Page 29 of Very Special Forces

"Can youask the people inside? The ones whom you want me to forget Isaw?"

"Uh..."He sighed as he shook his head. "I'll ask."

"Thankyou." I took another long look at him. "That's a very nice shirt.It brings out your eyes."

"Youbought it."

"I havegreat taste."

"Youcan't sweet talk me into mobilizing the FBI to locate a tank foryou."

I gave him an indignant look. "It was just a compliment.Itisa nicecolor."

"That'swhy I wear it. Lexi, it's important you don't come back. If youneed something, call me. You don't look injured. Are you injured?"His eyes roamed over me. Then a sliver of something slipped off mycapped sleeve and onto the floor. Both of us had the good grace notto look it. Well, I only glanced from the side of my eye at whatlooked like green salami. That knowledge didn't fill me withjoy.

"Only mypride," I decided.

"I don'timagine your insurance covers that anymore. I'll check in on youlater, okay? But it's best you leave. Now." Maddox took my keys,beeped the car open and gave me a gentle push inside. He handed methe keys. "Nice seeing you," he said before shutting thedoor.

I waitedfor him to go back inside but he took a couple paces backwards andwaited with his arms folded.

Something else occurred to me as I revved the engine. Irolled down the window and stuck my head out. "You pulled a gun onme!" I yelled at him.

"You'relucky I didn't shoot it!" he yelled back.

"Youstill pulled a gun on me! You said you knew it was me!"

Hestepped closer, stooping down, and lowered his voice. "I didn't sayI told anyone else it was you! Do not tell anyone what you sawhere. Or even that you saw me here. Now go!"

"Fine,"I snipped as I tore out of the parking lot, one eye on Maddox'sreflection in the mirror. I didn't even bother rolling the windowup. It made sense to keep it open all the way home. That way Iwouldn't pass out from the clinging scent of Eau de Eww!

~

"Lexi?"Solomon's voice sounded up the stairs followed by a series offootsteps.

I pushedmy toe at the faucet one last time and the water shut off. Sinkingback into the bubbles, I closed my eyes. I was not prepared forwhatever conversation was upcoming.

"Lexi?"This time, his voice came from the doorway. Solomon leaned againstthe architrave, his arms folded across his chest.

I openedone eye, smiled, and shut my eye again.

"What isthat smell?" he asked.

"Whatsmell?" I countered.

"Ithought it was our neighbor's dog but I don't think so."

"Whywould it be our neighbor's dog?"

"Becausehe's asleep at the foot of the stairs. The dog, notAidan."

"Wha..."I gave up. There was no point in asking. My neighbor's dog was aservice animal and supposed to be Aidan's ears since he was deaf.The dog was also a canine Houdini that had managed to break into myhouse several times. I hadn't been able to ascertain how and I waspretty sure the dog was too smart to leave an obvious trail. "Nevermind. Neither of us know the answer to how he got in."

"One ofthese days, I'll find out, and then I'm going to stop that dog. Itstill doesn't explain the smell; but since the washing machine isrunning and you look a little wrinkled, I'm guessing that it hassomething to do with you."

My eyesshot open. "Did you just call me wrinkled?"

"Bathwrinkled."

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