That was to say, it was clear Rosie brought some of his primo pot from New Mexico for personal use.

He was lit. Which meant he’d fired up very recently.

“And bad shit goes down, you’re high, you think you can handle it?” I asked. Then went on, “And seriously, smoking a doobie at Tex’s? What’s the matter with you?”

“We smoked it in the car before we came in,” Kevin offered.

“Brilliant,” I snapped.

“Ally—” Rosie cut in, but I moved and did it quick.

Getting in his space and face, I stated, “You are not helping. All you’re doing is wasting time and pissing me off. Go home. Now.”

“But—”

“Now,” I bit out.

“I feel bad,” he said.

Seriously?

“You should,” I shot back. “I lost everything because you’re an idiot. But pissing me off isn’t the way to make it up to me. Now, we’re done. Go.” Since I was done too, I turned from him to look at Tex and asked, “You got a list of houses?”

He was smiling big at me and he answered, “Yup.”

“How many?” I asked.

“Seven,” he answered.

Jeez.

Tex and Nancy needed to consider moving.

“Right, we split up. Hector and Tex on one team, Mace, Ren and me on another,” I decided. “Mace, did Hector brief you?” I asked. On his jerk of the chin (meaning affirmative, by the way), I nodded and looked to Tex. “Tex, you take three houses, give the addresses for the other four to Ren.”

Tex moved.

Mace asked, “You got walkies?”

No. But I was going to tell Daisy the next day to fit that line item in our budget.

“Negative,” I answered Mace.

“Then how we gonna talk to each other?” he returned.

“Uh… cells?” I asked sarcastically because it was not lost on me I was in test phase for Mace and that pissed me off (more). “Just to say, the squawk of walkies won’t help us be stealthy so put your phone on vibrate and we’ll be fine.”

That must have been acceptable because Mace moved on.

“You got a plan for approach?”

“My plan is, Hector and Tex can do whatever they want. You two,” I pointed between Ren and Mace, “are gonna stay out of sight while I approach the door. I’m less of a threat, but I can assess one. I give you the sign, you move in.”

“What’s the sign?’ Mace pushed.

“I was thinking a rain dance on the front lawn. That work for you?” I replied snottily.

“Woman, we gotta know what we’re lookin’ for,” Mace growled.

“And you got enough experience, you pay enough attention, you’ll know it when you see it. I have to be free to operate without fitting in some bullshit move that isn’t gonna look right and might alert them I have backup. So just pay attention, yeah?”

Mace stared at me a beat then he looked to Hector.

Hector was grinning.

Whatever.

“We ready to roll?” I asked, looking through the crew and noting that Ren was also grinning, but his eyes were again burning so I didn’t look too long because I needed to think about what I was doing, not my happy place getting happy.

“You armed?” Mace asked.

I pulled out the stun gun but said, “No. You are. Don’t let me get dead.”

“You’re goin’ in unarmed?” Mace pressed.

Jeez!

“The objective is to call the cops in,” I informed him. “We reach our objective, cops show, I’m a trainee investigator gathering hours. I’ve got a gun and a permit but I’m not licensed to carry concealed, and seeing as I know a few of them, I know cops frown on gung ho idiots who carry weapons. That’s why I have Hector and, since you’re here, you.”

Then I turned toward the door, but saw that Rosie and The Kevster were still there and both of them were looking at me.

“You haven’t left,” I noted.

“You totally are badass,” Rosie breathed.

“It’s nearly four in the morning, I’ve spent the last eight hours in a strip club and I want to have sex with my boyfriend before I pass out. So the longer this takes, the more I’ll want to kick someone’s ass. You stay five more seconds, that someone will be you,” I returned.

They must have taken me seriously because I got two wide-eyed stoner looks and they moved.

“Rosie?” I called when he was almost through the door. He turned back to me. “You drop my name again, I’ll hunt you down and cut off everything that protrudes from your body. You get me?”

Wider eyes and he nodded.

He got me.

“Advice,” I continued. “Find another job as a barista and spread your joy that way. You keep growing, you being you, you’ll be dead in five years. I’m seriously pissed at you, but I don’t want you dead. Stop being a moron and make that happen.”

He nodded again though this was less sure.

God.

Rosie.

“Now go,” I ordered.

He went.

My man got close to my back and his mouth came to my ear where he said quietly, “Hurry this shit up, baby, ‘cause what you got last night after I watched you slide down a pole upside down while straddling it is gonna be nothin’ to what I give you tonight watchin’ you be badass.”

I turned and glared up at him. “Don’t turn me on while I’m working, Zano.”

His lips quirked.

“Jesus,” Mace muttered.

“Enough out of you,” I demanded, pointing at Mace. I swung my eyes through the crew and finished, “Now let’s go.”

And with that, we went.

* * * * *

We pulled up to the last house on our list, Mace driving one of Lee’s black company Explorers, me in the passenger seat, Ren behind me.

I stared at the house, sheets covering the windows, weak light coming from nearly every window in the house. There were people moving behind the sheets, and not a few.

Den o’ Tweakers having a late night party.

Shit.

“This is it,” I whispered.

“Fuck yeah, it is,” Mace agreed.

I turned to him, leaning forward and pulling out my phone. “I’m calling Hector. We don’t go in until they’re here. You’re lead. You go to the front, Ren the back. I’m on you. You got an extra gun for Ren?”

“Glove compartment,” Mace grunted.

I hit go on Hector, put my phone to my ear and opened the glove compartment to get the gun for Ren. I undid my seatbelt and leaned around the seat to hand it to him. I heard gun noises as Ren got familiar with it, and it didn’t surprise me he was familiar with guns.