Hopefully, they’ll be able to
pull off some prints.”
Wearing latex gloves, he unfurled the piece of paper
and looked down at it. “This is some serious business,” he said,
then read the note aloud again. “ This is your last warning. Give
us the money or the girlfriend dies. ” The detective slipped the
note into the plastic bag one of the uniformed cops handed him,
then pulled off his gloves and stuffed them into his pocket.
“Thanks for everything, Detective.” Franco stood,
too, and the men shook hands.
Jo pushed up from the sectional and thrust out her
hand to the detective. He shook it, then nodded. “Glad Mr. Callahan
has protection. You’ll let us know if anything else happens?”
“Sure will, Detective,” she said. “I’ll fill in my
boss and the other bodyguard. And you’ll keep us informed if you
learn anything?”
“I will.” With a nod, Morelli headed toward the door
with the two uniformed officers. He and the cops slipped out the
door and Franco locked it after them, then reset the alarm.
He turned to Jo and rubbed a hand over his hair,
still mussed from sleep. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, and with
dark stubble on his face and the small butterfly bandage, he was
the sexiest guy she’d ever known. She looked down at the floor. She
had to get a grip. The man could make her forget everything she’d
learned about control, about taking charge of a situation.
He moved closer until inches separated them. He
didn’t touch her. “It’s almost five. Harris will be here soon. Why
don’t you go up to bed, get some rest?”
Clearing her throat, she stepped back. “You’re the
one who needs rest. Remember getting cracked on the head? The pain,
the ER?”
“I’m too wound up to sleep. Do you want coffee, tea,
warm milk, anything?”
She shook her head. “Franco, you really need to
rest. And we need to call someone to fix the window. Then we get
that kitchen door changed today. The back of your house is too
exposed with that alleyway.”
He winced and touched his injured temple. “I’ve
agreed to change the door, but this time they didn’t use the door,
did they?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try it
again.”
Releasing a resigned sigh, he said, “I’ll call the
window people when I get to work. The window is a historic design
and there’s only one company in Philadelphia that can duplicate the
glass.”
“The doctor said you need to stay in bed for a day.
You’re not going anywhere.”
“I’ve just got a headache. I’ll be fine. I have a
company to run and the gun didn’t do any real damage. Simmer down,
Fortune.”
“You could have been killed last night.” The thought
shook her. She slid her gaze away, hiding her feelings from him,
and ran a hand over her denim-clad thigh. The feel of the rough
fabric calmed her. “You should have stayed in the restaurant like I
told you.”
“Jo, look at me.”
When she turned back to him, he framed her face
between his strong hands. “You’re right. I should have listened to
you. But I couldn’t let you face those thugs alone.” He held her
gaze. His lips quirked. “I know I’m a stubborn ass at times.”
She laughed, releasing the tension tightening every
one of her muscles. “Try all the time.”
His eyes gleamed with mischief. “Then you’ll have to
work harder to keep me in line. And I promise to fight you every
step of the way.”
He rubbed his thumbs over her cheekbones, then
stopped as if he realized what he was doing. Their eyes met and she
held her breath as he bent forward and brushed his lips gently over
hers. She tensed, holding herself rigid, but he continued to kiss
her, sweetly, with tenderness, until she began to melt around the
edges. With a low moan, she returned his kiss. Her resistance
dissolved like mist under a hot sun and she opened to him. Their
tongues danced for several charged minutes, then Franco pulled
away.
Her eyes snapped open.
His eyes, blue velvet, looked deeply
pull off some prints.”
Wearing latex gloves, he unfurled the piece of paper
and looked down at it. “This is some serious business,” he said,
then read the note aloud again. “ This is your last warning. Give
us the money or the girlfriend dies. ” The detective slipped the
note into the plastic bag one of the uniformed cops handed him,
then pulled off his gloves and stuffed them into his pocket.
“Thanks for everything, Detective.” Franco stood,
too, and the men shook hands.
Jo pushed up from the sectional and thrust out her
hand to the detective. He shook it, then nodded. “Glad Mr. Callahan
has protection. You’ll let us know if anything else happens?”
“Sure will, Detective,” she said. “I’ll fill in my
boss and the other bodyguard. And you’ll keep us informed if you
learn anything?”
“I will.” With a nod, Morelli headed toward the door
with the two uniformed officers. He and the cops slipped out the
door and Franco locked it after them, then reset the alarm.
He turned to Jo and rubbed a hand over his hair,
still mussed from sleep. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, and with
dark stubble on his face and the small butterfly bandage, he was
the sexiest guy she’d ever known. She looked down at the floor. She
had to get a grip. The man could make her forget everything she’d
learned about control, about taking charge of a situation.
He moved closer until inches separated them. He
didn’t touch her. “It’s almost five. Harris will be here soon. Why
don’t you go up to bed, get some rest?”
Clearing her throat, she stepped back. “You’re the
one who needs rest. Remember getting cracked on the head? The pain,
the ER?”
“I’m too wound up to sleep. Do you want coffee, tea,
warm milk, anything?”
She shook her head. “Franco, you really need to
rest. And we need to call someone to fix the window. Then we get
that kitchen door changed today. The back of your house is too
exposed with that alleyway.”
He winced and touched his injured temple. “I’ve
agreed to change the door, but this time they didn’t use the door,
did they?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try it
again.”
Releasing a resigned sigh, he said, “I’ll call the
window people when I get to work. The window is a historic design
and there’s only one company in Philadelphia that can duplicate the
glass.”
“The doctor said you need to stay in bed for a day.
You’re not going anywhere.”
“I’ve just got a headache. I’ll be fine. I have a
company to run and the gun didn’t do any real damage. Simmer down,
Fortune.”
“You could have been killed last night.” The thought
shook her. She slid her gaze away, hiding her feelings from him,
and ran a hand over her denim-clad thigh. The feel of the rough
fabric calmed her. “You should have stayed in the restaurant like I
told you.”
“Jo, look at me.”
When she turned back to him, he framed her face
between his strong hands. “You’re right. I should have listened to
you. But I couldn’t let you face those thugs alone.” He held her
gaze. His lips quirked. “I know I’m a stubborn ass at times.”
She laughed, releasing the tension tightening every
one of her muscles. “Try all the time.”
His eyes gleamed with mischief. “Then you’ll have to
work harder to keep me in line. And I promise to fight you every
step of the way.”
He rubbed his thumbs over her cheekbones, then
stopped as if he realized what he was doing. Their eyes met and she
held her breath as he bent forward and brushed his lips gently over
hers. She tensed, holding herself rigid, but he continued to kiss
her, sweetly, with tenderness, until she began to melt around the
edges. With a low moan, she returned his kiss. Her resistance
dissolved like mist under a hot sun and she opened to him. Their
tongues danced for several charged minutes, then Franco pulled
away.
Her eyes snapped open.
His eyes, blue velvet, looked deeply
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