Page 8 of So Wicked

“They also sell croissanwiches,” he said. “You want me to buy, we eat where I want to eat.”

“No, that’s fine. I could actually go for a donut right now.”

“Try the maple bacon. I swear it’s to die for.”

She glared at him. “Lovely choice of words.”

His smile faded. “Yeah. I’ve never been one for thinking before I speak.”

Faith shook her head. “I just hate that he’s winning. We’re not giving him what he wants, but he can keep hurting us until we give him what he wants. We’re running out of time to lure him out. Pretty soon we’ll just be appeasing him.”

“I know.”

“Then why? Why send me away? Am I worth that much?”

“Yes.”

“Bullshit.”

“Go to Hell,” Michael countered with a lot more force than Faith expected. “People care about you, Faith.Icare about you. I don’t want you to die. If I thought you were in a place to fight this guy, I’d hide you in my basement and have Ellie dye your hair black so you can go fight him. But you aren’t. You’ll make mistakes, and the Messenger will capitalize on them. And then you’ll end up dead, and that’s not something I will allow. Be mad at me if you want, but I’m not going to let you die.”

Faith looked at Michael’s eyes as he pulled the SUV into the parking lot of Night Owl Donuts. There was real fear in them, and real affection. The affection reminded her of the way he used to look at her when they were dating.

It had been years since their relationship ended, but there were times when Faith felt a glimmer of the feelings she once had. This was one of those times.

She had learned the hard way that there was no going back. Michael was happily married, and even if Faith wasn’t looking to marry David, she still loved being his girlfriend. She and Michael were best friends, and that was all they could ever be.

But every once in a while, those feelings came back, and she allowed herself to wonder.

“It was your idea,” she said softly. No anger, no accusation, just fact.

He sighed deeply and nodded. “Yes. I brought up the threat the Messenger poses to you and suggested that for the time being, you be sent somewhere out of his reach. Not for the duration of the case, but I can talk them out of that once the fallout from the Boss’s murder fades away.”

Faith nodded. “Okay.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

“Okay. If you think this is the right decision for me, then I trust you. I’ll go away for a while and wait until I’m ready to come back.”

He stared at her incredulously. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but you better find the real Faith Bold ASAP or we’re gonna have a problem.”

She rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully. “Come on. Get out of the car. I’m hungry.”

Turk barked support for her admonition, and the three of them made their way inside the donut shop. Michael ordered a biscuit sandwich and his ungodly combination of maple, bacon, and donut, and Faith ordered a croissanwich, a coffee, and a normal chocolate ring donut with no meat or salt to ruin a perfectly good sweet treat.

Turk got a plain ring donut and a ham and cheese sandwich. He wolfed both of them down eagerly, then whined plaintively for more.

“No,” Faith said. “The last time I gave you food like this, you stunk the whole apartment up.”

Michael grinned. “Just keep the windows down while you drive. I assume you’re not leaving your car here.”

“You assume right. The drive will be my catharsis.”

“Not your friend?”

“No, that will be reminiscing about the good old days.”

“Ah, so a Marine buddy.”

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