Flashback (Kendra Michaels #11)

“I believe you. And I’ll keep Harley by our side whenever possible. I’m not taking any chances, Olivia.”

“See that you don’t,” she said sternly. “You can start by taking Harley up to Kendra’s condo tonight. But right now I want you both to tell me all the details of what happened in the park tonight. I can’t understand it. Why did that beast just suddenly reappear on the scene after all this time?”

“We don’t know that yet, Olivia,” Lynch said quietly. “I wish we did. I’ll search every avenue I have to find out. But you can bet that we’ll know very soon. The only thing we can be certain of so far is that something appeared on the scene that wasn’t there before, triggering the killing,” Kendra said. “Maybe if we talk about it we might find a clue.”

Lynch reached out and took Olivia’s hand. “I realize I disappointed you, but I promise I’m going to find out. Right now, we’re going to take Harley up to the condo and get him settled for the night. Is HGTV still his favorite TV network?”

Olivia nodded. “Yes. I have to turn on the TV for him every afternoon. And now he barks and runs around the room every time Property Brothers comes on. You spoiled him rotten. It took weeks for the trainer to put him back on the right track the last time I let you puppy-sit when I went out of town.”

“I’ll watch it this time,” Lynch said. “Kendra will keep an eye on me. But a little spoiling doesn’t do any harm. He was missing you. The two of you are a team, and he needed a little pampering.”

“Kendra,” Olivia said, “I’m relying on you.”

Kendra was already pulling Harley toward the front door. “We’ll see you in the morning. Everything is going to be fine. We’ll talk and maybe we’ll come up with something.”

“You’d better,” Olivia said. “I’ll see you in the morning and I want answers.” She gave Harley’s throat a final pat. Then she brushed a kiss on Kendra’s cheek. “Tomorrow,” she said again. “No excuses.”

“We hear you,” Kendra said as she pushed Lynch out into the hall. “So much for confronting the magician,” she continued as they headed for the elevator. “But you didn’t do all that bad. You sounded sincere. That’s important to Olivia.”

“I couldn’t have been more sincere,” Lynch said as she unlocked her condo door. “Every syllable.” He watched Harley running around the condo for a moment before the dog stretched out lazily on the couch. “But you’ve had a bit of a rough time tonight and you should rest.” He gave her a light kiss. “I’m going to do some research and see if I can put all this together.” He turned toward the French doors. “But first I believe I’ll search the terrace and make certain we don’t have any visitors.”

She stiffened. “Do you want company?”

“No.” He smiled. “I want you to go to bed and let me work on finding the solution I promised Olivia. I really did mean it when I told her I’d do everything I could to keep you safe.”

She was disappointed. They had spent most of the day working and talking together and she felt a little sense of abandonment. “Would you like a glass of wine before you go hunting for the bad guys?”

He shook his head. “Stop trying to take over. I have a duty to perform that the magician decreed.”

“Whatever.” She headed for her bedroom. “May you and Harley be very happy together.”

“I’m just trying to please your best friend.” He followed her to the bedroom. “Though I might be persuaded to change my mind.”

“I wouldn’t think of inconveniencing you.” She kicked off her shoes and pulled off her clothes. Lynch smiled, but she made a shooing motion. “Go forth and conquer. I’ll join you for breakfast with Olivia in the morning. If that won’t get in your way. Heaven forbid that happens.” She climbed into bed, reached over, and turned off the bedside lamp. “Go do your duty to Olivia. But you damn well better come up with an answer by morning. I’m tired of being left out in the cold while you take over the action. I thought we already had that discussion.”

“Kendra…”

“Out,” she said and turned over in bed. “You’ll have to be a good deal more persuasive the next time we come together.”

“I promise I will. Evidently I couldn’t be worse. And I won’t make the attempt until I’m on solid ground.”

“Good thinking.”

He gave a low whistle as he closed the door behind him.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Kendra’s hand clenched on her pillowcase as she saw the lights go on in the living room. She wanted to go to Lynch and make things right again as they had been all evening.

She’d been difficult and a bitch and she knew she wasn’t going to sleep tonight. Why couldn’t she be like other women who could accept being softer and less demanding? She knew the answer. Because it wasn’t her nature. Because she had fought too long and hard to become who she was, and Lynch was part of who she had become. She pounded the pillow one last time and then drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. Tomorrow was another day and she would probably never be what he wanted her to be. But maybe she could be what she wanted to be, accomplish all she wanted to do. Throw in a little more patience and kindness and that would be good, too. That might be enough. Yes, that might be enough…

The first thing Kendra heard when she woke was Lynch’s shower pounding in the guest room next door. The second thing she heard was her door opening and then Lynch was on the bed beside her. “It’s time to get up.” His lips were buried in her throat. “I’m heading for the shower but I want company.”

Her fingers instinctively went to his hair and began stroking it. “You didn’t want it last night.”

“I wanted it. When the hell have I ever not wanted you? You’re an addiction. I was being noble and trying to please the magician and still making sure you had a good night’s rest.”

“And did it do any good? Was it worth it?”