Tonight, she was safe.
Her family was safe.
She’d interviewed a preacher tonight, a man of God, not some master criminal, and yet she’d let her imagination run wild.
Pierce’s Jeep was MIA, which, considering the current state of crime in Savannah, wasn’t a surprise, but she was disappointed.
Once inside, she was greeted by the dogs, who were, she noted, not as obedient as those in Westin Stark’s small pack. “Shhh. Babies are sleeping,” she whispered to them, as she petted their eagerly wiggling bodies and made her way to the kitchen. An open bottle of wine stood on the counter. “Well, at least I hope the girls are down for the night.”
“They are.” Lily was curled on the couch with a book, a glass of red beside her, the TV on mute. She didn’t bother rising, but smiled and picked up her nearly empty glass, wiggling it slightly in invitation, “Join me?”
“Not tonight.”
“Don’t tell me.” She mock-pouted. “Work again?” One eyebrow cocked. “You know what they say about ‘all work and no play,’ don’t you?”
“That it makes Nikki a dull boy? Or girl? Or woman? Or whatever?”
Lily grinned. “Close enough, but I was going to add that it’s a sure way to end up on a psychiatrist’s couch.”
“As if I needed another reason,” Nikki agreed, thinking of her near–panic attack that someone might be following her and how it had delayed her arrival home. She did need to unwind and chill out. “Okay, you convinced me.” She poured herself a small glass, then carried the bottle around the island to the couch where Lily was cuddled. Adding a splash of wine to her sister’s drink, she asked, “How did it go?”
“With the girls?” Lily shrugged. “Good.”
“No trouble getting Chloe to bed?” Nikki sat on an ottoman, and Arlo settled down on the floor next to her.
“She wanted two more stories and umpteen glasses of water, which I cut off after three, but the truth was she was worn out. We hit the park today with the dogs, and she was beside herself, running all around.” Lily continued on about the day, while Nikki picked up the remote and scanned the news. “Ah, ah, ah!” Wrestling the device from Nikki’s fingers, Lily turned off the television. “Full attention. Mom tried to ‘convince’ me to attend the funeral tomorrow, but I declined. I told her that you’d meet Kyle and her at the … let’s call them ‘festivities.’ I figured you’d want your own wheels. Or maybe go with Pierce. I didn’t think you’d want to be yoked to Charlene and her need to socialize with the All Christian group.”
“You’re sounding like an atheist.”
“If the halo fits,” Lily said, taking a swallow. She then swirled the wine in her glass and stared at the dark liquid. “Iamspiritual. Even believe in God, but not as the Judeo-Christian patriarchal manifestation that organized religion considers Her to be.”
“Just how much of this,” Nikki asked, lifting her glass, “have you had?”
“Definitely not enough.” She thought for a second. “One glass … well, one and a half and then what you poured in. Just enough to relax. So. Don’t go all teetotaler on me.”
“I’m not.” And to prove it, Nikki took a long sip. “But thanks for giving me an out tomorrow. I do want my own car.”
“Thought so.” Lily was obviously proud of herself. She set her glass on the side table. “Has anyone heard from Naomi yet? I watched a little of the local news and scrolled through the feed on my phone, but didn’t see anything.”
“Same here.”
“How worried are you?”
“Pretty worried,” Nikki admitted. “Because Pierce and Jamison are, and I haven’t heard anything that suggests she’s done this kind of thing before. She doesn’t seem flighty, the type to leave the kids and hubby in a huff.” Absently petting Arlo’s head, she decided not to share what she knew about Knox Quinlan. “Naomi’s pretty dedicated to her girls, wouldn’t want to worry them.”
“What about leaving her husband? If you ask me, Jamison Kittle is more than a little bit of a pompous ass. One of those sons who are suns, like in the solar system. You know the kind. A prince who thinks everyone orbits around them? Trust me, I’ve met more than my share, and Jamison has all the earmarks.”
“He’s an ADA.”
“An ambitious ADA.”
“So?”
“I’m just sayin’.”
“Hmm.” Nikki finished her drink and stood. “Now, since I’ve officially ‘played,’ I need to go upstairs.”
“And work. I know. Booorrrring.” Lily rolled her expressive eyes.