Thieves Like Us Part 22

It could be a short. With all the steam that must be billowing up there, some of it might have seeped into a loose connection and tripped the alarm. He might have even talked himself into believing the light had been blinking all day with no one there to see it, except he'd checked the box when they first came in less than an hour ago. The sentry light had been off. And he'd bet his life it had been off when Janet walked upstairs, naked and flushed from making love, and closed herself in the bathroom.

The acid deep in his gut began a steady burn. From upstairs he heard water beating down and music blaring; it was more than enough to drown out the sound of a skylight being forced open.

The k.n.o.b squealed as she shut the water off. Condensation dripped down the frosted gla.s.s of the shower door. Sliding it open, she wiped the water from her eyes and groped for the towel she'd left on the bar outside the door. Her searching hand found a bare, hairy arm.

She inhaled a scream. It tried to come out, but the hand covering her mouth wouldn't let it. With another frantic swipe at her eyes, she blinked.

"Rocky!" It came out m.u.f.fled behind his hand.

"Shhh." He held a finger to his lips. With the other hand he reached for the radio and turned it off. In the sudden silence she could hear the last tiny gurgle of water going down the drain.

"What the h.e.l.l are doing? You scared me to death." She whispered harshly, resenting that she didn't know why she had to. The sound barely seemed to carry through the heavy steam anyway.

Instead of answering, he wrapped her in the big bath towel he had ready, tucking it snuggly around her and ushering her out of the bathroom. He closed the door behind them.

The hallway was about twenty degrees cooler than the bathroom, and she s.h.i.+vered, water running down her legs and dripping onto the carpet. She held the towel together at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s with one hand and planted the other one firmly on her hip. "What-"

His fingers went to his lips, repeating the mime to stay silent. Her voice changed to an irritated whisper. "What's going on?"

"Nothing yet," he said softly. "I just want you to stay out here. Did you hear anything unusual while you were in there?"

"A bad David Bowie cover. I don't know why they find it necessary to ruin a perfectly good song."

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts, she didn't even get a smile. "Any scratching sounds or grating noises from the ceiling?"

"No. Rocky, will you please-"

"Shhh!"

She mouthed the rest: "-tell me what's going on?"

He held up a finger while c.o.c.king his head toward the bathroom door, listening. "Just being cautious."

Cautious, her b.u.t.t. He was whispering so quietly she could barely hear him. He was worried. Then his body froze and his eyes narrowed. He'd heard something on the other side of the door.

She copied his stance, completely still, head tipped attentively to the side, the only sound a soft splat of water that dripped from her bangs onto the back of her hand where it held the towel together.

Scritch.

The small sound came from up high, behind the door. Seconds later it was followed by a creak.

Before she could ask questions, Rocky jerked back to life, taking her by the shoulders. "Wait in the bedroom," he mouthed, nudging her in that direction.

She understood immediately that someone was in the bathroom. Someone had been breaking in through the skylight above the bathtub while she showered.

She didn't have to guess who the weasely little pervert was-Easy Joey.

A p.r.i.c.kly feeling slid down her spine as she replayed her actions. She'd stood in front of the sink and in the shower, but not close to the bathtub. Could he have seen her from the deeply recessed skylight, even at that angle? Seen her standing there naked?

Anger snapped like a rubber band, stronger than her fear.

"Rocky," she called loudly. "Are you in the bedroom? I'll be right there." She took a few steps in that direction, then stopped to see what Rocky would to do.

He nodded his encouragement and flattened himself to the wall beside the bathroom door, motioning her down the hall. She shook her head. She might not be able to kick Easy's a.s.s herself, but if Rocky intended to, she wanted to see it.

He looked ready to argue, but something turned his attention back to the bathroom door. He crouched, with one hand on the k.n.o.b, as if waiting for a signal. Ten feet away, she waited with him, not daring to breathe. Wondering if their burglar intended to search the house for valuables first or if he'd be tempted by whatever his perverted little imagination thought they might be doing in the bedroom. Come on, Easy. Having been his victim once, she was eager to see him get what he had coming.

They stood still.

Rocky must have heard whatever he was waiting for on the other side of the door. Without warning, he threw it open and dove into the bathroom. She heard the crash of bodies and a startled cry, followed by the sharp smack of a fist on flesh. Then it was quiet. A cloud of steam billowed into the hallway and dissipated.

Keeping a firm grip on her towel, she approached the open bathroom door. Inside, Rocky crouched on the tile over the spread-eagled body of Easy Joey. While Easy moaned, Rocky rooted through a small knapsack. He tossed it aside, returning his attention to the man on the floor.

"Easy!" Rocky slapped him, none too gently.

Easy blinked several times. She knew the second full consciousness returned, because he scrambled into reverse, a half crawl propelled by elbows and feet, until he backed into the toilet bowl. "Don't touch me!"

