Part 34 (1/2)
”Whatever time we get through, meet me back at Owen's big-a.s.s truck,” Quentin told her. ”We're not sleeping. Not tonight.”
18.
I accept your resignation. Archie is not going to like this after the Nationally Televised Holiday Concert Debacle. I hear online sales for the Cheatin' Hearts AND Nine Lives are through the roof already, and Manhattan Music is going to be upset that Stargazer let you get away. But working for the Cheatin' Hearts will be a good fit for you, if you know what I mean. Tell your green-eyed hick-hunk-Well, never mind. You don't have to tell him anything. Now that things are settling down with the baby, I have some work at home to keep me busy. If you know what I mean. ;).
Wendy Mann.
Senior Consultant.
Stargazer Public Relations.
Vulcan's b.u.t.t glowed majestically in the orange light of sunrise. Sarah would have thought any view was picturesque from a blanket in the back of Owen's truck, with Quentin's arms wrapped protectively around her. Even the trash littering the empty park looked quaint. The police had finally given up and gone home. She and Quentin had the park, the trash, the sunrise, and Vulcan's b.u.t.t all to themselves.
She told him what her evening had been like. After a few moments of peaceful silence, Quentin let her go and slid to the side of the truck bed.
”Where are you going?” she asked.
”To kill Nine Lives.” His eyes were black.
”Quentin.” She reached over and put a hand on his arm.
”I've worked at the hospital for years, and I've picked up a few tricks. I can kill him in such a way that no one would ever know he was murdered.”
”Someone would see you go into his hospital room,” she reasoned.
”The folks at the hospital would cover for me.”
She sighed. She understood what Erin meant about arguing with him. ”We think we've thrown the police off Martin's scent, but if Martin were to get in trouble, he'd be in a lot more trouble if Nine Lives died. I've had enough drama for one day. I only told you what happened because I want us to be honest with each other from now on. I didn't expect you to go kill him. I've got him covered. It's okay for you to delegate some of the responsibility of manipulating people. It's okay to ask for help.”
He grimaced and rotated his neck. Sarah heard a pop. ”I'm in caveman mode,” he told her.
”I know!”
”It's just that Martin kept telling me Nine Lives would come after you, and I wasn't there for you.”
”Yes you were,” she said. ”That's what you have friends for. You have Martin's back. Martin has yours. And mine.”
”Right. You're right.” Quentin relaxed a little.
She scooted across the blanket and pressed herself against him until he hugged her. He put his hand protectively over the bandage that covered the hole Nine Lives had gouged in her arm with the needle.
She kissed his hand. ”There's the Quentin I've just met. A respiratory therapist who's been admitted to med school. A brilliant, eloquent, sensitive man, everything I want. And then there's the Quentin I've dealt with for ten days, who breaks the law for fun and profit, chases skirts, manipulates his friends, uses double negatives, and threatens to murder people.”
He laughed.
”Not that I'm any better,” she said. ”The real Sarah is a meek athlete with a closet full of sweatpants. Then there's the persona I call Natsuko, modeled after this bada.s.s publicist I saw at the Grammys last year. She's never afraid to do what she likes and take what she wants. If we're going to have a relations.h.i.+p, there isn't room in this truck bed for all four of us.”
He wrapped both arms around her waist and squeezed. ”All right. I'll suppress Mad Dog Quentin, for now. I'm not promising I won't call him back up if I need him.”
”You won't need him with me.”
”Which Sarah do I get?”
She smiled up at him. ”Which one do you want?”
”I want them both. And I'm not sure Sarah and this other persona are clearly differentiated. I saw Sarah from the beginning. And I saw that she had a little bit of Nat-whatever running through her. I ain't choosing.”