Unbreakable

by Melissa Seal

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Lexie had no trouble finding the cabin. They pulled slowly into the driveway and noticed a car parked near the back door.

  Dani wondered aloud, “Whose car is that?”

  “I have no clue; I’ve never seen it before.”

  It had not been visible from the road. Dani mentioned that it looked like someone was trying to hide their car, maybe they got lucky and Chris was there. Lexie pulled the car over and hoped they hadn’t been spotted. They were counting on the element of surprise to give them the upper hand. The detectives cautiously exited their vehicle with drawn guns. They had no idea what they would find in that cabin. The best-case scenario was that Chris would go down without a fight. Dani did not want to shoot her partner’s husband, and she questioned whether Lexie would be able shoot him.

  Chris instantly identified their vehicle as a police car. He didn’t know it was his wife. He tried to distract them by firing his stolen automatic rifle. He planned to grab Tiffany and run. Escaping with Anya and Tiffany was impossible, so he focused all his energy on Tiffany. There was no way in hell he was losing her again.

  Once bullets flew, Lexie and Dani took cover behind some trees to wait the shooter out. The bullets kept coming. The detectives returned fire and made their way to the cabin, while Chris was on the move with Tiffany. Lexie entered the cabin from the front while her partner attempted to enter from the back. Chris had slit Anya’s wrists enough to require medical attention. This would buy him some time to leave through the back with Tiffany. His plan worked. Lexie saw the girl lying on the floor bleeding to death as soon as she walked in the cabin. She immediately went to Anya to stop the bleeding as fast as she could. Lexie saw the life draining out of the victim, and she was determined not to let her die. She didn’t know that Chris had gone out the back and was standing face to face with her partner.

  Dani was approaching the back door when she saw Chris and Tiffany. She raised her police issued weapon and pointed it at Chris while he kept his gun pointed at Tiffany. Neither one was willing to give in. After realizing that Lexie was not coming to help, Dani unsuccessfully offered herself in exchange for Tiffany.

  “Take me and leave the girl.”

  “The only way you can ensure this girl’s safety is to drop your gun and get in the trunk.”

  He walked over to the car with his gun still pointed at Tiffany’s head, and he opened the trunk and waited to see what this detective was going to do. “Make a freaking decision now, detective! You can watch me blow her brains out or you can get in the damn trunk. The choice is yours hot shot, but you need to make it now!”

  Dani knew it was a stupid thing to do, but she did it anyway. She dropped her gun and was climbing in the trunk when Lexie came bursting out the back door covered in blood. Dani took advantage of this distraction and rushed Chris causing him to almost drop his gun and loosen his grip on Tiffany. At the same time, Lexie fired at Chris but missed. Tiffany and Dani were safely back in the house and Lexie was face to face with her serial killer husband. Dani heard a few more gunshots before she saw a car speeding out of the driveway. She called for Lexie, but there was no answer, she ran out back and saw Lexie lying on the ground bleeding from her chest. Chris had shot his wife in the chest and left her to die.

  Dani was in a remote area with two critically injured women and one very traumatized one. They certainly did not cover this scenario in the academy. Dani quickly dialed 911 and explained her situation.

  The operator instructed, “Remain calm and keep the gunshot victim awake as long as possible. Help is on the way, they should there in fifteen minutes.”

  Fuck lady, do you realize how long fifteen minutes can be with two severely injured people and one severely traumatized girl?

  Lexie was awake and understood the situation, “Dani, please don’t worry, I am way too pissed to die now.”

  Lexie was in shock from being shot by her husband and finding out he was the killer she had pursued for two years. Dani was handling her current situation with all the poise of a soldier and a seasoned police officer, even though she hadn’t been on the force but a few years. Everything was under control until Lexie’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she stopped breathing.

  Tiffany screamed “Dani, I can’t do this, she is going to die, and I have to get out of here!”

  “Tiffany, I know this is scary and you have been through so much, but please calm down, so I can focus on Lexie. She is slipping away Tiffany, and I really can’t lose her.”

