Unfinished Hero - Raid Part 9

He leaned into me and wrapped his hand around mine that was sitting on the table.

"Pot is legal in Colorado," he stated and I tilted my head.

"It is?"

He stared at me a second then grinned. "Yeah, baby, it is."

G.o.d, I liked it when he called me baby.

"Don't you vote?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," I answered.

"Straight ticket?" he guessed.

"Well, no," I told him. "But all the referendums freak me out. I used to try to understand them, then one year I voted for one and found out after that I voted the wrong way because they made the language purposefully confusing so you thought you were voting for one thing and you weren't. I went back and read and reread it and there was no way I knew what I was voting for. That's dirty business, so I decided that I should vote only on things I totally understood instead of making another mistake like that because, well, you know, these things affect people's lives and you shouldn't screw up something that important. As none of the referendums make a lick of sense to me, I concentrate on the candidates and hope they'll take care of the referendums."

"Makes sense. Whacked sense but it makes it," he murmured.

"What does pot being legal have to do with Bodhi and Heather?" I asked, though I had to admit, this was good news and nice to know why the Sherriff didn't get into Bodhi's business.

"I voted against legalizing pot," Raiden declared, and I got it.

"Oh," I replied.

"I'm good with live and let live, but s.h.i.+t like that bleeds into bigger s.h.i.+t, and no one needs that."

"I don't smoke it, but I know both Bodhi and Heather and they're really nice people. And I'm not sure something like that bleeds. It's a personal choice and it isn't like crystal meth or stuff like that that destroys lives."

"It is when it bleeds," he returned.

His eyes were now weirdly sharp, so much so it was uncomfortable, and I squirmed in my chair.

"Okay," I gave in. "I'm guessing you know more about this than I do."

"Unfortunately, I do," Raiden replied.

I bit my lip again, intrigued if a little frightened.

I carefully tugged my hand from his and looked to the corner of the table.

"Hanna," he called and I turned my gaze to him.

"Bodhi and Heather are my friends," I told him.

"I know," he replied.

"Well, I, uh... spend time with them."

"I know."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Saw you with the guy. Wasn't hard to read you were tight. And, again, small town. A couple of questions, links you to the girl too."

Links me to the girl?

What a weird way to put it.

I shook that off and pressed on, "Well, this is a, um, date, and if this goes, uh... well, then..."

"This goes further, I will not hang with them," he declared firmly, and I stared.

"You don't like people that much who smoke pot?" I asked.

"Not that. Got friends who smoke. Don't give a s.h.i.+t. Don't like it, but it doesn't say anything about them except they're into something I'm not into. Just don't got a good feeling about those two."

"They're kind and funny."

He leaned toward me. "They give me a bad feeling, Hanna. They don't give you that same feeling, cool. But this date goes well, we go further, I will not hang with them. Straight up. No bulls.h.i.+t. You're into me, I'm into you, but that does not mean I gotta be into all your friends and the same goes for you."

I had to admit, that was fair.

"Okay," I agreed.

"And I'm not sayin' that s.h.i.+t knowin' how into me you are, layin' down the law. I mean it. You connect with my people, you aren't into them, same goes for you."

That was nice.

"Okay," I stated more resolutely, then asked (yes, stupidly), "How into you do you think I am?"

"Honey, you crawled around on all fours in a pet store, totally unable to cope with bein' in my s.p.a.ce. You're seriously into me."

This was true and this should have mortified me.

It didn't.

For some reason, it annoyed me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's kind of annoying you figured that out, and more annoying you keep bringing it up."

To this he threw his handsome head back, burst out laughing and held my hand tight for a second.

Then his hold loosened and he lifted our hands so our elbows were on the table, our hands up between us, but he again leaned into me.

This time super-close.

Which meant he was pressing my hand into his hard chest.

I held my breath.

"Open book," he said quietly. "Like I said, it's cute. It's also refres.h.i.+ng, baby."

"I'm glad you think so," I whispered, no longer annoyed. With him that close and my hand pressed to his chest I was back to nervous.

"I do," he confirmed.

Okay then, he thought it was cute and refres.h.i.+ng, so I felt it safe to give him more.

Therefore I did.

"Just so you know, I find you extremely attractive and I'd really like this date to go well because I'd like another one, and not as an excuse to buy another dress and killer pair of shoes."

I did it, but felt no relief when something weird and a little alarming flashed in his eyes. His fingers squeezed mine before he hid that look, let my hand go and sat back.

"For a guy, that question is answered at the end of the date."

Fabulous.

Something to be more nervous about.

He grinned at me.

I licked my lips.

His grin faded and his eyes dropped to my mouth.

I stopped breathing.

The waiter showed with our appetizers.

Thank G.o.d.

"Be back, yeah?" Raiden asked as the waiter swept away our dessert plates.

I nodded to him while he stood When he was up, he reached out a hand and tucked my hair behind my ear. My scalp tingled, the tingle shooting straight down my spine, and I wished I could touch his hair or that he'd do that again (and again) while he walked away.

I watched him go while internally s.h.i.+vering through the remnants of the hair tuck maneuver.

Once he was out of sight, my mind turned to the date.

I wasn't certain how it started, but once we were over the Bodhi and Heather thing and the how into him I was thing, Raiden steered conversation to safer subjects. People in town we both knew. How great Rach.e.l.le's cafe was doing. Grams. How I did up my house.

I thought, in the end, it was going well.

Conversation was easy. It flowed. There were smiles, some laughs for him and for me, the food was delicious and I'd loosened up because of my company, not to mention three gla.s.ses of wine.

The one thing that was weird was that Raiden shared zilch about himself, outside talking a bit about his Mom and more about his sister, both of whom, when he spoke of them, it was clear he cared a lot about.

But he didn't tell me about his house when I was talking about mine. He didn't share about what he did for work. He didn't talk about the time he was away. In fact, it was him that led the conversation and I followed its flow, sharing generously without getting but a hint of anything personal back.

It was on this thought I realized I had to use the restroom, and this thought led to the fact I should have told Raiden that before he left. I figured he'd know where I was when he got back and saw me gone. A bonus, it would save me having to give him that information and the nerve wracking moment of walking away while he was watching.

So I grabbed my bag, moved from the table and headed in the direction of the restroom.

I got to the ladies in the back hall and put my hand on the door, but stopped dead when I heard Raiden's voice coming from around the corner that was at the end of the hall.

"She's clueless," he stated.

I stared at my hand at the door, my mind going blank.

"Totally," Raiden went on. "Hanna has no idea those two a.s.sholes are transporting ice with her afghans."

My breath clogged in my throat.

Ice?

As in methamphetamine?

"Yeah, it's completely escaped her," Raiden continued. "She thinks the girl is helpin' her out. Hanna's got no part in it. I end this with her tonight, we'll meet, plan the takedown."

I end this with her tonight.

Oh my G.o.d.

What?

How?

What?

"She trusts them. Whacked," Raiden carried on. "Motherf.u.c.kers are using her. Thinks they're her friends. She's got no f.u.c.kin' clue."

I pushed the door and hurried inside. I somehow had the presence of mind to tiptoe in because the bathroom was tile, the hallway carpeted, muting my footfalls and he obviously didn't know I was there.

The door swung closed behind me. I put my back to the wall beside it and deep-breathed.

Holy Moses, Bodhi and Heather were using my s.h.i.+pments to transport drugs.

Holy Moses! How would they even do that?

And why?

And...

And...