Where Loyalties Lie (MidKnight Blue Book 3)

by Sherryl Hancock

  “Shit!” Rick jumped up to stride after her, his long legs catching up to her easily as she entered her office.

  “What now?” Midnight asked irritably.

  She looked tired, and Rick could tell she was really in no shape to do the raid. It irritated him more that he cared about what happened to her. He knew Joe’s original raid plan was missing something, but he couldn’t convince Midnight that he knew what he was talking about, because he couldn’t put his finger on what was making him uncomfortable about the plan.

  Midnight was watching him now. She’d turned around, and he’d walked straight up to her, so she had to look up to make eye contact with him.

  “Damn it, Night, you know I don’t make noise about things unless I have a reason,” Rick insisted. Midnight noted that he had shortened her name automatically, as he often did when he was worried about her.

  She started to shake her head again. “I just think Joe’s right on this one. He knows his stuff when it comes to these guys.” She was trying to reason with him but not really getting anywhere.

  “Not this time, Night. I can feel it,” Rick said, staring down at her.

  Midnight sighed. “Well, I’m not changin’ his game plan unless you can give me a good reason to, and feelings are not gonna cut it.”

  Rick searched her face, knowing he was fighting a losing battle but unwilling to let her lead a plan he wasn’t comfortable with. “Fine,” he said finally, holding up his hands in defeat, “but I’ll lead it.”

  His voice left no room for argument, and Midnight wasn’t really in the mood to give him one. She nodded. Rick turned and walked out of the office. She went to her desk and sat down, closing her eyes for a moment. Fighting with him was becoming a tiring task; part of her wished he would transfer. At least if he did, she wouldn’t have to worry about him countermanding her all the time.

  Two and a half hours later, Kana, one of Midnight’s oldest female members, threw open her office door. “Midnight, there’s trouble.”

  Midnight’s head snapped up at the tone of Kana’s voice. “Where?” she asked, but a cold feeling was already clenching in her stomach, making her want to throw up.

  “Rick’s crew, they’re in trouble. Back up’s already on the way.”

  Midnight jumped up, grabbing her FORS jacket and putting her gun at the small of her back. “Let’s go.”

  Midnight drove her Corvette like a madwoman, blowing lights and stop signs all through the city. Once on the freeway, she did a hundred miles an hour, racing toward the house in east San Diego that Rick and his unit had been set to raid. As she turned onto the street, she saw the police cars and then the ambulances. Pulling right up to the scene, she vaulted out of the car almost before it had come to a complete stop.

  She headed for the house at a dead run. A uniformed police officer moved to stop her; with a fluid movement of a booted foot, she dropped him to the lawn.

  “I’m a cop, these’re my people,” she said as she headed for the front door.

  Kana was not two steps behind her. When Midnight reached the door she stopped, staring at the havoc around her. She saw two of her people lying on the floor—both were conscious and being tended to by paramedics. Midnight felt a churning in her stomach, and she knew she had to find him. She moved as if in a nightmare through the house, heading for the back—Rick always hit the back door. When she got there, she didn’t see him. There were police officers everywhere, but she didn’t see Rick. The fear in her stomach continued to grow. She moved through the other rooms, then went up to the second floor. She spotted him lying in the hallway.

  “No!” she screamed, running toward him. He didn’t move. Midnight slid to a stop on her knees at his side. She reached out to touch his face. It was cool. Brushing aside his curly brown hair, she saw blood and immediately turned and screamed down the hallway, “Get a paramedic up here, now!” She heard her call echoed by Kana, who was standing halfway up the staircase.

  “Rick,” Midnight said, putting her lips down to his ear. “Come on, you sonofabitch, you can’t get out of this divorce this easily. Wake up!” Her voice was harsh and angry, her tears flowing down her face. “Please,” she said, a mere whisper. The whole world seemed to be spinning as she held her breath, waiting to hear or see something, anything. “Please,” she whispered again, her lips brushing his cheek.

  She heard the lowest moan escape his lips, and she expelled her breath, her head pounding from the adrenaline that was pumping through her veins. She sat back as he started to move his head.

  “Don’t move, babe,” she said as he tried to lift his head. “Just wait for the paramedics.”

  She saw a dark blue eye looking at her from amidst his curls. “Who’re you again?” he said, his voice rough as he began coughing.

  She automatically reached for him, trying to help him as he struggled to sit up, his knees supporting his arms, which in turn supported his head. Upon closer inspection, she noted that he’d taken a pretty nasty blow to the head, probably from the butt of a gun, but otherwise he seemed okay. As the paramedics came upstairs and took over examining him, Midnight stood, feeling the world spin out of control. She moved toward the stairs, blindly passing Kana, who turned and ushered her down the steps and out the back door. Midnight proceeded to throw up, down on all fours. She sat on the ground and leaned her head against the back stairs she had just vaulted down. Kana was sitting next to her.