  Dani thought she had lost Lexie, but the ambulance showed up and the paramedics tumbled out and went to work on Lexie. The lead paramedic loaded the shallow breathing detective into the ambulance. Another ambulance arrived, and Dani directed them to Anya. She was critical, but stable. The police had gotten there and were asking Tiffany questions about the man who kidnapped her. She had a hard time dealing with it.

  Dani stepped in, “Officer, would it be okay for Tiffany and me to meet you at the station and you can get her statement then? This young woman has been brutally traumatized and needs to be in a different environment.”

  On the inside, Dani was terrified for her partner, the woman she had come to love, but on the outside, she remained calm and in control as she drove Tiffany to the local police station. Her heart was breaking, but she knew her first responsibility was to the Tiffany Decker.

  Lexie’s in good hands and there really isn’t anything I can do at the hospital. I’ve got to focus on stabilizing Tiffany emotionally and mentally, so the police can obtain the information they need to catch Chris. Damnit! All I want is to be with Lexie! Please God, don’t let her die. Lucky for Tiffany, Dani was trained to listen to her brain and not follow her emotions.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Chris fumed as he jammed the stolen car into gear and gunned the engine.

  Slamming his fist on the dashboard, darkness crossed his eyes as he spat out through clenched teeth, “Oh that devious little bitch is going to pay for everything she has taken from me! She is going to regret sticking her nosey ass in my business!”

  All his rage was focused on the woman that had not only taken his wife but had taken his plaything, too. I knew months before I left Lexie, she was falling in love with that conniving sorry excuse for a woman, but I let it slide because I knew I could no longer be what Lexie needed. Now I don’t care what she needs, that whore of hers is going to die, and I am going to enjoy every sadistic minute of it. She caused me to hurt Lexie, I never wanted to hurt her. I still love her, and now I may have killed her all because detective dip shit had to get involved. Sitting in his stolen car, Chris promised to himself that he would not stop until he made Detective Watkins make that famous last call. He left Florida and drove north toward Virginia where he knew Dani would arrive sooner or later. He planned to lay low for a few months and stalk Dani until he knew her patterns better than she did. He would wait for the perfect opportunity to grab her. While she was still in Florida, he scouted out locations where he could hold her. He decided on the West Virginia mountains.

  While their killer was off looking for a cozy, remote area in the West Virginia Mountains, Lexie fought for her life in the operating room at St. Simmons Memorial Hospital, and Dani escorted Tiffany Decker back to her parent’s house in Clearwater. Dani wanted to be at the hospital with her new love, but Tiffany did not feel safe with anyone but her, so she had no choice but to drive the scared woman home. She broke every speed limit on the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Clearwater. Tiffany had called her parents and Cameron to tell them she was alive and would be home soon. Her mom started crying the second she heard her daughter’s voice and did not stop until she was holding Tiffany in her arms. Dani arrived at the Decker’s house shortly before dark. After talking with the parents and making sure Tiffany felt safe, Dani left and raced to the hospital where she called Lexie’s parents and informed them about Lexie.

  They informed Dani, they were taking the first flight out. “Please tell ou
r baby girl we love her, and we will be there soon.”

  Lexie was out of surgery and resting in her room by the time Dani arrived. Dani had not called the hospital because she was terrified of what they would tell her, she needed to see Lexie for herself. Anya was in the room across the hall from Lexie with her parents, her boyfriend, and a few other friends and family members. Lexie had saved her life by stopping the bleeding, but it would be a slow recovery. Lexie was sleeping when Dani came into her room. The nurse was checking her vitals and she smiled when she saw Dani.

  “Hi there, my name is Maggie, I am the night shift nurse.”

  “Nice to meet you Maggie, I am Detective Dani Watkins, Lexie’s partner.” “Your partner must have had an angel on her shoulder today.”

  “Thank goodness for angels.”

