AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Having dealt with his internal crap on his own for so long, Doug thanked Mason, but declined. “I’ve worked with this shit in my head for a long time, Chief. Keeping me away from possible triggers doesn’t help. Just the opposite, actually. Sometimes those situations give me more clarity into my own baggage.”
“I understand and respect your position, Doug,” Mason told him. “And you know I’m here if you need me.” He cleared his throat. “Would it…be okay if I share this information with Everlee?” Mason questioned.
Doug didn’t have to think on that for more than a second. The chief’s wife already knew a lot of it, anyway. And since she was the one who’d pretty much saved his ass from getting canned a few months earlier, Doug knew she’d take the newdetails in stride. Besides, she obviously hadn’t passed the things Doug had previously revealed, on to her husband. Points in her favor.Definitely.
“It’s fine, Chief. I’m figuring a lot of my history is going to get out now. Not only did you and the whole team just find out I’ve been working with sexually abused children. My fellow officers on the OPD did, too. It will, no doubt, be all over the department by tomorrow.”
“Try not to let it throw you,” Mason replied, placing a comforting hand on Doug’s shoulder. “They’ll respect you even more for your involvement.”
And how odd was it that Doug didn’t flinch away? Maybe there was more to this sharing thing than he’d realized. Wouldn’t Will give him shit. His shrinky-friend had been telling him for a long time, that talking about his past would help. The man was about to get a seriously swollen head for being right.
Mason went on to show even more compassion. “If anyone gets in your face with inappropriate comments or actions as things come to light, let me know and I’ll take care of it, internally.” Mason also wore the hat of sergeant on the OPD, so it was no empty gesture.
“Thanks, Chief. I know existentially, from all my therapy, that what happened to me wasn’t my fault; that I was too young to do anything about it, but people can be…rude.”
“Don’t I know it,” Mason replied. “I’ll give you this one glimpse into my past, then we’re done here.” The boss took a deep breath but never lost eye contact. “When I was in high school, I had a long-time girlfriend. It turns out she was gay, which was fine, but everyone on the outside of the actual situation tried to make me believe it was my fault. That I’d given masculinity a bad name by not ‘satisfying’ her, and that’s why she swung the other way. It, uh, wrecked me for a while.”
That was quite an admission, and Doug understood immediately. Everlee had been Mason’s salvation.
“Clueless assholes,” Doug managed, shocked that this had happened to such a clearly alpha-male like Mason. It pissed him off that the chief had had to go through that shit.
“Yeah. They were. And don’t you forget it if some of the same kinds of ignorant pricks start in on you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Chief.”
Doug thanked him sincerely, and went out of that debrief knowing things with the team would never be the same again.Nope.They’d be better. Because Mason now understood part of what made Doug tick. And even though Doug knew the boss wouldn’t cut him any slack because of it, he also understood that if he went off-grid with an op, Mason would find a way to reprimand him, then steer him back into the fold. But he wouldn’t be fired.
Doug walked away, imagining himself a team player for the first time in his life.
It was a heady feeling.
By the timehe drove up to Talia’s, it was late afternoon, and he expected to see Pixie’s car, but didn’t. He pulled his phone from his pocket and looked for a text he might have missed. There was nothing.
Not surprising that she hadn’t contacted him. Knowing Pixie, she hadn’t wanted to disturb him while he was working.
He sent off a text of his own.
I’m back at Talia’s. I don’t see your car. I thought we could get dinner.
In less than ten seconds he saw the little bubbles roiling around, signaling a reply.
I’m in Skowhegan, she wrote.There might be a little problem. Can I call you?
Doug didn’t wait, he dialed her number first.
“What kind of problem, Pix?” he barked when she connected.
He heard a long, shaky sigh.
“Well…I think someone might be stalking me.”
“What?” He couldn’t keep the fury from entering his voice. “Tell me why you think that. What happened?” he demanded.
“Well, I figured since you were gone today, I’d head back to my school and pick up some work. When I was leaving, I was…approached by a co-worker—”
“Tell me it wasn’t the asshole who’s been bothering you for a date.” He roared angrily.
He heard a sigh. “It was. And Peter was being a little…insistent.”