"Then don't move." Rocky stood, kicking the knapsack further away as he turned to look at Janet. "Hey, babe, could you call nine-one-one and tell them to come pick up this piece of garbage?"

"No, wait!" Easy yelled. She did, even though he directed his plea at Rocky. She didn't want to miss anything. "We had a deal. You said I could try to break in. You can't call the cops now."

"Why, because that would be just like what you did to me when you set me up?"

Beneath the red circle on his cheek bone, Easy's face went pale.

"I warned you, Easy. I said you could try, and I told you what would happen if you got caught." He looked at Janet again. "Police," he reminded her.

She ran for the bedroom, made her report, and returned to the hallway with the cordless phone, hoping to take out her anger on Easy before the cops hauled him away. But Rocky had it covered.

He knelt beside Easy, who was trapped with the commode at his back. Rocky ran a hand over each side and down his legs, checking for weapons. "Have you taken on a new sideline, Easy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you a Peeping Tom now? Watching women in the shower?"

Easy's gaze flew to Janet, then back to Rocky as he shrank back farther. "No! I wasn't watching her. I was just breaking in."

"While she was in here. A coincidence, then."

"Yes! I don't give a f.u.c.k about your girlfriend, man."

"I see." She'd expected to hear anger, but Rocky's voice was surprisingly calm-unnaturally so. She didn't blame Easy for being nervous. "You didn't know she was in here?"

"No! How would I know that?"

"Oh, you couldn't. Unless you heard the water running," Rocky suggested. "That would be hard to miss. Or saw all the steam fogging up the skylight."

Easy tried to squeeze between the toilet and the vanity, but only managed to wedge himself against the toilet paper roll. Panic made him blink faster as he kept his eyes on Rocky. "I didn't see her."

"You mentioned that. I'm just not sure I believe you." Rocky rose to his feet, taking a few steps toward the tub and casting a casual glance toward the open skylight. Easy didn't even try to make a break for it as he followed every move with his darting eyes. Rocky considered the opening above his head. "I guess you can't see much with the skylight set so far in like that. Unless she was in the bathtub." He looked to where she hovered in the doorway. "Did you stand by the bathtub, honey?"

She shook her head no, scattering water droplets from the spiky, short ends of her hair. She was nearly as fascinated by his manner as Easy.

"No? Well, that's good. Because then we know he didn't see anything. Maybe he really wasn't trying to spy on you." He wandered back to Easy and squatted in front of him, making direct eye contact. "But then again, maybe he was." Before either Janet or Easy could react, Rocky pulled back a fist and slammed it into Easy's jaw. Easy slumped against the base of the toilet, unconscious.

Rocky stood, shrugging. "I guess we'll never know." He eyed Janet's towel where it showed a good bit of cleavage. "Honey, maybe you could get dressed before the cops get here and I have to beat them up, too."

She nearly forgot she'd been standing there dripping wet. She trotted downstairs and collected her clothes, using the downstairs bathroom to dry off and get dressed. She finished just as Rocky let two police officers in the front door and escorted them upstairs. She followed.

Easy was just coming around. One officer stepped forward to cuff him before he was alert enough to resist.

"Don't usually find burglars in bathrooms," he said, eyeing the room as if looking for a hidden doorway.

Rocky pointed at the recessed area in the ceiling above the tub. "He came in through the skylight here. I think he must have hit his head on the toilet when he jumped down. Stupid criminals, eh?"

She couldn't help feeling a small thrill about the whole thing. They were all fine, and Rocky'd had the situation under control the whole time. So she didn't understand why he acted so withdrawn. He hardly spoke to her, staring straight ahead as he drove, his face expressionless.

She supposed he felt responsible because he'd practically dared Easy Joey to do it. Rocky was good at taking responsibility for things-whether he should or not. He took it on himself to reclaim his family's lost jewelry and coins. He kept her safe from an elusive jewel thief, not to mention a couple of angry Colombians, while trying to track down the Pellinni Jewels. Ben had told her that even the FBI probably couldn't have traced the jewelry to Sleazy's p.a.w.nshop.

He even tried to protect her heart. She'd known it when he'd joked about letting her use him again. The phrase had been useful for establis.h.i.+ng an emotional distance between them. But now it grated against her happiness, making it feel vaguely salacious.

The reason why was obvious-she liked him. A lot. The intimacy and the connection she felt now were things she'd never had with Banner. Being with Rocky was comfortable, but it was also new and unexpected so she needed to move slowly. She knew now it was time to take the plunge, though, and talk about how this had turned into something more, something with the potential for a relations.h.i.+p.

Saying it out loud would be the perfect way to punch through that preoccupied frown that made him look so grim. She smiled as she imagined his reaction.

