Page 65 of Justice for Radar

“I’m sorry to hear that, man.”

He nodded at me but didn’t say much.

“You fellas can take it from here?” Collier asked.

I nodded.

“I do believe we can, but don’t think we’re rushing you outta here. By no means,” I said. “I feel heavy handed enough but—”

“But she was drowning and the amount of people in the water to rescue her is a little overwhelming, I get that, but it’s the best thing for her,” Collier said with a nod.

La Croix grunted his agreement.

I nodded. “Still feel like I’m running a little roughshod here.”

“I feel you, bro… but this ain’t exactly anything Jussy can handle at this point. It’s out of her hands.”

“I gave her some choices. Some things to think about,” I said.

“Oh yeah?” Atlas looked at me curiously and I spilled. He looked impressed, and really thought about it, then nodded.

“Some reasonable choices,” he said.

“Feels too good to be true to someone like her, I’m sure o dat,” Collier said with a wink.

I nodded and La Croix growled slightly and huffed out a breath.

“When and where the SHMC wanna see my ass?” I asked Atlas.

“Tomorrow, around eleven and I got the address,” he said. “Best not be thinking you’re going alone.”

I shook my head.

“No, I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“I’ll stay,” La Croix grumbled. We all turned eyes in his direction. “You go on and do what needs doin’, I’ll stay with her so she’s not alone.”

“I sure appreciate that, man.”

He nodded.

“Well, fellas, it’s late. You all looked pretty cozy up there so why don’t you go on and get back to it?” Collier asked. “La Croix and I can find our way around down here.”

I nodded and Atlas stood and we went for the stairs.

“You sure I ain’t gonna be a third wheel this time?” he asked, and I shrugged.

“We can ask,” I said. “But if it’s just sleep, I don’t see the problem.”

22

Justice…

Radar came back into the bathroom just as I was thinking about getting out of the tub. I was sitting in the gently steaming water hugging my knees thinking about how no man hadeverdrawn me a bath or taken care of me like these rough-looking outsiders when his light tap fell at the bathroom door.

“Oh, uh, come in!” I called fairly certain it was him and knowing full well there wasn’t anything about me that he hadn’t seen before… and I do mean anything.

“Hey,” he said softly, closing the door behind him and coming over. His jacket had disappeared, as had his chaps, and it was just his leather vest over a white tee with faded and soft looking jeans. I missed his long shorts he’d preferred in Florida. Long pants just looked somehow wrong on him.

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