Wicked Sinner (Dangerous Love 2)

Later that night, Asher pulled his Camaro into the parking spot next to Remy’s Honda Civic. He grabbed the brown paper bag holding Thai takeout—Remy’s favorite—off the passenger seat and then got out of his car. Next to Remy’s car, he found the patrol car resting with the rookie Ian sitting in the driver’s seat. Hank had been on board with giving her protective detail after he learned of Violi’s second visit to the shop, as Asher knew he would. “Hey,” Asher said, sidling up to the window. “Things been quiet?”

“Crickets,” Ian said, giving his scruffy beard a scratch. “I’ve got the next couple hours, then Fitz will be taking over.”

“Good job.” Asher patted the top of the cruiser. “Keep alert.”

“Always.” Ian nodded.

Confident that his fellow cops were going to make sure no one got through Remy’s door, Asher strode off, spice emanating from the bag he carried. After Violi visited Remy’s shop, Asher installed a motion video camera near the counter. If anyone broke into her store, Asher would know about it. Besides, Boone had video cameras watching Kinsley’s bar and Peyton’s lingerie shop, which extended to Remy’s shop. No one was getting anywhere near the front door. That’s why Asher put the protective detail in the back. When he reached the metal steps at the back of Remy’s shop, he trotted up and knocked on the door of her loft.

It opened a second later to a breathless Remy. “Get in quick.”

“What’s wrong?” He stormed inside, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

“It’s my herbs.” She was already hurrying through her living room. She was up the stairs and vanished a moment later.

Asher shook his head and followed her. When he got into her bedroom, he found the balcony door open and he headed outside, finding she’d pulled down another set of metal stairs on the side of the building and was climbing up. Careful not to kill himself on the ladder, he climbed up, holding the bag of food tight in his arm.

When he made it onto the roof, he found Remy kneeling down in the middle of a long rows of raised garden beds. Strings of Edison bulbs ran from one length of the roof garden to the other, casting a warm glow over it. Behind her there was a small greenhouse. A pergola covered in ivy with a wooden swing underneath sat nearby.

“I had no idea you had this up here,” Asher said, slowly approaching, not wanting to interrupt whatever she was working on.

She used a small watering can to water the herb. “That’s because I don’t let anyone come up here and bring all their weird energy near my herbs.”

“My energy is all right, then?”

She glanced up and squinted her eyes at him. “A little tense, but nothing negative. You’re good.”

He was tense because he was worried for her. He lifted up the food bag. “I brought Thai.”

“My favorite,” she said with a smile, keeping her focus on the herbs. “Thank you. I’m actually starving, I haven’t had a chance to eat yet.” She gave him a quick smile, and then focused back on the herbs. “My devil’s claw is dying and I don’t really know why.” She stroked the leaves. “Come on, baby, you must flower. I need you more than ever.” She added a little more water, then sat back on her knees and sighed. “This is really very bad.”

Asher frowned. “That the devil’s claw doesn’t have a flower?”

“Yes, exactly.” Remy nodded like everything should make total sense. “They bloom in October, then die. It hasn’t flowered yet.”

Sometimes he felt terrible for not understanding her lingo. Other times, he figured looking dumb was better than not understanding. “Care to explain the problem more clearly?”

“Devil’s claw is used for protection,” she explained. “Keeping away evil spirts, confounding enemies, that kind of thing. My plant is dying, and that tells me I’m in grave danger.”

On one hand, he wanted to tell her it was just a plant. On the other hand, with Remy, these herbs meant something. Her belief in these things inspired people, and he’d seen the power of the mind do truly incredible things. That’s why people believed in Remy, because she believed in this magic so fiercely. Even now, she talked soothing words to the plant, putting so much love into what she did there. Clearly, she spent hours in her garden. All that love got transplanted to others, and that’s what Asher found so fascinating about her. She wanted to heal, to make people happier, and they trusted her to do that.

“Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s get some food in your belly. You’re hungry. Your plant can wait.”

She stroked the leaves of the plant one last time. “Keep strong, little one.” She rose and headed for the swing. Asher followed her.

He sat next to her and handed her the container with pad Thai and chopsticks, then took his out too. After he ate a bite, he asked, “Are you happy with how the grand opening went?”

She pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged, chopsticks in one hand, the takeout container in the other. “More than happy. Truly, it was amazing.”

“I thought it went really well too. Everyone seemed very excited about what you’d done there.”

She gave a sweet smile. “What we’d done there. I didn’t work alone to get the shop together. You all helped with that.”

Asher returned the smile, supposing that was true. He glanced out at the garden, inhaling the rich aromas infusing the air. “Mom would have loved this garden.” His mother had been an avid gardener. Something she’d done with Remy the entire time they were dating. They’d always be out there together at his mother’s house, laughing, loving every second of it.

“I dream of her sometimes.”

Asher’s gaze cut to her. “Of my mother?”