“Okay,” she said, walking him to the door. Tiny turned to look down at her. She was looking up at him. Her eyes were so beautiful, like deep, rich emeralds. Without hesitating to think, Tiny leaned down and kissed her. To his utter shock, he felt her respond, and when he would have pulled back, recovering from his temporary loss of senses, Jessica grabbed hold of a handful of the front of his jacket. Tiny was sure he had died and gone to heaven. His hands hesitantly went to her waist, and he was pleasantly surprised when she moved in closer to him. When their lips finally parted, Tiny started to avert his eyes shyly.
“Hey!” she said softly. “I’d like to think I’m a better kisser than that.” She was grinning up at him.
Tiny found himself smiling as he nodded vehemently.
“Okay then,” Jessica said. “So when are we going out, and where are you taking me?”
“Anywhere you want to go,” Tiny replied with an abashed smile.
“Well…” Jessica said, turning her eyes skyward as if contemplating the idea. “I guess I’ll have to do some research on that.” She looked at him. “I guess we’ll have to wait till at least tomorrow then.”
“I’ll clear my calendar,” Tiny said sincerely.
“Well, I don’t think Joe would like that too much.”
“Tough,” Tiny said bluntly, but his grin showed that he was just being cavalier.
Jessica laughed. “You better get going,” she said, but it was obvious that she didn’t want him to leave.
“Yeah.” He looked at his watch. It was getting on toward 10:30. “I do have an early raid tomorrow,” he said regretfully.
“Well, then I want you to go home and get some sleep,” Jessica said, wagging her finger at him. “I don’t want you to have the excuse of some little gunshot wound or something to get out of our date.”
“No way!” Tiny said, smiling again. He felt like a giddy schoolboy all of a sudden.
“Well, go then,” Jessica said, but as he turned to leave, she reached out and grabbed a handful of his jacket, pulling him back to her. Tiny put his arms around her and lifted her up, her slight weight less than half what he used for his forearm curls every day. When her face was even with his, he kissed her gently. Jessica set her forehead against his, feeling much as Tiny had minutes before—like a lovesick teenager. When he set her down, she shooed him to his car, telling him again that he’d better get some sleep.
But Tiny knew as he drove away that he wouldn’t sleep a wink that night. He knew he would lie awake in his apartment thinking about her. He was right, but what he didn’t know was that Jessica lay in her room at Joe’s house doing the exact same thing.
Randy had gone to take a shower. Joe lay down on the bed, fully clothed, only taking the time to kick off his boots and slip his jacket off. Twenty minutes later Randy came out of the bathroom to see that he had dozed off. She knew he would; she had at least expected him to get comfortable. Shrugging to herself, she climbed into bed. Joe’s arm, which had been resting above his head, came down almost automatically as she snuggled close to him, but he didn’t wake totally. Randy knew he was overdoing it. She had seen first-hand in the last couple of days just how strenuous doing raids and search warrants could be. On top of that, Joe had office paperwork to complete, and he was pretty much riding herd on every member of FORS. It was a lot.
The next day, Joe actually slept in. He hadn’t meant to, but Randy purposely didn’t wake him. When he did get up, he went to take a shower, and half an hour later he walked into the kitchen fully dressed. Randy and Jessica were discussing Tiny as they drank their coffee.
“Are you two ready to go, or do you need to gossip some more?” he asked, his lips pressed together in distaste.
“Grouch,” Jessica muttered.
“Really,” Randy seconded, as she stood and walked over to him. She reached up and gave him a quick kiss, smelling the combination of his aftershave and the leather jacket he wore. It was a smell that would always remind her of him—like recognizing his signature.
Later, in the car, she watched him closely. He seemed quiet this morning, as he had the night before. She wondered what was going on with him, but she didn’t get a chance to ask—the day was very hectic.
