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“You need to go to the hospital,” he implored. “Your injuries—”
“What Ineedis a minute to get my shit together,” she snapped through the tears that pushed at her.
Her partner’s heavy sigh reached her through the water sliding over her head. “I’m sorry. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Holding her breath, she waited for the sound of the door to close behind him, before she slid to the shower floor and rested her forehead against her knees. She found no solace there. Behind her lids, the image of Finn inside of Ronnie branded there only brought with it the memory of him saying she was nothing.
She clamped her mouth shut, stopping the sob that threatened to escape. She couldn’t let Neil hear her, or she’d never convince him she could see this case through. He’d tell Carpenter she’d lost it and they’d sit her behind a desk. Besides, tears wouldn’t solve anything. The men were gone, and she’d get over what they’d done. Like she’d get over what Finn had said. She’d known before tonight he didn’t love her. Just because she’d fallen in love with him didn’t change the fact that he’d promised her only one night. Everything after that was a cover.
She pushed herself up, her body already aching. When she lifted her head, letting the water run over her neck, pink water slid down the drain. She pressed her hands against the shower wall and braced herself against the pain in her body and heart. She needed to steel herself for what came next. Neil and Carpenter would want her off the case, but she couldn’t back down. Not now. Ronnie had signed her own fucking death warrant, and Gretchen didn’t care who tried to get in her way.
Neil sat at her small, battered kitchen table when she came into the room.
“I called Carpenter.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke.
“I wish you hadn’t.” She coughed, clearing her ragged throat.
“Yeah, well, I wish a lot of things hadn’t happened.”
Closing her eyes, she tried to block out his guilt, she couldn’t carry that on her shoulders tonight too.
“I think you need to go to the hospital.” His fists clenched and unclenched.
He lifted his head and new tears flooded her eyes.
She hadn’t known eyes could hold so many conflicting emotions. “I’ve had worse.”
“No, you haven’t.”
True. She’d been hit, she’d even been grazed by a bullet, but she’d never been helpless.
“That was fucked up.” His voice broke. “It’s okay to not be okay.”
No. She was the only woman fighting for her place on a team of men. She didn’t get to fall apart, there were too many people waiting to pat her on the head and wrap her in cotton. Neil being one of them.
“I’m not stepping down.” She glared at him. “She sent those men to scare me. If I give up now, she wins.”
“Jesus Christ. It’s not a game.” His chair scraped across the floor as he shoved away from the table to stalk across the room. “What does she win? Jay Finley?”
“This isn’t about him.” And it wasn’t, not anymore. “She sent those men to rape me.” Tears spilled over her lids as sobs bubbled to the surface.
Neil stared back at her. His entire body taut as pulled wire. He worked his jaw, fighting to keep his own tears contained.
“What kind of woman does that to another woman? And how do I live with myself if I don’t stop her from doing it to someone else?”
“Damn it.” He kicked the chair, sending it skidding across her kitchen floor.
A small cry escaped as she flinched, causing him to curse again.
“If I hadn’t been here,” he reminded her. “If I hadn’t heard you.”
She nodded and swiped ineffectually at her tears. He stomped to her and jerked her against his chest, squeezing her tight. Despite the pain in her body, she relaxed into him.
Tonight, she’d be vulnerable, and tomorrow she’d begin destroying Ronnie Sinclair.
Chapter 11
Finn pocketed his phone as he walked into the club. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d tried to call Gretchen since he’d left Ronnie’s hotel the night before, and still no answer. If he hadn’t talked to Grant who’d assured him he’d seen her safely inside her apartment, he would’ve been worried. Instead, he figured she was still angry with him.
