realized he was squeezing her neck, because her eyes were beginning to bulge.
He quickly let go and she collapsed, breathing hard.
“Where the hell did you come from?” he barked.
She couldn’t answer until she had regained her breath. Then she sat on her haunches in the space between the bucket seats and the back of the van.
“I knew you weren’t going to hang around for the cops. And I knew your van. So I came out and climbed into the back and hid there before you left the bar.”
He looked at her warily. “Why?” he asked.
“Why did I know you weren’t waiting around for the cops? I saw your face when the sirens started up. I saw the arteries in your neck swell as they got closer and closer.”
“Why are you in the back of my van?”
“Because I like you. And I’m trying to figure you out.”
“You need to get out of here.”
“Why? Because I might get in trouble hanging out with you?”
He started to say something, but it wouldn’t come out.
She said, “Are you okay? You were really, really sick.” She paused, looking him over. “Do you have cancer or something?”
He didn’t answer. He was trying to process how all this was going to spin out.
He looked at her neck. It was bruised from his fingers.
Just finish the job. She can’t be here.
“Paul, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s not cancer. Just some food poisoning.”
“Well, thank God for that. Food poisoning passes. Look, it’s late, we should find a place to stay.”
“You can’t stay—”
She cut him off. “Just for tonight. Then you can drop me.” She added, “I did save your life tonight. Isn’t that worth something?”
* * *
After he found another motel and paid in cash they went to the room. Rogers took off his jacket and Davis slipped off her shoes.
“Your arm’s still bleeding,” she said.
“It’s nothing,” he said distractedly as he sat down in a chair, his gaze flitting to the window.
“Listening for more sirens?” she asked as she perched on the bed, drawing her legs up under her.
He shot her a glance and then looked away.
“If it makes you feel better I have a rap sheet too,” said Davis.
“Before you found the pot of gold with your adoptive parents?” he said.
“Something like that. How about you?”
“I never found a pot of gold.”
“I mean the criminal part.”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.” He rose and took off his shoes.
Davis stood, unzipped her dress, and stepped out of it.
Rogers froze. “What’s going on?”
She didn’t look at him as she took off her bra and underwear. “Don’t get crazy. I can’t sleep with clothes on.” She smiled. “The guys usually don’t mind. And it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked.”
She went into the bathroom, washed her face, came back out, and crawled under the covers. Rogers watched her turn on her side and close her eyes.
“Good night, Paul.”
He hit the wall switch and the room became dark. He looked down at the floor and then walked over to the bed and lay down on top of the covers.
Davis turned to face him. “We’re two peas in a pod, right? Damaged goods trying to make our way?”
“Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”
She gripped his hand. “Things will look better in the morning,” she said. “They always do.”
“Upstairs had nothing to do with what happened downstairs.”
“Doesn’t matter if something illegal was going on up there.”
“Nothing illegal was going on up there,” she retorted.
“How do you know? You just said you don’t know what goes on up there.”
“I meant that I know Josh, and he would engage in nothing illegal.”