Later that night, Jessica had a date with Tiny, and Joe ended up staying at the office to catch up on paperwork. Randy actually had an evening to herself. She relaxed on the couch, leafing through her training manual, a glass of wine on the coffee table next to her. It seemed strange being in the house alone; she felt a little ill at ease. She jumped when she heard a sound outside on the deck. She walked over to the counter where her holstered sidearm lay and pulled the weapon out. Randy knew she was probably overreacting, but she moved cautiously to the sliding glass doors. As she started to look outside, the doorbell rang. Again, she felt her heart jump. But she walked toward the door, putting her gun in the back waistband of her jeans and pulling her shirt down over it. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling, but she ignored it. She looked out the peephole and saw Dick Dickerson standing there. She was taken aback, and not sure if she should answer the door or not. Ever since the incident at the apartment she had avoided any possibility of running into him, and here he was at the house—conveniently the night Joe wasn’t home.
“What do you want, Dick?” she called through the door. She felt like a coward, but didn’t to open the door.
“I want to talk to you, Randy. Please,” Dick said. He sounded apologetic.
“I don’t think we need to do that.”
“Yes, we do,” Dick said doggedly. “Come on, Randy. Let me in.”
Randy hesitated for a long time, but finally opened the door. She stepped back as Dick walked inside, watching him carefully. She had decided that if he tried anything she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him.
She walked over to the couch and sat down, careful to keep enough distance around her to be able to draw her weapon if she needed it. She looked up at him. “So, what do you want?” she said, her voice cool.
Dick sat down beside her, a little too close for Randy’s comfort. She eyed him suspiciously.
“Randy, we have to talk. I mean, last time…” He shrugged. “Things got way out of hand, and I’m sorry. I guess I was just really upset about losing you, ya know?” His eyes were pleading with her to understand.
“Okay,” Randy said, nodding cautiously.
“So,” Dick said. He looked concerned now. “Have you talked to Midnight?”
“Why do you ask?” Randy narrowed her eyes. “Afraid she’s changed her mind?”
“Randy,” Dick said, his voice taking on just the slightest edge. “I’m not the only one that should be worried here. I mean, you were there. If nothing else, it would be considered obstruction of justice. That doesn’t look good on a brand-new record,” he admonished, as if he were shaking a finger at her. “You know I didn’t mean to hurt her that bad. She just, well, she attacked me, and I had to fight back. I guess I just overdid it.” He shrugged. “How was I supposed to know she was pregnant. I mean, you couldn’t tell or anything.”
Randy looked at him for a minute. “How did you know she was pregnant?”
Dick looked at her blankly for a moment, then, as if regaining his composure, he shrugged. “I don’t know. I must have heard it somewhere along the way. Maybe you told me.” He waved his hand as if it weren’t important. “Anyway, I just hope that she doesn’t change her mind about pressing charges, because it’ll really screw us both up, ya know?”
“You more than anything.”
“Yeah,” Dick said, nodding. “But, hey, she should be happy. You made up with Sinclair—that should make her feel better, right?” His voice was forcibly cheerful, and Randy could see right through it. It was funny how she could see him very clearly now. He was a macho, egotistical, self-serving man, and she could see it glaringly at that moment. He was worried about preserving his skin, not hers.
“Well, that’s true enough. I did make up with Joe,” she said, unable to resis
t the jibe.
“And dumped my ass pretty quick, without even a ‘See ya,’” Dick said, his voice taking on that edge again. “I didn’t even get a goodbye kiss.” He leered at her.
Randy stood up, not wanting to be anywhere near him. “Well, that’s just life, Dick,” she said, trying to make it sound like a joke. She looked at him seriously. “I think you should go. Joe’ll be home anytime now, and I don’t want him to see you here.”
“What’re you afraid of?” Dick stood up and moved toward her. Randy stepped back involuntarily, watching him.
“I’m not afraid of anything,” she said, sounding more sure of herself than she felt. “I just don’t want you and Joe to get into a nasty fight or something.”
