Page 109 of Rules of Engagement

Chapter Twenty-Three

"How's the Jell-O?" I asked.

"It's okay. The juice is also okay and so was the meal. You don't need to ask me how anything else is. Everything is okay," said Solomon. He sat propped up against three pillows. Most of the machines had all but disappeared but he still had a pulse-check on his finger and some pads stuck to his chest. The bandages were fresh and he shaved the few days of stubble that grew.

"Okay," I said, nearly giddy with happiness.

"Okay," said Solomon. He ate the last spoon of Jell-O. "I really don't like it," he said. "Jell-O is not okay. Why do people like this stuff so much?"

"You just ate the whole thing!"

"Because there're nine people viewing me through the window like an animal in a cage. I don't want them to ask me if it's okay or what else they can get for me."

I turned and waved to my parents, Lily, Jord and Poppy, Garrett, Anastasia, Serena and Delgado. They all waved back, even Poppy! "Everyone's been so worried about you. Delgado never left your side."

"So I heard."

"He would have protected you with his life. Fletcher and Flaherty took turns too."

"I have to give them each a raise. Perhaps I should give you a completion bonus too."

"Why would I need a bonus when you already sent me a million bucks?"

"I hope you used it wisely."

I reached into my purse and pulled out the check before handing it to him. "I didn't cash it. Turns out, I have everything I need. Stuff that money can't buy."

"You didn't need a new purse to carry all that stuff in?" Solomon smiled and I swatted his leg.

"I mean friends, and family who would do, and they did, anything they could to help." Solomon's face darkened at hearing the word, family. "Damien will be okay," I said. "Garrett will do everything he can to help him avoid a long sentence."

"Can we talk about it later?" asked Solomon. "I'm too pissed at Damien to even think about him now. Tell me again how the hit man ended up hanging from a flagpole."

"You heard that story three times already!"

"It continues to fascinate me."

"You need to get out more often."

"Garrett and Maddox just watched him dangling there?"

"Like I said before, yes, they did, and a bunch of officers had their guns trained on him since he was delivered while still holding a weapon. No one was sure what to make of it."

"I keep hearing about how you did everything you could to track down the people who were responsible. Weren’t you afraid?" he asked, catching my eye and holding my gaze.

I nodded. "Frequently, yes, but it gave me something to do. There was no way I could let the people responsible get away with hurting you." I hesitated before adding, "Besides, I found out a lot of things I didn’t know before about you."

Solomon stilled. "Oh?"

"We thought maybe you crossed someone from your past so we had to find out who it could be. We cross-referenced everyone we could think of that might have borne a grudge against you and we worked through that list. I searched for everyone in your life who could offer any kind of perspective."

"Did you find that perspective?"

"I found a lot of answers to questions you've never answered when I asked."

"You know, I don't like talking about my past. I live strictly for the present and the future."

"I know."

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