Damaged

by Indigo Sin

  When he finished, he rinsed it out, careful to block soap from getting into her eyes. No one had ever done anything like that for her before, and she soon found herself fighting tears. She had to be dreaming. There was no way this was real life. This man had entered her life out of nowhere, and wrecked her.

  There was no warning.

  There was no running.

  Just the overwhelming urge to put her trust in someone else for a change. To finally be free of life’s burdens and let someone else take the reins. When the tears had begun to fall, she didn’t know, but by the time he finished rinsing her hair, her chest burned with the force of her sobs. Could she let go? Could she put her trust in someone else and survive? Seth made the thought seem possible.

  Her eyes came open as his hands cupped her face. He was kneeling next to the tub, concern creasing his brow. The emotion she saw in his gaze made her heart clench. “Seth, I…I’m so sorry,” she whispered, gasping for breath.

  He didn’t say a word. Seth lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, lingering for a long time until he pulled away and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “Ready to start this over? No secrets?” he asked.

  Monica nodded, barely able to see him through the blur of tears as the cries wracked her body. “Y-yes.”

  “Good. My name is Seth Jackson,” he said gently. “And you are?”

  “Monica Cassidy,” she whispered.

  A smile curled his lips. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Cassidy.”

  Chapter Ten

  Seth lounged in an armchair, watching as Monica slept peacefully in the bed across the room. She had cried for most of the night, curled up in his lap, clinging to him like a second skin. He hadn’t said a word, just held her as she let it all out. When she finished, he’d let her drift off in his arms, finding it difficult to let her go.

  For the first time, she’d shown vulnerability and he had no doubt that few had ever seen her lose control. Rubbing at the scruff covering his jaw, Seth tried to make sense of his feelings for her. It had started out as the need to help her, to take one more troubled individual off the streets, but now…it ran much deeper than that. He needed to protect her from her past, even though he had no clue what or who that was. Somewhere along the way he had fallen hard for the raven-haired beauty, there was no doubt about that. Convincing her of that would prove to be a difficult task, however. She hadn’t come clean about everything yet, but at least he had a last name to go on now.

  Monica shifted, making a soft sleepy sound that had him biting his fist to keep from climbing under the sheets with her. He’d been hard since finding her naked and wet in the bath, and his lust for her had only increased as the night passed by, but making love to her when her emotions were still raw was wrong. She needed time to recover. She would come to him when she was ready.

  Seth glanced at the clock on the table next to the bed and scrubbed a hand down his weary face. It was nearly five in the morning and he hadn’t slept at all. It was going to be a long-ass shift. Careful to be quiet, Seth rose from his chair and pulled the blankets up over her before leaving the room to shower and dress.

  Evan was already waiting for him in his office when he arrived, feet propped up like usual. Knocking them to the floor as he rounded his desk, Seth slumped into his chair and started going through the stack of files covering the right side of his desk.

  “Good god man, you look like shit.” Evan spoke around a bite of pastry and brushed the flakes from his uniform as he eyed Seth suspiciously. “You go on an all-night bender, or what?”

  Seth propped his elbow on the desk and held his forehead in his hand while he read through a police report. “Something like that,” he said dryly, flipping to the next page. He was fucking exhausted, and more than a little preoccupied with thoughts of Monica.

  Evan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know, if you don’t get your shit together, Chief Kesson is gonna make you see the shrink. You’ve been late twice this week, and you aren’t turning in your paperwork. I can only cover for you so much, Seth,” he warned. “If you’re in some kind of trouble, you can tell me, you know.”

  “If there was anything to tell you, I would,” he lied, moving on to the next file, very aware of his friend’s stare burning into the top of his head.

  Evan sighed and stood up before leaning down over Seth’s desk to look him in the eye. “I don’t believe that for a second, but if it makes you feel better to tell me that, then okay.”

  Rubbing at his eyes, Seth shook his head, too damn tired to fight Evan’s crap. “All right. I’ve been seeing someone.”

  “Ah, there we go,” Evan quipped as he took his seat again, clearly satisfied with this info. “We’re making progress. This is good. Now, either she’s dynamite in bed and doesn’t let you sleep, or she’s causing you some major stress. Judging by your shitty attitude lately, I’m going to have to go with the second option.”

  Seth snorted. Evan had no idea. “I’ve had to fight tooth and nail to get her to open up and trust me. She’s been through some shit, but refuses to go into detail.”

  “Well, the fact that you’re putting up with it and pushing tells me that you really care about her,” Evan said. “You’re not one to stick around when things get iffy with a woman.”

  Evan was right. Dealing with drama was never something he did well. In the past he would have just cut her loose and moved on, but it was impossible with Monica. “I’m going to run some background checks to see if I can come up with anything. Let’s just keep this on the down low, okay?”

  Pinning his partner with a stare that dared him to do otherwise, Seth breathed a sigh of relief when Evan’s hands came up. “Hey, this is your mess. I’m staying out of it,” he sighed. “I’m just glad you’re talking.”

  Seth narrowed his eyes. “You should start wearing a skirt. You sound like a woman with all this talking shit.”

