So I was going to stop at nothing.
I parked in Lee’s garage, got out of my car and made my way into the building and to the elevators. After running, shopping and stripping, I couldn’t face the stairs.
Truth be told, I didn’t know how I was going to face my getting ready preparations and a late dinner with Ren. I really wanted our date, as in, really. But I’d been running around all day, was facing what would likely not be a happy conversation with my family, and would rather go home, eat Ren’s delicious food and curl up on the couch and watch Nathan Fillion (and, of course, the rest of the cast of Castle).
The elevator expelled me on Lee’s floor. I made my way down the hall and into his office.
Shirleen was not behind the reception desk, but Vance was standing beside it, tossing a file on the top.
When I entered, he turned to me.
“Hey,” I greeted.
“Ally,” he replied.
“What’s shakin’?” I asked.
He grinned his shit-eating grin and seriously—he was Jules’s; I loved Jules and I had Ren who I loved—but I had to admit that it wasn’t just once in the time I knew Vance that I wondered what it would be like to be horizontal and have him aim that shit-hot grin at me.
“Everything,” he replied. His grin faded and he said weirdly, “Tomorrow night.”
I stopped advancing to the door that led to the nerve center of my brother’s operations and turned to Vance. “What?”
“Tomorrow night. You’re ride along with me.”
My mouth dropped open, but the rest of my body jolted with pure, unadulterated glee.
“Got a security system I wanna show you how to bypass,” he went on.
That feeling stole through me, that one I liked, but I still didn’t move.
“You know how to pick a lock?” he asked.
I forced my mouth to move. “Um… not yet.”
“We’ll go through that tomorrow night, too.”
Holy shit!
“I—” I started, but Vance kept going.
“We document those hours, I sign off on them for the License Board.”
Holy shit!
“I… uh,” Pull it together, Ally! “Why?” I asked.
“Saw the tape,” Vance answered as I heard the door to the inner sanctum open.
But I didn’t look there.
I kept my eyes to Vance. “What tape?”
“You, cool as shit, dealin’ with those guys in Lincoln’s.”
“Impressive.” I heard muttered, and saw Hector standing with us, the strap of a workout bag over his shoulder. He was looking at Vance. “You offer ride along?”
“Yep,” Vance answered.
Hector looked at me. “You need help on a case and someone to sign off on your hours, call me.”
I stared.
Was this happening?
Hector did a chin lift to Vance and me and sauntered out.
I looked from the door that closed on Hector back to Vance. “What’s going on?”
“What’s goin’ on is the team saw the tape. Darius and Brody both talk you up. But we saw evidence of what they’ve been sayin’. You want this. You’re good at it. You should have it. So some of the guys are up for backin’ your play.”
Oh my God.
I didn’t know what to do.
I did know what to feel.
Ecstatically freaking happy.