  Dani sat beside her partner the rest of the night, refusing to sleep in case Lexie woke up. She hadn’t stopped Chris from shooting Lexie, and she could not find him yet, but the she could be there for Lexie when she woke up. As Dani sat and watched Lexie sleeping, she let the tears fall. Everything that had happened that day came crashing back. Looking at the woman that she had fallen in love with so easily, lying in a hospital bed with tubes everywhere, she couldn’t hold it together anymore. After an hour of sobbing, the nurse came to check on Lexie, Dani went to get some coffee and wash her face. When she looked in the mirror, she didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her. Her usual shiny, brown hair was now a greasy, dirty mess. Her bright green eyes were overshadowed by the intense dark circles under them. She realized she had not slept or showered since that night in Jacksonville with Lexie. It seemed like a lifetime ago. After cleaning herself up, she looked for some breakfast and much-needed caffeine. She rushed to catch the elevator when she ran smack into a stack of muscles. She looked up and saw Tiffany hiding behind the large arms of her boyfriend. Tiffany and Cameron had come to the hospital to see Anya and to thank the detectives for saving them.

  Cameron hugged Dani, “Thank you for bringing my girl back, you have no idea how it felt to know Tiffany was out there, and I was completely useless to help her. You not only saved the two girls, but you saved me, too. I don’t know if I could have forgiven myself if Tiffany had not come home.”

  “You cannot blame yourself; the blame lies strictly with the savage monster that took her. All that matters now is that Tiffany and Anya are both safe, and we will catch the man that hurt them.”

  The two young people went off to visit their friend, and Dani was still on a mission to find coffee.

  Lexie woke up to a tube in her throat and bright lights all around her, for a minute, she thought she had died until the nurse said, “Good morning, Detective.”

  She tried to focus but nothing was making sense until Dani walked back into the room. As soon as she entered the room, Dani realized Lexie was awake, and she couldn’t hold back the relief or tears.

  “I need you to wait outside because the doctor is on his way in to examine the patient. You can come back in once the exam is over.” instructed the nurse.

  Dani touched Lexie’s hand, “I will be waiting right outside, and I will be back in as soon as the doctor is done.”

  Dr. Harris finished his exam and called Dani back in, “Lexie is doing great, but she needs to stay in the hospital for a few days so we can keep an eye on her to ensure a proper recovery. After that, she will need to continue to rest for another few weeks and follow up with her primary doctor before going back to work.”

  After the doctor left, Dani leaned down and lovingly kissed Lexie on the forehead. Just as Dani was able to breath again, there was a knock on the door. She opened it to see Lexie’s parents and her friend Debbie. She had never met them but had seen pictures. She greeted them and left the room so they could be with Lexie.

  By the following morning, the doctors were able to remove the tube in Lexie’s throat. She still wasn’t out of the woods completely, but she was doing better. Dani never left the hospital, so she was there when the tube was removed. She was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that she kissed Lexie, not realizing her parents and Debbie were standing in the doorway. Shawna and Trevor Williams looked at each other in disbelief. Why is that woman kissing Lexie? thought Debbie.

  Trevor spoke up, “Hey sweet girl, you look good. I see they have taken that awful tube out.”

  All three of them gave Dani an evil look as Shawna asked, “Do you mind leaving so when can spend time alone with our daughter?”

  Dani excused herself after a few seconds of awkward silence. These people are kind of rude, maybe they are just worried about Lexie. “Hey partner, I’m going to leave for a while and let you spend some time with your family alone. I’ll be back tonight.”

  “There is no need for you to come back detective, her father and I are staying with our daughter tonight.”

  Debbie saw the hurt in Dani’s eyes and offered, “Dani, let me walk you out. I need some air.”

  In the elevator, Dani asked, “Have I done something to offend Mr. and Mrs. Williams?”

  “They weren’t happy to see you kissing their daughter. Are you and Lexie in a romantic relationship?”

  “If you have questions about Lexie, you need to ask her. Please let the Williams know I will back in the morning.”

