She spotted me and grinned. “You’re late.”
“I let myself sleep for once,” I said. “Sue me.”
“You okay?” she asked.
“Fine. Bruised. Grumpy. You?”
She flashed a peace sign. “Same. Except better dressed.”
I tried to smile, but something inside me still felt tight. Like I couldn’t exhale fully.
A few nights ago, I’d woken up gasping, tangled in the sheets, convinced the cabin was burning again. My lungs had screamed for air. My chest was soaked in sweat.
Harlan was gone that night, off helping a friend with something at his ranch.
But Remi… Remi had come in without a word.
She climbed into bed beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world. No questions. No apologies.
She’d pulled me into her arms and just held me. Her voice low and rough from sleep as she hummed a tune I didn’t recognize. Something soft and raw and old.
Eventually, when I stopped shaking, she whispered, “You can talk to me when you’re ready. Or we can find someone else. But don’t keep it all inside, Ava. It’ll eat you alive.”
I didn’t say anything then.
But I held her hand until the sun came up.
Back in the clinic, Remi moved to the counter and poured me a cup of coffee, already brewed, already perfect. She handed it over like she always did. Like we hadn’t walked through hell together.
“Harlan’s supposed to stop by later,” I said. “After his meeting with IA and the FBI contact at the station.”
Remi nodded, then checked the clock. “I’ve got a new intake in twenty. Wanted to be here early in case they showed up nervous.”
“Who is it?” I asked.
She pulled a file off the counter and tapped the name.
“Melissa,” she said. “Melissa Brant.”
CHAPTER 77
HARLAN - SOMETHING BETTER
The station wasn’t silent anymore.
Phones rang. Keyboards clacked. Voices called out across desks. It almost felt like it used to, before Erin Voss weaponized a badge and turned the department into a goddamn minefield.
But this time, something was different.
Because the ones still standing?
They were here for the right reasons.
It felt alive and vibrant with purpose; in a way it hadn't in a very long time.
I stepped to the front of the squad room and waited for the chatter to die.
Some of the officers stood. Others watched with wary, unreadable expressions. But they were here. Still showing up. Still giving a damn.
