My mind wanders to that day I took pictures of that philandering creep in the park, and I smile in my half-asleep state. So busted. I took over fifty shots of him with his arm draped around that girl half his age, kissing her neck, giving her a gift wrapped in a jewelry box. Maybe he’s the guy who shot my car tonight. I frown a little as my mind wanders over that potential nightmare.

“I guess maybe you could blend a little,” says a deep voice off to my right.

I’m too tired to place it.

“Go count your sheep then, Little Bo Peep,” the voice says, soothing in timbre and pitch. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

I picture a bunch of fluffy white sheep jumping over a fence. Boing, boing, boing. So peaceful. So nice. So tiring. But then a giant black one with curly horns on its head comes up to the fence and just stands there, glaring at me.

“Well?” I mumble, annoyed that it’s keeping me from sleep. “Get it over with. Jump already, you hairy beast.”

Someone chuckles.

And that’s the last thing I remember before waking up in someone’s kitchen, completely confused and staring at the text from my sister that woke me out of a sound slumber.

Sis: If you don’t call me back in ten minutes, I’m calling the cops. I’m not kidding. Call me. Now.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Hi, Jenny.” My cell phone is cool against my cheek.

“Hi, yourself. Where have you been? I’ve been calling you all morning.”

I yawn, trying to stretch my back out a little. That cot was a bad idea. I have sore spots in the most uncomfortable places. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. What time is it?” I squint at the stove but can’t read the digital clock from where I’m sitting.

“It’s eight forty-five. Don’t you have a shoot today? Where are you? Home?”

“Holy shit! No, I’m not home. Not even close.” I jump to my feet, spinning around, trying to locate my shoes. I find them shoved way under the cot.

“Oh, crap. Do you need me to go over there and cover for you?”

“Yes! Go now! I’ll be there . . . I don’t know. Soon.” I’m trying to place where exactly I am. The Port. Okay. Now I remember. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

My sister laughs. “One-night stands are a bitch, huh?”

“That’s not what this is.” I fall over trying to get my shoes on standing up. My words come out as grunts. “Why aren’t you at work today, anyway, coding computer programs until your fingers fall off?”

“They’re apps, May, apps. And I have this weekend off. Besides, Sammy’s sick. I couldn’t send him to day care if I wanted to.”

I sit on the cot so I don’t hurt myself, sliding my feet into my shoes and using my finger at the heel to get them to cooperate. “Okay, go to the studio and stall them.”

“Stall them. Right. And how exactly do I go about doing that?”

“I don’t know—hint around that their hair’s a mess or something. Put them in the dressing room and tell them I’m picking up a new lens and will be there by nine-thirty.”

“Ten-four. And I’ll expect a full explanation of your evening when you’re done for the day.”

“You got it. All the dirty details, I promise. See you in thirty.”

“See ya.”

She hangs up, and I throw the phone down on the cot. “Felix!” Sorry for waking you up, Ozzie, but I have to go, go.

I have my shoes and hair band on and the sleeping bag folded up and placed on the cot before I realize that no one is responding to my yell.

“Felix! Come on, baby—time to go!”

Nothing.

I stare at the hallway leading to Ozzie’s bedroom. Should I go in there? What if he’s naked?

My feet move without conscious thought on my part. One minute I’m next to my cot, and the next I’m standing in the entrance to his bedroom, and there’s no nakedness happening anywhere. Damn. The bed is made tight enough I could probably bounce a quarter on it, and there’s no sign of either dogs or humans.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, I’m back in the kitchen, where I find a note on the counter.

To ok the mutts for a walk. Be back soon. Will escort you home.

I look at the clock in the kitchen. It’s already almost nine. I’m never going to make it to the studio in time if I have to wait for Felix, and I cannot afford to lose this job. “Dammit!”

I run back to my phone and send a text to Ozzie, but the beep of its receipt comes from his bedroom, telling me he left without his phone.

“Double dammit!”

I grab the pen used to leave me a note and scribble out a reply on the back of the paper.

Had to go, clients waiting, my studio’s at 1001 Vet. Mem. Blvd., would appreciate you bringing Felix by, but I can come back and get him later today if necessary. Thanks for your hospitality. Tried to text, but you left your phone here.

I was hoping that Ozzie would come back as I was writing the message out, but no such luck. I’m about to walk away, but then something makes me go back and add to my note. I don’t want him to have any hard feelings over what I said last night, not while he’s babysitting my furbaby Felix.

So rry about the beard thing. It wasn’t too horrible, but you’re much handsomer without it.

There. That should soothe any hurt feelings he has over it. I smile as I race through the ninja room, and keep on grinning when I see that he’s left the door cracked enough for me to get out. There’s no digital code to hold me back now. The garage door is wide open too. I spare only a glance at the bullet hole in my driver’s side door before getting into my Sonic and speeding out of the Port like there’s a drug dealer on my tail.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The very happy and well-photographed family isn’t out the door thirty seconds before Jenny is all over me for details.

“Okay, spill it, sister. I want to know everything from start to finish. Leave nothing out.”

I sit down on my stool and grab a bottle of water from the small fridge I keep nearby. Cracking the top, I sigh. “It was crazy. Completely and totally crazy.” I gulp down half the bottle as my sister absorbs my intro.

My nephew Sammy pipes up from the play area in the corner. “Tota-wee cwazy.” His sisters are at a birthday party, thank goodness. He’s enough of a handful even just by himself. Thankfully, his naptime fell during the shoot, or Jenny and I would be wrecked right now.

I lower my voice, knowing anything he hears could get repeated in front of his father. “Remember yesterday how you went out to get a new phone?”

“Yes.” She holds it up and wiggles it at me. “Like it?”

“Yes.” I roll my eyes at the bright purple case on it. My sister is a freak for that color, has been all her life. “Anyway, I got a text yesterday evening, and I thought it was from your new phone.”