Page 110 of Rules of Engagement

"I'm getting tired," he said, yawning. "I can't seem to stay awake very long. Will you stay with me?"

"Yes, and if you wake up and I'm not here, I won't be far away," I promised.

"You could use the time to write up your report," said Solomon, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I really hope that's a joke," I said, but he'd already drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up an hour later, I had my head stuck in a magazine. I was reading an important article about eyeshadow. "You're here," said Solomon.

I shut the magazine. "Nowhere I'd rather be."

"I can think of ten places I'd rather be. I'll start with a remote cabin beside a lake and an open fire..."

"Marshmallows, hot cocoa," I continued.

"Steak," added Solomon, "and a very nice bottle of crisp, red wine."

"I'd offer to kidnap you but I think the doctors would try to stop me."

"Add it to the to-do list." Solomon yawned. "I need to sleep again. I feel like I've been awake for hours."

"Goodnight," I said, leaning in to kiss his lips. When I was certain he was sound asleep, I set down the magazine and left the hospital room. Garrett waited for me outside.

"How's he doing?" asked Garrett.

"He can't stay awake for very long but apart from that, he's eating more and he's getting stronger. The doctor says I can take him home in the next couple of days."

"Do you want me to drive you?"

"No, I'll be okay. Lily brought my car here."

"I got your house door patched up and replaced the lock. It probably needs a whole new door though."

"I'm waiting until Solomon is awake longer before I broach the idea of not going back there. I don't think I can cross the doorway ever again without seeing him lying motionless there, and thinking he could die."

"Where will you go?"

"I never figured out what to do with my house, so I'd like to go back there. It's much smaller than Solomon's house but there's only just the two of us and the security system is better than great. I'd feel safer there, I think, at least for a while."

"I can't see Solomon arguing with that. It's not registered in his name anywhere, so it might be a good thing since no one can trace him there."

"You think he's still a target?"

"I don't know but I'd like to rule it out before I say one way or the other."

"What's the word with Damien?"

"We made a deal that involves no jail time in return for every single piece of information he knows about the gangs and their history of illegal activities. I told his captain he was working an angle for me, to explain why there appeared to be some suspicious activity involving him."

"Then… he won't get fired?"

"No, but part of the deal is that he quits his job. Damien's too tainted now to keep working law enforcement. There's too much of a chance he’ll wind up in trouble again and all this would be for nothing."

"That's very generous of you."

"I did it for you and Solomon, and also, I have to admit, for the information. Based on what he told us, we can charge Eric Dutka and both of the Copleys on tax evasion for starters. We expect more charges to appear as we work through all the information. Boston PD found seventeen bodies in the areas where Damien said they would. BPD rounded up every member of the Boston gang and we operated a sting on the Niners this morning."

"That's a lot of arrests!"

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