  Two days later, Lexie was ready to be released from the hospital and Dani was excited to be taking her home. Shawna had tried to convince Lexie to continue her recovery in New York with her family, but Lexie wanted to go back to Norfolk.

  Frustrated, Shawna preached, “Alexandra, you are committing a sin by being with the woman and your father and I don’t approve.”

  Lexie was blown away by her mother’s confession, she had no idea they knew about her relationship with Dani.

  “Mom, you are overreacting, Dani is a woman, and I’m not a lesbian. I like men. I’m not sure why you think otherwise.”

  Dani was standing outside the door and heard the entire conversation, but she chose to walk away and pretend she didn’t. By the time Dani rode the elevator to the first floor and back up, Lexie had convinced her parents they were mistaken. This time when Dani entered the room, they were much friendlier than before.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Six weeks after she was released from St. Simmons Memorial Hospital in Florida, Lexie was ready to be evaluated by her doctor. She hoped he would release her back to full duty. So much had happened in three short months. Lexie had moved in with Dani after leaving the hospital, and the two women had taken their relationship to a whole new level. They kept it quiet in public because they couldn’t be partners at work if it got out. Dani had been working with Derrick Miller, the same detective that filled in for Lexie before. At home, the women were anything but discreet, they were blissfully in love. There was lots of cooking, dancing around the kitchen, cuddling on the couch watching movies, reading together, and not a lot of clothing involved in any of their activities. Dani wasn’t a big reader, but Lexie loved reading and Dani loved Lexie, so she was learning to love reading. They were in their own safe little bubble and neither had ever been this content, but Dani feared that once Lexie got back out into the real-world, things might change. She expected it to get more complicated.

  Dani enjoyed working with Derrick again, and she mentioned it to Lexie one night when she came home. Lexie was in the kitchen cooking another fabulous meal, and she was in a great mood. Her doctor’s appointment was a formality, and she was excited to get back to work, however, her girlfriend was not as excited about it. She wanted to take their relationship public, but Lexie didn’t want that, she wanted things to stay the way they were. Dani wanted to talk about it, but Lexie would always shut down the conversation.

  Lexie’s appointment with Dr. Rice was at 9 am, and she planned to be back at the station by lunch time. Dani left for work early that morning and as always, she placed a gentle kiss on her lover’s forehead and whispered, “I love you,” before walking out the door. Lexie was always awake when Dani le
ft but loved the sweet forehead kisses, so she pretended to be asleep.

  Dani and Derrick were called out to an early morning assault. A teenage boy, Thomas, was walking to school when a car pulled up next to him. Four people wearing masks jumped from the car and attacked the teen. They would have killed him if his neighbor had not promptly called the police. Luckily for Thomas Bracey, there were two uniformed officers in the area and on the scene within minutes causing the car full of perps to speed away once they heard the sirens. Thomas was taken to the local emergency room where he was diagnosed with a severe concussion and a collapsed lung. He also had a broken nose, a sprained left wrist, and cuts and scrapes covering most of his face. Whoever went after him intended to do some serious damage. The detectives arrived at the hospital to interview Thomas and bumped into Lexie coming out of the elevator. This was the first time the two women had seen each other in a professional setting since they started their love affair three months prior.

  Dani instinctively ran to her girlfriend and before she could do any damage, Lexie greeted them, “Hey, what are you two are doing here?”

  Hearing her tone, Dani snapped back to reality and played off the near hug with a pat on the shoulder, “How was your doctor’s visit? Are you cleared to come back to work?”

  Derrick noticed something different between the two women but didn’t think much of it, he was more concerned with talking to Thomas Bracey about his brutal attack. After a few more pleasantries, Dani and her temporary partner went up in the elevator while Lexie headed out of the hospital and back to the real world.

  The detectives were not able to get much information from Thomas. His doctor told them the pain pills would have him out for most of the day, but he would have the nurses call them as soon as Thomas was alert. Derrick thanked the doctor and they left the room. Dani was preoccupied by something and he wasn’t sure if it was the Thomas or Lexie situation.