I put my arms around his neck, grasping my right wrist in my left hand; I lifted up on my toes a bit, just as I put pressure on his neck. I opened my mouth under his, going for the gusto, but in the back of my head wondering if I should start small.

Apparently I made the right choice. His mouth opened immediately, my tongue slid inside and that was all I had to do. That was the extent of “my” kiss.

He walked me back quickly. I slammed against the wall, his fist tightened at my hair and his other hand slid down over my bottom and pressed me against him. He forced my tongue out of his mouth and slid his in mine.

It felt so damned good, I fit my body to his, pressing in close, one hand curling around his neck and the other hand pushing inside his jacket, my arm wrapped around his waist then it went tight.

It got a little hot and heavy after that. There was some groping (on Vance’s part) and maybe a few throat moans (on my part) and then his mouth tore free.

He pulled back, just an inch, and he stared at me, his eyes intense, something strange there, almost like surprise.

I stared back. We were both breathing heavily.

Finally he muttered, “Jesus.”

He could say that again.

I felt hot, everywhere, and I was pretty certain my stomach had evacuated my body.

“I should have broke in last night, woke you up, f**ked you until you couldn’t breathe. I thought about it. I should have f**kin’ done it.”

Oh my God.

He said this like he was talking to himself, still, I heard it and it flipped me out.

“Vance –” I whispered.

“Save it,” he cut me off. “Tonight. Six thirty.”

Then the tractor beam switched off, his chin lifted, he kissed my forehead and he said, “Wear something nice.”

He let me go but his hand wrapped around mine. The warmth of his hand in mine, the strength I felt there, the intimacy of the gesture took me off guard.

Okay, so we’d necked, groped, laid in my bed (of all places) and talked. I’d held him at gunpoint and he’d beat me at wrestling. Even though this had all passed between us, his holding my hand made a statement that went beyond the cat and mouse game we seemed to be playing since we laid eyes on each other.

I didn’t know if you held hands with a woman you intended to sleep with and then leave which Crowe had a reputation for doing. He saw, he conquered, he left.

Furthermore I had no girlfriends to ask. I didn’t expect this was a topic of conversation that either Zip or Heavy would be delighted to get into with me.

Though, if I were to guess, my answer would be no.

I didn’t know what to do with this and I was struggling to process it when he turned us to the door and in the window to the room that faced the hall we saw several kids (and I could swear May as well) quickly move away. We heard movement and giggling and then nothing.

“God dammit,” I muttered under my breath.

Vance just looked down at me wearing his arrogant, shit-eating grin.

And all of a sudden I had new things to worry about. This made my list include my soon to be f**king by Vance Crowe; everyone at King’s hearing about our make out session; what it meant that Vance held my hand; and the fact that I had absolutely nothing “nice” to wear on our date.

* * * * *

Later that afternoon I cornered Roam and Sniff. Roam was looking at me funny. Sniff was grinning.

“Hey Law,” Sniff said.

I pushed his shoulder and then swung my gaze between the both of them. “I got a favor to ask you two.”

“Anything Law,” Sniff said immediately.

“Depends on what it is,” Roam said cautiously.

I sat down on the arm of the chair that Sniff was sitting in. “You hear anyone talking about going out at night –” I started.

“We ain’t snitchin’,” Roam broke in.

I shook my head. “I don’t want you to snitch. I want you to tell them it’s a bad idea. Talk them out of it. They’ll listen to you.”

“They’d listen to Park,” Sniff put in.

I turned to Sniff. “Now they’ll listen to you.”

Sniff looked like he didn’t believe me and he threw a glance at Roam.

“Like it or not,” I said, “Park left you something. You two have been around longer than most, been on the street longer than most and seen a lot more than most, including finding Park and knowing the Nightingale Boys. You can ignore that, use it the wrong way or use it the right way. I’m asking you to do the right thing. That’s it. Now it’s your choice.”

They both looked at me and didn’t give anything away. I waited for something, anything, but they gave me nothing so I gave up.

“All right, I said my piece.” I got up from the chair, preparing to go but Roam stopped me from leaving.

“Law,” he called.

I looked down at him. He and Sniff exchanged another glance and he hesitated like he didn’t know what to say or didn’t want to say what came next.

“Yeah?” I prompted.

Roam took a breath. “Careful of Crowe.”

Sniff looked at his feet.

“Sorry?”

Roam got up and looked down on me. Sniff got up too but he was inching away.

“He’s a player,” Roam told me. “Heard about you two. Everyone’s talking about it. He’s movin’ in fast.”

I could tell he was uncomfortable, so was I, so I cut in. “Roam, don’t worry about me. It’s not –”

“He’s a player,” Roam interrupted me.

“Roam –”

“He’s a player,” he repeated. “Everybody knows it. He wants a piece of your ass.”

“Roam!”

“That’s all he wants.”

“I think I know what I’m doing,” I said, even though I didn’t but I still could not believe I was getting a talking to from a fifteen year old boy. So he had more earth-shattering life experiences than your average adult.

Still.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Roam finished and before I could say anything he and Sniff moved away.

I watched them go and I was trying to get my mind around what just happened when I heard an exclamation from across the room.

“Sugar, I just love that sweater! Where’d you get it?”

I turned to look at the front door and Indy, Jet, Roxie, Daisy and a beautiful brunette who looked like a female version of Lee Nightingale were standing there. Daisy was addressing Clarice who was wearing a big, fluffy pink sweater.