“Yeah.” Dick stepped closer to her again. His smile was wide, but there was still a smirk in his eyes. “But you said you didn’t have to worry about me hurting him, that he’d tear me apart.”
Randy nodded, starting to feel a little panicked as he kept advancing on her. Suddenly her training started to run through her head—what to do if a suspect was closing on her.
“Dick, look,” she said calmly. “Let’s just say that things didn’t work out and leave it at that, okay?” Every nerve in her body was taught, but she felt surprisingly composed now.
“Didn’t work out?” Dick said, sneering. “You fucked me when you walked out on your husband, and when he crooked his little finger you ran back to him. What was to work out, Randy?” Randy shook her head, noticing to her relief that he had stopped moving toward her. She knew if she needed to, she could draw her weapon on him. He would more than likely be taken by surprise, since he couldn’t know she had it at the small of her back. That knowledge calmed her. She didn’t want to have to pull her gun, though. She knew that would be the very last resort—he was, after all, a cop. “I think you should just go home, Dick.”
“Yeah.” Dick sounded angry, but not confrontational anymore. “I’ll just bet you think that.” Without any warning, he leapt at her, shoving her back against the wall, his arm at her throat. She was pinned, so she had no real hope of getting to her gun. Randy felt panic rising, but she tamped down on the feeling—it wasn’t going to help her out of this. Dick was staring angrily. “What does he do for you, Randy? Huh? Is he really that good in bed? Or is it just the money? I know you miss me, don’t you?”
Randy allowed a slow smile to cross her face. “Well…” she said seductively. “Actually, I do. You know these Englishmen—they don’t have it where it really counts…”
“Yeah, and you know where I got it, don’t you?” Dick said, husky with desire.
“I remember.” Randy nodded, her eyes not leaving his. Dick moved to kiss her, and Randy made herself relax against his body. Slowly, Dick moved his arm from her throat and started to pull her close. He didn’t notice her reach around behind her—he did, however, feel the cold, hard steel muzzle of her gun as it pressed into his stomach. Surprised, he stepped back, and Randy brought the gun up to point at his head. “Now,” she said, her voice strong, “get the fuck out of here.”
“You’re going to regret this,” Dick said coldly.
“You don’t get out of here in less than ten seconds and you’re going to regret it.” Randy nodded toward the door. Dick walked over to it but turned back to her when he got there.
“Remember this moment, Randy,” he said imperiously. “It’s gonna change your whole life.” He turned and walked out.
Randy strode over to the door and locked it, activating the security system as well. She leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths, feeling proud of herself for handling the situation. But as she walked over to the counter to set her gun down, she noticed that her hands were shaking terribly. She went to the bar and poured herself a shot of Joe’s favorite, tequila. “Ta kill ya,” he liked to call it. When she drank the shot, she realized why—it burned all the way down. She poured another one and drank it down. She picked up the phone and dialed Joe’s office number. He answered on the third ring, sounding distracted.
“Hi,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
“Hi,” Joe replied. She could tell he was reading something, because his voice sounded distant.
“How’s it going down in gang central?” she asked, wanting to beg him to come home right then. She was haunted by Dick’s parting words, but at the same time didn’t want to drag Joe away from what he was doing just because of her unfounded fears. Dick had left, and the security system was on—there was no reason to worry. If he came back to the door she’d call the police.
“It’s, uh, goin’ fine.”
“Oh, okay. I just thought I’d check up on you…” Randy trailed off, her nerves still jumpy even after the tequila.
Joe picked up on it. “Randy, what’s wrong?” he said, suddenly totally there.
“Nothing,” Randy replied automatically. “Well, nothing I couldn’t handle, I mean.”
“What did you have to handle?”
“I, well… Dick came by.” Randy wasn’t sure how else to put it.
“He what!” Joe stood up, driven by his fear. “Where the fuck is he?” He was worried that Dick might still be there; his mind was already working on the fastest way to get home.
