he was. But out of nowhere, the guy slams on his brakes, a dead stop, so I had to slam on mine, which of course caused this pile-up here.”
He gestured behind them and Virginia noticed for the first time the smoking remains of several smashed bumpers.
“He sped away after that.”
“Was anyone hurt?” she asked.
“No, it doesn’t look like it,” the cop answered. “Just a lot of pissed-off drivers. And frankly, once they find out who you are, Mr. Winston, I think you might have some lawsuits on your hands.”
Ralph swore, but Aaron said easily, “No problem. If that’s the worst of it, then I’m happy to settle. I’m glad nobody’s hurt.”
Virginia got the disquieting feeling that he did not mean he was glad only in the financial sense. Aaron Winston with half a heart? An actual human being? She shuddered at the thought, half smiling.
He took her arm. “Do you think we could make whatever statement you need quickly and Ralph can get you the insurance information and whatever else you need? Miss Beckett took a pretty bad bump on the head. I’d like to see she gets a doctor as soon as possible.”
“Paramedics are on their way.”
The cop’s pronouncement was born true with the usual siren fanfare a moment later.
Virginia found herself in capable medical hands soon thereafter. A paramedic asked her questions, flashed a penlight in her eyes and felt around the nasty bump. All the while, she tried to listen to the conversation with the cop going on without her.
“You sure it wasn’t an accident?” she could hear the cop asking.
“Yes,” Ralph responded without hesitation. “This guy was definitely trying to
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