Page 87 of Lawless in Leather

Strangers on the Internet weren’t the only thing Chen could charm, apparently.

“You used her as bait?” Raina asked, horrified. “And you didn’t tell me?” She shot Mal a glare that should have, if there was any justice in the world, turned him into a pile of ash.

“It was fine. And it was needed to be a secret. Limit the number of people who knew,” Marly said. “One of the security team always took me to and from Deacon and wherever else I was going. Chen here, actually.” This time the smile she sent in Chen’s direction was several degrees hotter than killer. Chen flushed and Raina heard Maggie bite back a laugh.

Marly and Chen. Well, well, well.

She realized she’d gotten distracted again. “In theory, that sounds like a good plan. But how did you end up here with stitches in your face?”

“They’ll heal perfectly,” Lucas said. “I did them myself.”

“I’m sure they will, but I’m more interested in how they got there.”

“Well, Chen walked me home tonight, and I let myself in and there was someone in my apartment. He jumped me but he didn’t do his research too well if he was Internet-stalking me. Missed the fact that I studied tae kwan do in high school as well as dance. I got loose and that’s when he hit me.” She touched her faced gingerly, wincing a little.

“And that’s when she brained him with the baseball bat she apparently keeps in her umbrella stand,” Chen said, sounding proud. “I got the door open and found her standing over him. He was out cold. So I cuffed him and we called the cops, and then Mal, and eventually we wound up here.”

“Are you okay?” Raina asked Marly.

“Yeah. My cheek hurts but Dr. Angelo here gave me something good for that and tells me it won’t scar. I’ll be back as soon as the stitches are out. Apparently I’m not allowed to put makeup over stitches.” She frowned at Lucas.

“You need to let it heal. It will only be a week or so,” Lucas said. “If you put makeup on and it gets infected then it will scar. Is that what you want?”

“No,” Marly said, looking appalled. “Definitely not.” Chen, who’d moved closer to her, looked like he agreed.

“And where’s the guy now? Do we know his name?” Raina asked.

“Charles Buckley,” Mal said. “He was a bit confused when he first woke up, and he gave the cops his real name. Then they found his van not too far from Marly’s place. There was a bag of feathers in the back. Our feathers.”

“He’s the one then?” Raina said. “It’s over.”

“Let’s hope so,” Maggie said. “I want to focus on baseball, not break-ins.”

“And now that Raina knows the story, perhaps we should leave Marly to finish giving her statement,” Alex said. “Chen, will you take her home or wherever she wants to go? Marly, we’ll pay for a hotel for you for as long as you want if you don’t want to go home yet or if the police aren’t done there. I’m sorry this happened to you. It’s not exactly what I had in mind when I thought up the Angels.”

“That’s because you’re sane,” Marly said. “Thank you, I’m sure Chen will take good care of me.”

From the look in Chen’s eyes, Raina was pretty sure that he would, too. She followed the other four out into the hall. Maggie looked at her and then Mal and then yawned ostentatiously. “Well, I’m beat,” she said. “Take me home Alex. And Lucas, I’m sure you have somewhere to be.”

“I do,” Lucas agreed. “I have patients here I can look in on in a few hours. Might as well go do some paperwork until then.”

“You work here?” Raina asked.

“Sometimes,” Lucas said. He bent down and kissed her cheek. “Go easy on him,” he whispered and then hurried down the hall after Maggie and Alex.

Raina watched Lucas and then turned back to Mal.

“Not here,” Mal said. “I’ll take you home. We can talk in the car.”

Not being all that keen to have this particular conversation in a hospital hallway, she didn’t argue, just followed him back out to where Ned and the big car were waiting.

She climbed into the back and as Ned started the car, she felt herself start to shake.

“Oh my God,” she said, sinking back against the leather seat. “You were right.”

“What?” Mal said. Then his gaze sharpened. “You’re shaking. Come here.” He slid across the seat and pulled her close against him.

“I’m fine,” she said but she wrapped her arms around him anyway and tried to soak up his warmth as her teeth started to chatter.

---