“He left,” Randy said, starting to feel stupid for calling and upsetting him. “I’m okay, Joe. I think he was just drunk or something.” She tried to sound as casual as possible, but she knew it was too late. She could almost feel Joe’s tension coming through the phone line.
“I’m coming home, now,” Joe said. “Keep the door locked and the alarm on. Do you have your gun?” he asked, as if it was an afterthought.
“Yes,” Randy said, patting the weapon. “Right here with me.”
“Good, keep it there. And if the bastard comes back, shoot him.” Joe’s tone was very serious, so Randy didn’t laugh, even though it sounded funny to her at this point.
“Okay,” she said simply.
Half an hour later, Joe walked through the door, his eyes scanning the house then falling on Randy. She was sitting on the sofa, a shot glass next to her wine glass on the coffee table. He walked over and pulled her up off the couch, into his arms. Randy relaxed against him, feeling much safer now that he was home. Joe pulled back and looked down at her, his eyes narrowed—Randy didn’t know why. His hand went to her chin and tilted her head back. “What the fuck did he do to you?”
“What?” Randy walked over to the mirror in the dining room and saw the dark bruise across her throat where Dick’s arm had pinned her to the wall. “Oh,” she said, not sure what else to say.
“Oh? What happened, Randy? You made it sound like he just talked to you and left amiably.” He sounded angry with her now, for holding back part of the story.
Randy looked over at him, suddenly realizing how Midnight must have felt all those times they had gotten into arguments because she had been injured. On the one hand, she felt good about having handled the situation herself, but on the other, she felt comforted by Joe’s concern. The two emotions warred with each other. “I didn’t see the point in upsetting you. He was gone by that time, and I had the door locked and the alarm on.” She shrugged. “I just kind of had the heebie-jeebies, you know, and I thought if you were close to being done…”
“You should have told me to come home that minute.” His eyes softened as his concern for her started to override his anger.
“I know, but—”
“But nothing, Randy.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “If that sonofabitch ever comes within ten feet of you again, I want to know about it. As it is, if I see him, he’s gonna pay for that.” He gestured to her neck as he walked over to put his arms around her, looking at her in the mirror.
Randy smiled at his gallant statement and turned to face him. “I love it when you get all protective,” she said, staring up into his eyes.
He smiled. “Yeah?”
“Mmhmm.” She nodded.
“Good, ’cause you can’t get away from it.”
“It, or you?” She raised an eyebrow at him, in a good imitation of his quirked brow.
“Both,” Joe said, hugging her close.
That evening when they went to bed, Joe held her just a little bit tighter, and Randy felt just a little safer.
****
Jessica and Tiny spent the evening together. He had asked her what she wanted to do, and she had told him anything. Tiny hadn’t been sure what to suggest, so he asked Joe. Joe had recommended something fun, like the rollercoaster at Mission Bay Park.
Jessica had absolutely loved the idea. After riding the rollercoaster, they ended up walking along the boardwalk as the sun went down. Jessica stared at the sunset for a long time, not saying anything. Tiny found himself watching her profile. She looked over at him.
“What’re you lookin’ at?” she asked, smiling.
“You.”
“Yeah, but why?” Jessica felt embarrassed for some reason.
“Because you’re very beautiful,” he said, surprising himself with his boldness.
“You’re just saying that because you know I have my own color TV,” Jessica chided him, and Tiny started to laugh, nodding.
“With cable, no less,” he added, which made Jessica laugh as well.
“I knew it,” she said with mock accusation. “I just knew it. All you men are the same—you take a girl out, you wine her and dine her, all so you can take her home and get to her TV set.”
“Rats, you figured me out,” Tiny said, pretending to be depressed.
Jessica grinned. “The question is, Mr. Asobucco, how far are you willing to go to get to my audio-visual equipment?” She quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Did you get that from Joe?” Tiny said, smiling widely.
Betrayals Stand (MidKnight Blue Book 5) Page 6
