Page 51 of Back in Black

“You know I’m not really sexist and it doesn’t really bother you that much.”

Her laughing reply got cut short when Drew said, “Fuck.”

“What?” She followed his gaze through the windshield and saw her small car illuminated in the headlights. “Oh, my God.”

Someone had trashed her little RX8. A shattered side window had let in the rain. White spray paint showed stark against the dark green exterior, across the hood and driver’s-side door. The words—Let the damned go to the devil—sent a red haze over Drew’s vision.

“That’s a reference to me.”

Gillian didn’t hear him. When he stopped, she opened her car door. Moving like a zombie, she made to get out.

He caught her arm. “Are you nuts? Stay put and let me call Officer Sparks.”

“Wait.” She snatched at his cell phone. “We have to think about this.”

In her pretty blue eyes, Drew saw shock, confusion, and hurt. He could tell that no one had ever personally attacked her before and she didn’t quite know how to deal with it.

“Read what it says, Gillian. Someone is pissed at you for working with me.”

“You . . . you can’t know that.” But she did stare at her car to read the sloppily painted message. Slowly, she shook her head in denial. Voice faint, she said, “What does that mean?”

It seemed clear enough to Drew. “I’m the devil someone wants damned.”

In quick denial, she said, “Don’t be ridiculous.” But she didn’t look convinced as she continued to stare at the destruction. “Not everything is about you, you know, despite your monumental ego.”

Drew appreciated her effort to deflect the accusation, but he knew a real threat—when it was aimed at an innocent like Gillian. “Get real, honey. First the bomb threat, and now someone beats up your car, which was left near a place where you arranged a speaking engagement for me? I just hope whoever did this doesn’t knowwhyyou left the car here. But either way”—he took his phone from her again—“I need to call Officer Sparks.”

She groaned and fell back in her seat. “I just know this is going to end up front-page news.”

Drew shook his head at her. “Hardly that. I think Sparks can be tactful.” When the officer answered, Drew gave him the details. They ended up waiting on Sparks, who arrived twenty minutes later. He took a report, which included getting Gillian’s full name and association with Drew, but, as Drew had suspected, not much could be done.

Sparks did caution them to be careful, and he promised that he wouldn’t share Gillian’s name unless it became absolutely necessary. Right now, it wasn’t.

After he left, Gillian wanted Drew to do the same so that she could call for the tow truck—and not be seen with him.

What was he? A scourge? An embarrassment? The devil himself, as the car wrecker presumed?

Gillian’s desire to hide her personal interest in him made him nuts, but he still would have obliged if he wasn’t worried for her safety. Instead, he called an associate who had a tow truck and asked him to take the car to a garage. No other explanations were necessary.

“Just that easy?” Gillian asked with wonder.

Drew paced around her car, even though he’d already done that with Officer Sparks and even though there wasn’t enough light now to see much. “When you’re as high profile as I am, it’s good to make affiliations with people who don’t ask questions. I’ve worked with that garage before, too. They’re good. Your car will be in good hands.”

Drew left the key hidden in a designated spot. “Tomorrow you can give the garage a call, tell them it’s your car, and you can take over from there with no one the wiser on your social life.”

Pleased with that plan, Gillian said, “You’re a handy man to know, Drew.”

Actually, knowing him was what had gotten her car trashed.

Feeling powerless, he escorted Gillian home.

They rode in silence with her worrying and him stewing until they reached her driveway.

Gillian unhooked her seat belt in a rush. “You don’t need to get out.”

Because she didn’t want to risk anyone seeing her with him.The insults were starting to get under his very thick skin. “Am I allowed to sit here until I see you’re safely inside?”

For answer, she craned her neck to look out the rear window, the side windows. “I think it’s okay. No one is up and about right now anyway.”

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