  “You wish, big boy,” Evan shot back. “Speaking of, the annual law enforcement ball is coming up next month; will we be getting to meet this mystery woman?”

  Shit, he was taking it one day at time as it was with Monica. Who knew what could happen in a couple weeks? Would she still be around? “I don’t know.”

  Evan rose from his chair and strolled to the door. “Dude, you’ve gone stag the last three years. Live a little,” he goaded. “Oh, by the way, apparently the thefts have come to a stop, so the Chief is talking about dropping the case. I’ll meet you outback to leave for patrol.”

  Seth stared at the door after it closed, grinding his molars together. The thought of Monica leaving again made him sick to his stomach. He was definitely asking her to accompany him to the ball. Whether she accepted or not…that was another issue completely.

  Turning to his computer, he logged into the database and did a preliminary search for Monica Cassidy. Her driver’s license popped up, but there was very little information to go with it. The address on the license was a Chicago residence, and it was expired. Digging deeper into the system, he found numerous reports of domestic violence in her childhood home. The man listed as her step-father, Dan Jurgins, had an arrest record a mile long, mother had a drug problem, and smack in the middle of it all were three children, Monica, Jack and Sarah. The reasons for her secrecy were becoming clear.

  Running a hand over his head, Seth sat back in his chair and blew out a breath as he scrolled through the pages of information, becoming angrier by the second. He shook his head at the disgusting things he saw there. She was on the run, hiding from her parents, and he could now see why. When she had taken Sarah and Jack with her the night she left, she probably saved their lives. There wasn’t an official warrant, but more than likely she was wanted for taking the kids. Oddly, though, no missing person reports could be found on any of them. What were the parents hiding, that they didn’t risk filing reports?

  Unable to stand looking at the disgusting information on his monitor any longer, Seth pushed aw
ay from his desk and paced his office, balling his hands into fists at his sides. He couldn’t change her past, but he could definitely give her a better future. Now he just had to figure out how to bring this whole thing up to her. She was going to be pissed that he’d gone digging into her business, but that was a risk he was just going to have to take. If there was one thing he’d learned throughout the years, it was that you fought for those you cared about, especially when they had no one else.

  Grabbing his jacket from its hook, Seth pulled the door open and made his way down the back hall toward the garage. Evan was already leaning against the cruiser, scrolling through his phone as he approached. The aviators on his face masked his eyes, but Seth could feel him watching. He was suspicious, and that wasn’t a good thing.

  “You drivin’, or am I?” Seth asked, twirling the keys around his finger.

  Evan pushed away from the car, stuffing his phone into his pocket. “I better drive. With you all wrapped up in puppy love, it’s probably not safe for you to be operating heavy machinery.” The smirk on his face made Seth want to wipe it away with his fist.

  Seth shook his head and shoved the keys into Evan’s hand as he pulled the passenger door open. “You can get fucked.”

  “I’d like that, very much,” he laughed, rounding the front of the car. That irritating smile was still on his face as he slid into the driver’s seat. “My sister’s trying to hook me up with her friend, Symone. Thinks I should ask her to the ball.”

  Seth clicked his seatbelt into place as Even pulled out of the parking lot. “And? What’s wrong with that? Is she ugly or something?”

  “Far from it, actually, but she’s only twenty-five. Do I really want to feel like a dirty old bastard all night? Fuck man, I’m thirty-four. I can’t be messing with girls that young,” he said, turning into traffic. “Besides, what kind of a name is Symone? It sounds like a stripper name.”

  Rubbing his jaw, Seth stared out the window. With his mind wandering, he was only about half with the conversation. Shit, he was only six years older than Monica…why did he suddenly feel like a cradle robber? “It’s only nine years, man. She’s an adult. I say go for it, and Symone is a nice name.”

  Seth shrugged. “Eh, I don’t know, we’ll see…”

  His comment was cut off by the squelch of the police radio as the dispatcher’s voice carried through the speakers. “All units available, assistance is needed for a fire call at a rural residence north of the city, address 2334 Victor Street. Fire trucks are en route.”

  Seth’s blood ran cold as a shroud of dread washed over him. “Fuck, that’s my address.”

  “Are you sure?” Evan asked, flipping the lights and sirens on.

  “I know my fucking address. Step on it,” he barked, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He needed to talk to Monica. Worry had his chest in a vise as he punched her number in and put his phone to his ear. Four rings and her automated voicemail picked up. “Dammit!” Sweat ran down his neck, only fueling his irritation.

  Bile rose in his throat as they turned onto his road. A thick black plume of smoke boiled into the sky from the location of his farm like an ominous beacon. If Monica or the kids had been hurt in any way, he’d never forgive himself. As they neared, and his acreage came into view. He breathed a little easier when he saw that it was a small outbuilding that was burning, not the house.

  Fire trucks, police cars, and an ambulance were already on scene. Barely waiting for Evan to put the car in park, Seth jumped out of the vehicle, not bothering to close his door behind him. Desperately, his eyes scanned the crowd while he ran. He needed to find her. The ache to have her safely in his arms beat at his brain like a hammer.

