Page 324 of A Matter of Time

“Aja’s dad had a heart attack yesterday.”

“Oh no. Oh, Dane, I’m so sorry.”

“No, it’s okay, he’s okay, but we just both think we need to be there.”

“Sure, of course,” I said on an exhale. “Tell me what⁠—”

“He doesn’t even want us to come home early,” he said tightly, “but I’ve got other things on my mind, so it’s good that we’re cutting this short.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know, let me think… Perhaps Detective Kage?” he said nonchalantly.

There was a heartbeat of silence.

“Oh shit.”

“Oh shit is right! What the hell are you thinking?” The last came out in a roar.

It made sense that Dane was livid with me. The last time he had seen Sam Kage was three years ago. I had taken a bullet for the man, and then Sam had left me alone in the hospital to heal. To Dane, who had taken care of me afterward, been there when my boyfriend was not, it looked like a cold, heartless bastard had been allowed back into my life. To him I was insane, my logic drowned in a sea of desire.

“Are you even thinking?”

“Dane, I⁠—”

“May I have the phone?” I heard Aja ask.

“No, I need to⁠—”

“Jory.” Aja came on the phone. “Hi, honey.”

“I’m so sorry about⁠—”

“It was a teeny-tiny-itty-bitty little heart attack,” she soothed me. “He’s going to be fine. I just want to see him for myself, you know?”

“Course.”

“But I must say, I have never seen Dane like this,” she said softly. “Who in the world is Sam Kage?”

“He’s—how did he even find out?”

“Rick Jenner has a new girlfriend, I guess, and she somehow works with you?”

“Aubrey Flanagan, yeah.”

“Well, apparently she saw you and this Sam out somewhere⁠—”

Oh yeah. “Crap, I forgot about that.”

“Jory, what is going⁠—”

“Dylan had her baby.”

“Oh, how wonderful! I’ll get her something as soon as I get back.”

“Where are you now?”

“We’re already in New York. We’re taking the red-eye out tonight.”