by Jenna Rae
“The beaner can’t suck dick for shit. Kinda disappointing. I figured you were banging her, but you’re just sitting there playing possum like it’s nothing. So maybe you like to hit it and quit it, huh?” The tension in White’s voice was building.
“Big ole dyke.”
Del smiled.
“Goddamn city’s getting taken over by the goddamn—”
Del tuned him out when her phone vibrated. Phan was outside. The twin aches behind her lungs were Mikey’s wounds, keeping her still and quiet and nonresponsive to White. Angel’s wings, she mused wildly, her guardian angel’s wings were trying to protect her from her impulse to charge down the hall and tackle White and beat him to death with her bare hands. She could do it. He was soft. Del was struck by the chill inside her. The damp must have worked its way through her clothes and skin into her organs. Then she realized there was movement near the front of the house and maybe the far side.
She held still.
“They’re going to shoot me,” White announced, sounding smug and pleased. “And you’ll never know about—”
“No they’re not,” Del interrupted. “They know your game plan. This isn’t some soap opera where you get to go out in a blaze of bullets and don’t have to deal with the consequences—”
“Don’t try to play with me, bitch.”
There was a hand on her shoulder, and Del let a burly officer in tactical gear help her up. Her legs were frozen, which the young officer seemed to anticipate, a thing Del noted only later. The kid shielded her with his armored body. She listened as somebody read White his rights and someone else disarmed him, searched him, cuffed him, led him away.
“Homeowner,” she whispered to the Response Team guy as they exited the house. “Sofia Gonzalez.”
“She’s fine.” Phan was there at her side by then. He chucked his chin at guy from the Response Team and smiled at Del. “The EMT will take her to make sure, but I saw her, and she’s fine.”
Del nodded, too shaken to say anything.
“You okay?”
Del tried to shrug but had a feeling it ended up looking more like a paroxysm, given Phan’s grimace.
“Okay. Well, let’s go face the music. Bradley’s gonna shit a brick.”
Del smiled and let Phan lead her to the car.
* * *
“It was really the man who hurt that boy’s mom?” Lola gestured at Del to sit at her kitchen table.
“Crazy, isn’t it?” Del shook her head. “Mikey Ocampo. He was a nice kid, I think. I mean, he seemed decent. Before everything. As far as I’m concerned Ernie White murdered that kid twice. White was just another selfish, destructive, heartless bastard wreaking havoc on the world without a second thought.”
“Like Janet pushed Sterling.”
“Yeah.” Del nodded slowly. “True. Anyway, it’s over. The ADA is turning cartwheels. Those two sicko perverts are gonna grow old in prison and maybe get some of the same treatment they dished out.”
“I’m glad. You helped save a lot of women from those sickos, and I’m really proud of you.”
“Thanks.” Del flushed. “I’m glad it’s over. I just wish I’d been able to stop Ernie White and save Mikey. I wish I’d been able to save Leslie Thorne. She should never have died. Mikey should never have died.”
“You did the best you could.” Lola shook her head slowly. “I know that can’t be much consolation. But you can’t change the hard truths, can you?”
“No, I guess not.” But Lola was right. It wasn’t much consolation and it certainly hadn’t done the victims any good.
“I’m sorry. But I’m still glad it’s over.”
She watched Lola. Something was brewing behind those bewitching hazel eyes, and Del wasn’t sure what that something was. “So am I,” she offered.
“I bet.” Lola slid steaming plates of pasta on the table and sat across from Del. “Can I talk to you about something? Is now a good time?”
“Sure.” Del eyed her warily.
“I was thinking about you. How you were out there, looking for these monsters, hunting them. How dangerous that is. How you put yourself out there every day and how much that scares me.”
“Yeah.” Del pursed her lips. “I’m sorry. I know. But I’ll always be a cop.”
“I know.” Lola gave a crooked smile. “I do know that. I accept that. And I’m proud of you. But I get to worry, too, don’t I?”
“Only if I get to worry about you.”
“Deal.” Lola held out her hand, and Del shook it very gently then held on to it.
“I don’t want to stay in this place where we’re not really together and not really apart. I don’t want to wonder where we stand with each other.”
“Neither do I.”
“So let’s decide and stick with it, okay?” Lola stared at Del. “And be honest about how we feel and what we need and all of it.”
“There’s no question in my mind.” Del swallowed hard. “I want to get back together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I really will work on being a better partner and treating you as my equal. I’ll try harder to trust you and listen to you. Please take me back.”
Lola’s eyes overflowed with tears. Her hand shook. Del held on to it for a moment, then let go. She couldn’t sit there and watch Lola decide it was too hard.
Why won’t you answer me? Are you trying to tell me to leave you alone? Don’t say that. Say yes, say you’ll take me back. Please.
Del escaped the table to stand facing the backyard. She closed her eyes. It felt like they were at a crossroads, and she was afraid to say anything that would push them in the wrong direction.
How did we get here? What do I do?
She sensed movement and made as if to spin but felt a light hand on her hip, clearly signaling she should not turn around. Lola had gotten up and was standing behind her. She felt Lola’s arms wrap around her waist. Del rested her back against Lola, feeling her words as much as hearing them.
“I love you. I was so afraid of losing you. And I never want to lose you again. I want to be with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to marry you. I just want to be sure this time is forever. Okay? Can you understand that? I need for us to start over and take our time and make sure it’s right. I need to know we are real. I need to learn to trust you again. I need you to learn to trust me. I need you to lean on me. You know?”
Del nodded. She felt the tension in her body release slowly, bit by bit. For the first time in months, her stomach didn’t hurt. Her head didn’t ache. She sagged against Lola and felt her solidity.
“I can’t live without you,” Del whispered. “I don’t know how to do that.” Her chest was constricted; she forced herself to take a deep breath and relax. She felt Lola’s arms tighten around her and once more felt the tension seep out of her body.
“Yes, you can. Yes, you do. But we’re gonna try real hard to make sure you don’t have to. I’m here for you, Del, no matter what. Okay?”
Del nodded, unable to speak. When she trusted herself not to cry, she turned around and embraced Lola.
When did she become the strong one? When did I start leaning on her? She smelled Lola’s hair, the clean, light, hint-of-lavender scent that she had come to know so well, and closed her eyes.
Home, she thought, I’m finally home.
Bella Books, Inc.
Women. Books. Even Better Together.
P.O. Box 10543
Tallahassee, FL 32302
Phone: 800-729-4992
www.bellabooks.com
Table of Contents
Cover
Synopsis
Title Page
Copyright Page
Other Books by Jenna Rae
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Bella Books
