Page 90 of Smooth Sailing

“I think I need to process a few things first, Big Petey. But thanks.”

“I’ll be here awhile, you need me.”

Not that it needed to be announced, since it happened way before that moment, but…yeah.

I really liked these guys.

All of them.

“You wanna jump to a not-at-all less sticky subject?” he asked, lowering his voice.

I scooted closer to him and lowered my voice too. “Suzette.”

He slouched to the side to get nearer to me. “Hugger says she spoke to him. Said goodnight.”

I nodded. “It felt like a big breakthrough.”

His face got scary. “What she went through, reckon it was.”

“Yeah.”

“Time to push, Di.”

Ugh.

“Yeah,” I repeated. “Got an idea about that?”

“I figure we gotta set priorities. Do we want her under police protection first, or do we wanna know her real name?”

“I want her safe. But this isn’t about what I want.”

“In part it is, darlin’. You put yourself in front of her as her shield, and that was your choice. But she’s usin’ you as a shield, and that was hers. We got you. We’re here for the long haul. But I cannot say we can offer better than the US Marshalls if the FBI gets involved and they look after her. And that isn’t a betrayal of what you promised. You promised to keep her safe. Did you promise how you’d go about doin’ that?”

He was genius.

“No,” I replied.

“Okay, then, if it was me, I’d give it to her. Go in her room. Say she’s been here awhile and maybe it’s time to talk. Tell her it’d be good to get it out. Share it with somebody.”

“Big Petey?” I whispered.

“Right here, Di.”

“Can I tell you something?”

His face got scary again, before it turned tender.

“I know, love,” he said so gently, my nose started stinging with threatening tears.

They’d all figured it out, why I’d lost my mind and got involved with this mess.

All of them had.

I didn’t mind. I wanted them to understand and not think I was a harebrained idiot.

And it was nice not to have that in the way and know they were already handling me with care, so I didn’t have to worry they would.

“Should I tell her?” I asked.

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