Marcus kept his eyes and gun on Jerry but I could swear his lips twitched like he was fighting a grin.

Now, really, seriously, by all that was holy, somebody, please tell me, what on earth was funny about this?

I looked at African-American Hottie and he looked like he was amused too.

"What's fucking funny?" I shouted.

"Maybe you should sit down, love," Marcus suggested.

"I don't want to sit down. I want coffee. And brioche with marmalade," I snapped back then I looked back at African-American Hottie and realized he was still in an armed faceoff and I should probably do something about that. "Um... African-American Hottie?" I called. "They're good. They're with me."

Cordell, who was also African-American, had his eyes locked on African-American Hottie and he asked, "Is she talkin' to you or me?"

"I've no fuckin' clue," African-American Hottie replied.

"I know your name, Cordell. Blooming heck, I've known you for years. I'm talking to the other African-American Hottie in the room," I explained.

Marcus (I'm not joking) started laughing.

Laughing!

"My name is Darius," African-American Hottie said.

Without anything else to say (and not wanting to be rude), I replied, "Hi, Darius." Then I waved for good measure.

"Who are you?" I heard said from below me and I looked down to see Jerry staring up at me like he'd never seen me before.

And that's when I knew.

I knew exactly who I was.

So, because I knew, I told Jerry, "I'm Sadie."

The police arrived then the hotel management and security arrived. I redid my belt, put on my shoes and I was sitting in the hotel room desk chair, handcuffs finally off, just about to put a cup of coffee to my lips when Hector, Eddie and Lee arrived.

Hector stopped just inside the door, his eyes scanned the room, found me, did a head-to-toe, then they moved to Jerry now on the bed with hotel towels wrapped around his leg and a uniformed officer guarding him.

Hector didn't order everyone out and he didn't move. His body was solid and his eyes were scorching and that scorch was directed at Jerry.

Then I saw his jaw clench and a muscle move in his cheek.

Oh my.

I put my coffee cup in its saucer on the desk and moved swiftly across the room toward Hector.

I got within touching distance, Hector's hands came to my hips but he didn't look at me, his dark, angry eyes were locked on Jerry.

"I'm gonna fuckin' " he started but I pressed into him and put my hand over his mouth and muffled the rest.

"The police," I warned but his hand came from my hip, his fingers curled around my wrist and he pulled it away. Before he could speak, quickly I said, "I'm all right, I'm fine. Everything's okay."

His scorching eyes turned to me.

My free hand went to the side of his face.

"Babe, I'm okay," I whispered.

He looked at me for a second then two then three, his eyes scanning my face, reading me.

I got up on my toes and pressed even closer to his heat.

"Hector, baby, I'm okay," I repeated softly.

Suddenly he let go of my wrist, his arms went around me, crushing me to him and his mouth came down on mine in a long, hard, closed-mouthed kiss.

When his mouth detached from mine, his face went into my neck and his arms got even tighter.

"Fuck," he said against my neck.

My arms wrapped around his shoulders and I held him close thinking it was best not to tell him, just yet, that I couldn't breathe.

Finally, his arms loosened, his head came up and I pulled in a deep breath.

"Sorry, Chavez, we need to ask Sadie some questions," a uniformed officer said from our side just as the paramedics came in with a gurney.

Hector nodded, we moved away so the paramedics could see to Jerry and I sneaked a peek at the bed while we moved.

Jerry was glaring at Hector, eyes filled with hate. His obvious emotion made me sad, angry and happy. I couldn't process this, it was too complex, so I decided not to think about it until... well, never. I thought it best never to think about it.

Ever.

We moved into the hall (unfortunately, away from my coffee) and I noted the Hot Bunch were amassing there. Darius was, obviously, a part of the rescue effort. Lee and Eddie had come with Hector. Luke was now with them, the elevator pinged and Vance and Matt walked out of it, their eyes coming directly to me as they moved down the hall toward us.

The uniformed officer had to wait while the Hot Bunch did their Sadie assessment. I got hugs, cheek kisses, temple kisses and there were a lot of set but relieved male faces and firm, clenched, square jaws. I noticed they looked tired, none of them had shaved and none of them were wearing fresh clothes. Mace and Bobby showed up in the meantime and both of them (even Bobby) engulfed me in bear hugs.

The elevator pinged again and Detective Marker walked out when the uniformed officer asked, exasperated, "Do you guys mind if I talk with Sadie?"

I was feeling weird. A good weird.

No, a great weird.

Not that they'd obviously had a tough night looking for me.

But, (I hated to admit it but had to) because they'd spent a tough night looking for me.

And they were relieved they found me alive, well and none the worse for wear.

They cared and they didn't mind who knew it, not the hotel staff and customer onlookers, the police or the paramedics.

Tough guys or not, I was one of them.

I wasn't Ms. Townsend anymore.

I was Sadie, Rock Chick.

How great was that?

"You get her statement?" Detective Marker asked, coming up to me with a smile.

"Tryin'," the uniformed officer replied.

"Well, fuck boy, get it so she can go home," Detective Marker snapped.

The officer looked at the ceiling.

I pressed into Hector, his arm went around my neck and he pulled me deeper into his side, partially into his front.

The officer asked me questions and I answered, telling my story.

I was, of course, not thinking clearly, considering all that happened. If I was, I might have asked for privacy before I shared in front of Hector how I duped Jerry. The Hot Bunch clearly found my tactic amusing. Hector, I could tell by the electric current whipping around the hall, absolutely did not.

I hurried through the rest, the officer finished with some questions, Detective Marker asked a few more and finally the officer flipped his notepad closed, nodded and took off.

The Hot Bunch and Marcus had been joined by Tom, Hank and Monty by this time. I got a couple more hugs and cheek kisses and we all stood around in the hall with Detective Marker.