She waited until they stood before the huge double doors of the Westfield mansion. In the porch light he looked even more serious. Her heart skipped like a kid's on Christmas morning. Just when he was feeling dejected about her lack of commitment, she would tell him exactly what he'd waited to hear, that he meant something to her.

"Janet-"

"Rocky-"

They spoke at the same time, and she laughed. "You go first." She hugged her confession to herself a little longer, her excitement building.

He didn't look happy about going first, but he gave her a brief nod and went on. "I can't see you anymore."

For one stunned moment her ears buzzed like a swarm of hornets in her head. "You can't-what?"

The look on his face said it all. She'd heard him right.

He touched her face, a tender caress that brushed her cheek and gave him an excuse to avoid eye contact as he watched his own hand. "We can't see each other anymore, at least not for now. Being with me is putting you in more danger. I won't allow it."

"You won't allow it?" He was tossing her aside, and she had no say in it.

"I thought I was keeping you safe, but it's just the opposite. Twice now you've been in my house and been right in harm's way. The first time you ended up in the emergency room. This time I don't even want to think about what Easy might have done if I hadn't caught him."

She forced herself to stay rational, trying not to give in to the frustration bubbling inside her. "You did catch him. He's not a problem any more."

"He's not a problem tonight. In a couple days he'll post bail and be out looking for revenge."

Annoyance seeped around the edges of her cool facade. She dodged his fingers as he smoothed a lock of her hair, causing him to drop his hand in confusion.

She spoke slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. "So, you can't see me because of Easy Joey."

"Yes. And because of the Colombians who have followed us everywhere and slashed my tires to show they don't appreciate my presence. And because of the thief who wants the Pellinni Jewels so badly he followed us to Sleazy's and killed him. Don't forget that part."

She folded her arms and pressed them against the painful knot in her stomach. "If the thief still thinks I might have the jewels, how does not seeing you keep me safe?"

"It's worse because of me, and you know it. I never even told you about the Detroit Barber Shop and the scarier-than-h.e.l.l Russian who thinks he's my best friend. Or G.o.d knows how many more disgruntled thieves besides Easy who have a score to settle with me. I don't want any part of that world to touch you, Janet, and it has. If I leave, it goes with me. I'll still try to track down the Pellinni Jewels and figure out who is after them, but I need you safely out of it. Safely away from me."

She stated the obvious because it seemed to have escaped him. "You don't think I might worry about your safety, too?"

"There's no need to. I know these people, Janet. You don't." He darted an annoyed glance at her tightly pressed lips. "I don't understand why you're mad that I want to keep you safe."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Maybe because you aren't giving me much credit here. What happened to all that stuff about how competent I was when I escaped the drug dealers in Colombia and when I went after Banner?"

He ran a hand through his hair, looking thoroughly frustrated. "You were competent. And lucky, Janet. I'm not willing to count on luck this time. I had-still have-connections to an underworld that is both illegal and violent. The closer I get to finding the jewels, the more danger it puts you in. Easy is only a small part of it. G.o.d knows how many other c.o.c.kroaches will come crawling out of the woodwork, looking for the jewels, thinking they're on the right track because they recognize me." He touched her arm tentatively. "Please try to understand, Janet."

The anguish behind his words softened her anger a bit, but not enough. "I resent being stashed away when I could be helping."

"Or getting yourself killed."

"Not likely."

"I'm not willing to take that chance." His voice was hard and unequivocal.

She wasn't going to win this argument. "Fine," she ground out, as if conceding to being locked away. "We won't see each other."

Saying it out loud made it suddenly real. The anger drained away, leaving her feeling hollow. A couple hours ago his lovemaking had warmed both her body and her soul, making her think maybe she wasn't irreparably damaged from her sick relations.h.i.+p with Banner.

"I'll miss you," she admitted, the tightness in her throat making it barely more than a whisper. Before she could get too emotional about it, she turned to leave.

He grabbed her arm, spinning her back so close she felt the heat of his body and had to tip her head back to meet his gaze.

"Nothing's changed between us." His words vibrated into her, deep and strong. "Not the way I feel about you and not what we have together." His gaze burned into her for several seconds before his mouth came down over hers in a searing kiss that took her breath away. She clung to his shoulders until he pulled back, leaving her staring and confused.

He ran a gentle hand over her cheek. "Good night."

She swallowed. " 'Night." Slowly this time, she turned to unlock the ma.s.sive front door and slipped inside without looking back.

She leaned against the closed door. She had seriously underestimated Rocky when she'd thought she could have a safe, easy relations.h.i.+p with him. Whatever they had-and she wasn't ready to use the scary "L" word-was too powerful to be casual.

And too incredible to be put on hold. If he thought she would agree to that, then he'd underestimated her, too.

Not seeing Rocky until the remaining Pellinni Jewels and the diamonds were found wasn't going to work. There was only one solution-she'd just have to find them herself. And quickly.