  “He okay?” Kana asked.

  Midnight nodded, closing her eyes in relief.

  Kana watched her leader closely. She knew, much like everyone else in FORS, that Rick and Midnight were on the outs, but she also knew Midnight would have moved heaven and earth moments before to get to her husband. Kana knew she’d sell her very soul for a love that deep.

  After she recovered from being sick, Midnight stood, brushing off her jeans. She looked at Kana for a long moment. Kana was watching her, as if to make sure Midnight herself was okay. Midnight pulled a grin at the other woman, and Kana began to smile too. She respected this compact blond who was the driving force behind their very successful “gang.” Midnight walked up the stairs leading to the back door of the house. Once inside, she went to check on the two injured members she had seen upon first entering. She was told they were out in one of the ambulances. She walked outside, running into the police officer she had taken down on her way in. He was an older man, in his early fifties. As she looked up at him, he inclined his head to her, and she beamed an embarrassed smile at him.

  “Sorry about that,” she said as she gestured to his uniform pants, still dirty from where he had landed.

  The officer looked down, then at her, breaking into a smile of his own. “That’s okay. I haven’t been tackled by a woman like that in years!” He gave her a two-fingered salute as she walked away, laughing.

  Midnight went to the ambulances, showing her badge to the medical personnel. She looked in on her people. Dave Dibbins was one of the injured. He’d taken a round in the shoulder, but he seemed in good spirits. Manny was the other person; he had what looked like a head wound, but he was sitting up, looking around.

  “Some party, huh?” Dibbins said, smiling at Midnight.

  “Yeah, looks like they had some interesting party favors too,” Midnight replied. She looked to the medic to her right. “Are they okay?”

  The female paramedic nodded toward Dibbins and said, “He’s got a fractured shoulder from the bullet, and that other one’s just a graze, but we’re gonna keep him overnight for observation.”

  “Like hell!” Manny said, shaking his head.

  “Oh, yes, I think so,” Midnight said, smiling at her newest member.

  “Only if you’ll be my nurse,” Manny said, his smile wide.

  “What’ve I told you about that?” came a familiar English accent from behind Midnight. She turned, almost bumping into Rick. He was holding a bandage to the side of his head. Midnight looked up at him, her face reflecting an unspoken apology. “Rick…” she beg
an, but he shook his head slowly.

  “Don’t,” he said quietly. “We’re alright.” He looked from her to the two men in the ambulance. “Right?”

  “Yeah,” Dave said, “if you don’t count the bullet in my shoulder and Manny’s little scratch.” He sounded sarcastic, but he was joking.

  The female paramedic moved to Rick’s side, taking the bandage from him. Midnight moved out of the way, walking over to her car. She was standing in the open driver’s door, her head resting on her arms, when Rick came up behind her. She felt his presence before he even spoke.

  “Night,” he said quietly.

  She turned to look at him, the door of the car between them. “I’m sorry,” she said, before he could say anything. “You were right, and I should’ve listened. I just…” She paused, shaking her head in self-reproach. “I was thinking you were just trying to challenge me. It was stupid and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” She was looking right at him as she made her confession.

  Rick looked at her for a long moment, recalling an incident between them a long time back, shortly after they’d met, and after they’d had a particularly physical sexual confrontation. The day afterward, Midnight had questioned his ability to handle himself in a fight. Later she had apologized for her unprofessional behavior. He had noted at the time that she was sorry about being unprofessional—unprofessional, yes, but human, never. He felt this conversation had the same flavor. She was sorry about doubting his professional opinion, but not his fidelity. Finally, he shook his head, laughing.

  “What?” she asked, having no idea of the direction of his thoughts.

  “Nothin’, Midnight. Let’s just say you’re nothing if not consistent.”

  Midnight looked at him, quirking an eyebrow. “Maybe they should check you again. They may have missed more of an injury than they thought.”

  Rick grinned, and without warning leaned over the car door and kissed her softly on the lips, then moved to whisper in her ear, “It’s just nice to know you still care whether I live or die.” He walked away, leaving Midnight to stare after him. After a few moments a slow smile crossed her lips. Maybe all wasn’t completely lost after all. She’d have to see where his true loyalties lie.

  You can find more information about the author and series here:

  www.sherrylhancock.com

  www.facebook.com/SherrylDHancock

  Also by Sherryl D. Hancock:

  The WeHo series follows a group of women from Los Angeles as they navigate the ups and downs of love, life, work, and everything in between.

  www.vulpine-press.com/we-ho

  The Wild Irish Silence series. Escape into the world of BJ Sparks and discover how he went from the small-town boy to the world-famous rock star.

  www.vulpine-press.com/wild-irish-silence-series