Karma III. Sabrina Eubanks

and that scary bluish tinge was gone from beneath his eyes. Noah had his color back. He looked like himself again, despite all the remaining broken bones and bruises.

      The nurse disappeared discreetly and Leah heard the door snick closed behind her. Noah’s left arm was still in a sling, but he reached for her with his right. Leah took his hand and sat on the bed next to him.

      Noah brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

      He smiled at her warmly. “Did you miss me?” Leah tried to smile back, but she choked up. “Oh man, Noah. I was so scared for you.” Tears bubbled up from nowhere and spilled over.

      Noah pulled her to him with his good arm. He kissed her lips and rubbed her back. “It’s okay. It takes a lot more than that to break me.” Noah held her until she pulled herself together.

      Leah sat up and wiped her tears away, finally smiling. “I met Nadine.”

      Noah’s eyebrows went up. “Yeah? What was that like?”

      “It was an experience. She didn’t seem to care for me too much.” Noah rubbed his hand along her thigh and her heartbeat picked up.

      He smirked. “Yeah? Imagine that.”

      Leah touched his curly hair. Ran her fingers through it. “She seems to think you’re still her husband.”

      Noah didn’t look at her. He seemed absorbed in watching his hand rub her thigh. “I’m not. What else did she say?”

      “She said you wanted to come home.”

      “She did, huh? What else did she say?” Noah kept rubbing her thigh but he raised his eyes to meet hers.

      “She says she’s pregnant. Is that true, Noah?” He sighed and his hand stopped moving. “I’m pretty sure she is. What did you have to say about that?” Noah stared at her and she stared back. Leah took her hand out of his hair and kissed him hard on the mouth. Noah’s hand moved to hold her face as he returned the kiss, sweet and slow, like he kissed her the day they removed Tamiko.

      “What did you say, Leah?” He didn’t really break the kiss, just spoke around her lips.

      Leah giggled, kissed him indulgently, and sat back. “I said … well, what I said doesn’t matter. What matters is the way you feel about me.

      So let me ask you, Noah, do you want me to be the average chick and walk away from you because Nadine behaves the way she does and plays by her own rules? Or do you want me to stick around and see what’s going to happen between me and you? It’s your call.” Noah looked at her for a long while, as his hand returned to her thigh. “Leah, I’m real sorry,” he said quietly. Leah’s heart sank.

      Noah saw the look on her face and his lips went up at one corner. He squeezed her thigh.

      “I’m sorry about Nadine. I got caught up in old feelings … I got kids with Nadine, you know? I mean … I married her.” Leah looked at him sadly. “You still love her.” Noah frowned. “Leah, I’ll always love Nadine. We got history …

      but people change. Nadine changed. I probably made her change. Hell, I know what I put her through.”

      “Have you changed, Noah?”

      “I always said, ‘Noah don’t change,’ but Luke told me once, everyone has the capacity to change. I know for a fact, his ass did. I watched him do it, and I couldn’t believe my eyes … but he did.” Leah put her hand on his. “We’re not talking about Lucas. We’re talking about you. Have you changed?”

      Noah leaned back into his pillow and looked at her. “I don’t know.” Leah knew that pressing Noah wasn’t always a good idea, but she did. “Do you want to?”

      He looked at her with some remorse in his eyes. Noah closed his fingers around hers and opened his mouth to say something, but Lucas walked in, looking and smelling like a million bucks, and the moment was lost. Noah untwined his fingers, but didn’t let go of her hand.

      Lucas touched Leah’s shoulder in greeting, but his attention was on Noah. “Noah! What’s good, baby?” Lucas looked extremely happy to see Noah so far improved. Leah couldn’t recall ever seeing him smile like that.

      Noah mirrored his smile. “Shit, Luke, everything.” They dapped each other slow and held each other’s eyes for a moment. That look spoke volumes. You could tell how much they felt for each other.

      “Did you get ‘em?” Noah asked, looking at him seriously. Lucas sat down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

      “I got ‘em both,” he replied, just as serious.

      Noah nodded and seemed satisfied. “Thanks, Luke. I can live with that. Can you?”

      Lucas nodded. “Most definitely. Don’t mention it. You would have done the same for me.”

      Noah smiled. “Without a doubt and no hesitation.” Lucas smiled back. “I’m real glad you’re okay, No.” Noah laughed. “Shit, me too. Now, somebody tell me why I.A. is tryin’ to bust chops over this way.”

      “Harper thinks somebody’s dirty,” Leah said.

      Noah was instantly indignant. “What? Who? It damn sure ain’t nobody here. Butch Harper can kiss my ass for that line of bullshit he’s dishin’ out. Fuck his fat ass and his goddamn I.A.B.” Leah looked at Lucas.

      Lucas shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I don’t appreciate the shit, either. I say fuck him twice.”

      Butch walked in, pushing Nick in a wheelchair. She was frowned up with her chin in her hand. “I heard what you said, fellas. I gotta tell you, it wasn’t very flattering. You’re hurtin’ my feelings.” Noah looked at him sideways. “Yeah? Well, you’re breakin’ our balls, Butch. State your business.”

      “Just a sec, Ramsey.” Butch parked Nick next to Lucas on purpose and put the brake on her chair. He rubbed his hands together, survey-ing the room. “Hail, hail, the gang’s all here.” Butch patted Noah on his good shoulder and looked at him fondly.

      “Glad to see you’re doin’ better, Ramsey. I said a prayer.” Noah smiled sarcastically. “Gee, thanks Butch.” Leah hadn’t realized she was still sitting on Noah’s bed. She moved to get up, but Noah returned his hand to her thigh. “So, why are you here, Butch? Spit it out.”

      Butch took a seat. “We got a dirty cop to catch.”

      “Stop stalling, Butch. Who is it? Because it’s none of us,” Lucas said.

      Butch looked Lucas in the eye, then turned his head to include Nick. “It’s Keith Childs.”

      Lucas sat back in his seat like somebody pushed him. He glanced at Nick, then quickly turned his face away. “I don’t believe this shit,” he said under his breath. Lucas passed a hand over his beard and then fell silent, staring at the floor.

      Leah looked at Nick. Nick was frowning at Lucas with her mouth open, like she didn’t know what to make of his reaction. She turned her head to Butch, her eyes narrowed and her teeth clenched. Leah stood up. Nick was about to blow.

      “What the fuck are you talking about, Butch?” Her voice was low and shaky, like she was barely controlling not screaming on him.

      Butch was unruffled. His eyes moved from Lucas, slowly back to Nick. “What I’m sayin’, Detective Hardaway, is that your ex-lover has close ties with just about every drug gang in this freakin’ city, except for the goddamned mafia. I also gotta tell you that we believe the man you used to live with was riding shotgun with Tirado when he alerted the Trinidads about the sting. Now … I’m thinkin’ maybe he had knowledge of you guys involvement with the sting from the meeting on the Promenade. The boys in the Ivory Tower … not so much. A bunch of people lost their lives when this thing went down. Five cops and three agents. Look, Hardaway, I don’t have to tell you how cops react when we lose one of our own. We want blood and retribution