Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Aria
I didn’t have it in me to clean the kitchen again, so I left the café a mess. I’d have to come in early tomorrow. I checked my phone for the tenth time, hoping I’d hear something from Dex. There was no reason for him to let me know what was going on, but it would have put my mind at ease to know that he was all right. I had no idea if he’d been telling the creeps the truth or not, but either way, he’d be in danger.
I was trying not to overanalyze my decision to text him for help. I knew he was tough, and I figured he would know how to handle the two men. I’d practically broken down in sobs when I saw him walk confidently through the door. I knew instantly that I would be safe, that he would make sure nothing happened to me.
I pulled on a pair of sweats after a long, hot shower and checked my phone again. Still no word from Dex. I sat on the couch with a cup of hot tea. A knock made me sit up with a start. I was still jumpy. At least this time I knew I’d locked the door. I set down my tea and walked to the window to peer out. Dex’s motorcycle was parked out front.
I hurried to the door and opened it. He lifted his swollen face. I gasped. “You’re hurt. Come inside.”
“I just dropped by to make sure you got home all right.” He sounded so defeated and down, my heart broke. “I’ll leave you alone.”
I reached out and took hold of his hand. “I’ve got a bag of peas for your face, and we need to clean off the blood.” I pulled him inside. He stood still as I took off his wet coat. That was when I noticed a big rip in the heavy fabric. It coincided with a cut on his arm that slashed right through the lion tattoo. “Let me guess—the skinny guy’s knife?”
“Something like that.”
“Looks like your lion is going to have a scar across his nose.”
He glanced down at the angry looking cut on his arm. “Hear that, Frankie? You’re gonna have street cred now.” He looked at me. “Aria, I just dropped by to check that you made it home. I’ll head to the marina.”
I waved him off and dug the bag of peas out of the freezer. “Nonna always said peas worked the best as an ice pack, and I just happen to have a bag.” He was still standing in the middle of my front room, filling up most of the spare space, yet looking like a lost little boy. Even with the swollen cheek and eye, he was incredibly handsome. I had to settle down that usual flutter in my chest. I’d been blaming it on caffeine, but it had been him all along.
I held up the frozen peas. “Have a seat and put this on your face. I’ll get the first aid kit for your arm.”
He glanced at the cut on his arm. The blood had mixed with the rain making it look worse than it was, but it was at least two inches long. “I guess I have my coat to thank for not having to sit through getting stitched up.”
I crinkled my nose. “Been there, done that and it’s not pleasant. Got a big gash on my knee when I was roller skating. I fell directly on the bottom railing of a park bench.” He sat down and leaned back. I helped him strategically place the bag of peas on his face.
I hurried to the bathroom and pulled out the small first aid kit I had stashed under the sink. I set it on the coffee table and sat on the side with the cut arm. Dex lifted the peas off his face and stared at me through half closed lids. “You don’t have to do this, Aria.”
“Who else is going to do it? Gus?”
He dropped the bag again. “Gus left me,” he said quietly.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Dex. I know he was your friend. I’m sure he decided it was time to go back to bird life.” I took hold of his hand and gently wiped disinfectant on the cut. Before I released his hand, he squeezed my fingers and held them.
“I know this day started badly, Dex, and I’m sorry?—”
He pulled the peas from his face. The skin was red where the frozen bag had sat. “No, I’m sorry. Those guys came to town?—”
“Those guys, just like the other clowns, happened to end up in my café. I’m not letting you take the blame for that, Dex. Both times you strolled in and saved the day.” I lifted the bag and put it back on his face. “Now, it’s my turn to return the favor. This is the least I can do.” I placed a large square of gauze in the middle of the lion’s face and gently pressed pieces of surgical tape around the edges. “There.” I leaned back to admire my handiwork. “I’m a regular Florence Nightingale.”
He was still holding my hand. Once again, he removed the bag. “A gorgeous one at that. Aria?—”
I shook my head. “We don’t need to discuss this morning or us right now. You’ve had a rough evening. But hey, at least Quinn woke up. That’s so exciting. What were his first …” His face fell. “He didn’t wake up?”
“I made it up so those two would follow me out of the café.”
“You did all that for me.” My voice cracked. His grief was palpable. “Where were you when I texted?” I asked tentatively because I knew.
“I was with Quinn. The doctor told me we needed to prepare for the worst.” He blew out a long, exhausted breath. “I’ve been knocked down many times in life, but I’m not sure when I’ve been knocked down this hard. And I’m no closer to finding those stupid coins.”
“Nonna always had a saying when everything seemed extra bad, like after our mom died and it seemed we’d never laugh or smile again. ‘There’s always light after dark,’ she’d say. She was always right.”
Dex tossed the bag of peas on the coffee table. I sat back and he stretched out, laying his head down on my lap. I combed my fingers through his thick hair. His dark lashes dropped down over his eyes. “This feels so right,” he said quietly, as if only to himself. “Being with you—that’s the light I need.”
I reached to the back of the sofa and dropped my throw blanket over his big shoulders. It was a blanket I could get totally lost in, but it looked like a washcloth lying on top of Dex. His injured arm hung out from under the edge. The lion scowled up at me as if humiliated by the big white gauze.
“I’m never going to figure out that stupid clue Quinn left me with,” he said through a yawn. “Lyin’ talk.” he yawned again. Seconds later, I could feel the tension and all the horrors of the day leave his body, and he fell asleep.
His last words played in my head. “Lyin’ talk.” I sat up straighter but then shrank back. I didn’t want to wake him. He needed his sleep. When he woke up, I had some good news for him. I knew where Quinn hid the coins.