"So it goes." Detective Marker looked at me, "The Balduccis are all talkin'. Pointin' fingers at each other. It's confusin' as hell and most of it's lies but far's I can read it, they been gettin' pressure from outside factions." Detective Marker's eyes slid to Hector then to Marcus and I could tell he was lying when he went on, "Don't know who. Don't care." His eyes came back to me. "Those boys never trusted each other anyway. For weeks they been establishin' and breakin' allegiances to each other and outside the fold. Marty was the smart one, pullin' ahead of the pack, feignin' loyalty to the brothers but makin' outside deals. Donny felt the pressure, allied with Ricky and he knew where Jerry's head was at regardin' Seth and you. He used it, fed Jerry some of Marty's potions so he would take out Harvey, the weak link, but also so he'd cast suspicion on Marty. Don't know where Glover and Cordell fit into all this but Cordell has always been loyal to Seth, I'm surprised he was involved."

"I think Jerry lied to him about what he was doing. Neither he nor Glover seemed to know what was happening. They didn't even know Jerry roofied me. They thought they were doing something for me on my father's orders," I told Detective Marker.

Detective Marker nodded. "At least that makes sense," he said then he got closer. "Ricky, Donny and Jerry obviously are goin' down. But you gotta know, we don't have shit on Marty, nothin' that'll stick anyway. He's doin' okay and he'll be released without charge."

Well, wasn't that just great?

Still, I had to worry about a mean, crazy, fucking Balducci.

I moved closer to Hector and his arm got tighter around my neck.

Detective Marker's eyes took in Marcus and the Hot Bunch then they came back to me. "Marty's always been the brains of the bunch. Don't suspect he'll be stupid enough to do anything with the kind of protection thrown down around you. Regardless of this shit, Seth cuts a menacing figure, even in prison. Word on the street isn't just that you got the protection of Chavez, Nightingale and the Denver Police Department but Marcus and Vito. Donny and Ricky are crazy motherfuckers but Marty'll think twice." Detective Marker glanced at Marcus again then to me. "He's not in a good position, part of the pressure the Balducci boys got means that their men and their contacts have been warned off in no uncertain terms or recruited away. He's marked and not in a good way." He got in even closer and muttered, "Your boy's done good." He nodded to Hector. "It'd be practically impossible for Marty to build up business again."

That made me feel the eensiest bit better and made me think perhaps I should buy Hector an island.

Detective Marker looked straight at Hector and I didn't know if he was talking to Hector or me when he finished, "Keep safe anyway."

The elevator pinged and out surged a bevy of Rock Chicks led by Daisy, Shirleen and Kitty Sue (Rock Chick, The First Generation, according to Kitty Sue's stories). The paramedics wheeling Jerry on the gurney had to fight through them as I was surrounded, hugged, kissed, there was relieved laughter, a few teary eyes then Tex showed up, wild-haired, wild-eyed, obviously having been on the Sadie Hunt. He boomed, "Outta my way!" He shoved in and hugged me so tight both my feet came off the floor. Ralphie and Buddy were there, Tod and Stevie, Duke and Dolores, Malcolm, Blanca showed up with Gloria, Nancy arrived with Jet's sister Lottie.

Everyone.

All my friends (and Lottie, who I hadn't met yet).

In the hallway of a hotel.

Genuine, honest to goodness friends.

Mine.

I was sucked down, deep, deep, deepest, into the warm, clear, comfortable, snugly, safe waters and somewhere, I knew my Mom was smiling.

"Christ, can I get to my fuckin' girlfriend?" Hector clipped (loudly and irately), the crowd stilled, even the hotel onlookers and lingering police, and then parted. He and I had become disengaged but now he came through, grabbed my hand and tugged me away.

"We got a floor to refinish," he muttered on the way to the elevator, tagging the button when he got there.

I turned to my friends, smiled and waved.

The doors opened, Hector dragged me inside (without, I noted, a smile or a wave at anyone).

The doors closed and, without hesitation, he curled me into his front, his hand went into my hair, his head came to mine, slanted and he gave me a hot, urgent, fiery kiss.

In the nanosecond before I melted into him and all thoughts flew out of my head, I figured (correctly) we weren't going to get to refinishing the floors.

"'Night, Double H." I heard Ralphie whisper.

"Later, Hector," Buddy whispered soon after.

Hector's body moved slightly under me and I could visualize him jutting his chin.

I kept my eyes closed and feigned sleep, liking being tucked into Hector's heat on the couch.

After my latest trauma was finally over, Hector took me to his house and not, as I reckoned, to refinish the floors. He took me straight to his bedroom and we had the best sex ever in the history of man (in my personal opinion).

Then, there was no other way to describe it, he pretty much passed out.

I stayed with him for hours as he slept. Sometimes, I'd doze. Sometimes, I'd daydream. Sometimes, I'd kiss his chest or neck while he slept. But mostly, I just got used to feeling warm and safe and happy.

He woke up when Buddy called, inviting us to dinner.

We showered (yes, together!), he "did" me in the shower again and then we laid in bed, him wearing his cutoff sweats, me wearing one of his flannels and my panties and him holding me while I called the prison to talk to my father.

Cordell had already reported that I was all right. The conversation was short and uncomfortable. I didn't know what to say, neither did my father. After, even though I tried not to, I cried again, quietly into Hector's neck. He held me while I did that then held me after I was done.

We got dressed, went to Ralphie and Buddy's, Hector and I took YoYo for a long walk, we had an early dinner then we crashed in front of the TV to watch Veronica Mars.

This time, I burrowed into Hector's side without prompting and put my feet into Ralphie's lap for a massage. Neither man disappointed, Hector's arm curled around my shoulders, Ralphie's hands were pure heaven.

After awhile, I fell asleep.