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But the room is empty, Dakota’s dress a shadowy creature on the floor

The scent of our sex still fills the air, musky, and welcome

I turn to find Dakota sitting up in bed, gazing at me, her eyes terrified orbs in the semidarkness

“Why do you have your gun?”

“You screa in her voice that she’s still half-asleep

Waking and sleeping in violent jolts takes some practice

“Oh,” she says, still eyeing me like I’m somebody else “I just need—just leave me alone for a minute”

She hurries into the ensuite, sla the door behind her Sparky scratches at the door so I walk across the room and scoop him up He whines and looks anxiously toward the ensuite door, as though telling me that my woman needs me, needs us

“I know, boy,” I htmare”

Leave me alone for a minute

The phrase replays in h I let Sparky go around the roo like a madman, before he finally settles at the door to the ensuite, sat there like a good little soldier awaiting his instructions

Leave hthtmare reminded her of me

I sit and wait, a skill I’ve honed over the years

I’et as they wait, their hands clawing for their phones, for aother than being in the cohts

I breathe slowly and tell es I’ll be there for her

She’s carrying my child now

I can’t be sure of that … except that I feel sure, the same certainty that touched s of fate and closeness and destiny, no ht make me feel foolish

Finally, the door cracks open and she walks out in a silk bathrobe, walking with s close to h she wants to keep some distance between us

“Bad dream?” I ask