  He caught sight of Sarah first, standing off to the side with a blanket around her shoulders. Her eyes were wide and teary as she watched the bustle of activity around her. Jack was on the front steps of the house, looking passive as usual, and Monica was still nowhere to be found.

  “Where’s your sister?” Seth asked, wincing as Sarah startled at his harsh tone.

  Her mouth opened and closed a couple times before she found her voice. “She’s over there,” she said, poking her hand out of her blanket to point Monica out. “She’s answering questions.”

  Running a hand down his face, Seth motioned with his head toward the house. “Why don’t you guys go inside where it’s warm? Everything will be okay.”

  “But Monica…”

  “Will be fine,” he interrupted. “We’ll be in when this is all over. Go on.”

  Sarah’s gaze flickered to Monica and then to Jack. “Okay.”

  Seth nodded, watching until the two of them had disappeared inside. When the door closed, he turned on his heel, brushing people aside as he made his way to Monica. A fierce possessiveness washed over him. The need to protect her became a driving force he couldn’t deny. Ignoring the hollers for him to stop and answer questions, Seth broke through the sea of people until he reached her.

  Tucking her in close to his side, he forced a smile, kissing her forehead softly. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. No one was hurt,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. She was shivering.

  Pulling his police jacket off, Seth wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her close again. With Monica clinging to him, he fronted all of the questions that were shot her way, comforting her, coaxing her to relax.

  Detective Owens scribbled in his notepad, taking down Monica’s series of events prior to the fire. “Did you notice anything suspicious around the farm beforehand?”

  Seth watched as Monica shook her head, pushing her hair from her face. “No, sir. I was just starting dinner when I noticed the smoke.”

  Looking to Seth, the detective motioned toward the smoldering rubble with his head. “What did you keep in there?”

  “Nothing special. Some old rims, some gardening equipment, tools…nothing that can’t be replaced,” he replied, hoping his sure tone would comfort Monica. The questions were starting to grate on his already thin nerves. He had suspicions that this was no accident. It just seemed too coincidental. “Nothing that was flammable though, and there was no electricity running to that building either, so there’s no chance of a rogue spark.”

  Detective Owens nodded, adding to his documentation. “We’ve already got arson on it. The scent of accelerant was in the air when we arrived, so we called them in. Fire squad has pinpointed the point of origin to a back corner, but until they get the fire out, they won’t know for sure.” Rubbing at his bald head, Owens blew out a breath before looking at Monica. “You mentioned returning home in a cab about an hour or so beforehand. Was the driver acting suspiciously that you can recall?”

  Icy anger descended on Seth. “What?” he asked through his teeth, looking down at her. She refused to meet his gaze. “You went into the city?”

  “It’s no big deal, Seth. We just went to the apartment for a bit. Sarah couldn’t find her locket and remembered that she had left it on the bathroom sink back at the apartment.” Shifting nervously, Monica pulled the jacket tighter around her body and dropped her gaze to the ground. “I was careful, I promise,” she whispered.

  Running a hand down his face, Seth bit back his anger, very aware of the curious detective watching them closely. “We’ll talk about it later. Are you done with her?”

  Detective Owens flipped his notepad shut and shoved it back into his pocket, not even trying to hide the smirk on his face. “All right, that’s all I need from her for now, but I’ll need her to be available if further questions arise. Thank you, ma’am.”

  Seth started to leave with her, but the detective’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “I didn’t say I was done with you, Officer Jackson.”

  “Go inside. I’ll be in shortly,” Seth sighed, giving Monica’s hand a gentle squeeze for comfort. The blue and red flashing lights reflected in her eyes momentarily, telling of the chaos that was going on around them. Even in the middle of the shit-storm taking place, she w
as as beautiful as ever.

  Taking a deep breath as he turned back to the detective, the acrid taste of smoke and char assaulted his senses. The shed was nothing but a blackened stain on the ground with a few support beams still standing. The arson team was packing up their samples while the photographer snapped a few final shots.

  “Have any idea why someone would be out here setting your shit on fire?” Owens asked, crossing his arms over his chest. All traces of the professional detective had left with Monica, leaving the hard-ass man who was ready for answers. Seth had been working alongside the detective for two years, so there was no need for the charade.

  Seth shook his head and propped his fists on his hips as he stared at the remains of his shed. “No fucking clue, man.”

  Owens shot him a sideways glance. “You never mentioned that anyone was living out here with you. How long have you had guests?”

  “That has nothing to do with this,” he bit out. “Don’t worry about it.”

  The detective laughed, shaking his head. “Let’s not pretend that you don’t know how this works, Jackson. You’ve got a woman and two kids staying with you out of nowhere, and suddenly you’ve got trouble. Doesn’t seem like much of a coincidence to me.”

  Owens was right. He did know it was suspicious, but he wasn’t going to draw any attention back to Monica if he could help it. “Well, you’re wrong this time. Focus on finding out who did this, not on my living arrangements,” he drawled. “Probably someone I pissed off with a speeding ticket. If they wanted to do actual damage, they would have gone for the house. This was just some coward trying to send a message.”

  “How well do you know this young woman?”

  Seth’s nostrils flared as he pinned the nosy detective with a warning glare. “Well. We done?”