AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterNineteen
Laz couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in the DA’s office, but he did recall all of the debates he’d had with Journey whenever he showed up to request a warrant. She wasn’t one to hand them out easily, always asking a ton of questions to decide if he had probable cause to get one.
The thought warmed him from the inside out. If anyone had told him back then that she’d one day be his wife, he would’ve laughed them out of the room. The woman was so far out of his league, then and now. He never imagined that they’d ever get together, even if he wanted them to. Their relationship was living proof that anything was possible.
Laz readjusted the large white bag of food in his hand and strolled through the hallway past the staff lounge. Before Journey left for work, he had suggested they have lunch together and had been surprised when she agreed. It probably wouldn’t be a long meal, but at least they took time for each other.
Actually, he had nothing but time. He finally had a chance to catch up on sleep since Mason had benched him, and Laz had no more leads on the shooting. And if Ted had anything, he was holding it close to his chest. Laz would bet that they were just as stumped as he was. Whoever was behind the hit had been extremely careful.
“Hey, Laz, it’s been a while,” one of the paralegals said from her cubicle as he strolled down the aisle that led to Journey’s office.
“Yeah, it has. Good to see you, Lynn,” he said and kept moving.
He greeted and nodded to a few other familiar faces, either sitting at their desks or walking through the aisles. When he reached Casey, Journey’s assistant, she was on the phone but lifted a finger to tell him to give her a minute.
While picking up lunch for him and Journey, Laz had gotten a turkey club and chips for Casey. He sat the small white bag on the corner of her crowded desk and was rewarded with a big smile. Anyone who looked out for his wife was all right in his book. Journey adored her assistant, a paralegal, and Journey often said that she couldn’t do her job without her.
Now in her mid-forties, Casey could easily pass for a woman in her thirties, especially with the new hairstyle. She used to wear her hair long, but now the strawberry-blonde strands were cut into a short bob. It fit her and made her blue eyes seem even bluer.
“Hey, Laz. Sorry about that,” Casey said when her call ended. She grabbed the lunch bag. “And thank you so much for the sandwich. Journey mentioned that you would bring lunch, and I really appreciate it. This saves me from ordering in searching for food later.”
“No problem.”
She frowned and nodded toward his sling. “What happened to your arm? Is it broken?”
“Nah, just had a little mishap.” Apparently, Journey hadn’t told her assistant about the shooting, so Laz decided he wouldn’t either.
“Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious.”
She told Laz about the time her youngest son was pretending to be Superman and decided to fly down the stairs. He’d ended up with a broken arm and a mild concussion.
“Look at me yammering on. Journey texted and said that she’s in the building and should be here shortly. She said for you to go on in. Oh, and I think it’s great that you got her some personal security. I know she wasn’t taking the threats seriously, but….”
Laz froze, and his mind locked on the wordthreatswhile Casey kept chatting.
What the hell?
“Hold up. What threats?” he ground out, trying to keep his shock and simmering anger at bay. How could Journey not tell him that she was being threatened? Granted, he knew it came with the job, but still…she should’ve said something.
Casey’s wide-eyed gaze met his, and her hand stopped inside the paper bag before pulling out the sandwich. “Um…you didn’t know? I assumed you were behind her security detail. Then why—”
“I am behind the detail, but she didn’t mention that she was getting threats.”
The assistant sighed and sat back in her seat.
Laz set his and Journey’s lunch on the desk and folded his arms across his chest, trying to remain calm. If he did, Casey would feel comfortable telling him everything she knew. But it was hard not to bolt out of the office space and go in search of his wife.
“I—I shouldn’t have said anything. I just assumed….”
“No worries. I’m sure she had a good reason for not telling me,” Laz said, trying to make light of the news but fuming inside.
Lately, things between them had been tense, and considering the arguments they’d been having regarding her work, he could somewhat understand her hesitation. Yet, it bothered him that she didn’t trust him enough to know that there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.
Understanding—and seeing to—her safety was his top priority.
Now his mind was reeling, anxious to know what the hell was going on.
“I’m going to go on in,” Laz said to Casey and pointed his thumb over his shoulder to Journey’s office door.
