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She’d probably struggle with that forever. She had been to counseling at W4HAV. She still went once a month—the job she did exposed her to trauma on a routine basis. She understood how that could impact mental health.
She had started to accept that what her father had done to his daughters would leave a lasting impression. Including the OCD everyone teased her about. If they only knew how significantly it had impacted her life when she was younger…
But she was okay.
She was safe now. And so was Powell.
It was just what had happened to Heather bringing up the memories she wanted to forget.
The queen was quiet tonight. More than usual. He didn’t like it.
There was just something in her face that had him looking toward her probably more than he ever had before. She just looked a little broken tonight.
He had been preoccupied with her words all evening. The pain and memories in her tone. A cop can do anything he wanted.
Her father had been an old-school detective at the TSP for decades. He had abused his daughters for years. Someone had to have known before. There might have been reports from the ER, from the schools, from neighbors. But the culture of the TSP fifteen, twenty years ago—someone could have easily known what was happening with Gordon Harris’s daughters and just made everything go away. His partner, his friends. Someone. Leaving three innocent little girls to suffer the consequences.
The mere thought infuriated him.
She just looked so damned fragile sometimes. Like now. There was an expression on her face that concerned him. Made Jarrod want to scoop the woman up and just hold her. Show her that everything would be okay, eventually.
Because he was going to make it that way.
Just for her.
She deserved a guy who would want to change the world for her.
She looked down, nodded, and said something to her little Barratt buddy next to her. They were such a strange little pair. Haldyn was odd. With her reserved manner, her set routines that she adhered to almost religiously. Her little ticks and fidgets when she was thinking. No denying that.
Quirky. Those little quirks used to annoy him. Now, they fascinated him.
“You with us, Foster?” Daniel asked, next to him. “You seem preoccupied.”
“Just thinking.” He turned away. The last thing he wanted to get caught doing was staring at Haldyn. He’d never hear the end of it. And it would just piss Daniel off.
The guy was rabid where Haldyn was concerned.
Other guys weren’t allowed near her if Daniel was around. Well, Daniel had given her to Jarrod now. Maybe there was some more truth to that than Jarrod realized. He wanted there to be.
Daniel and Haldyn had barely spoken tonight, and weren’t even sitting together. Haldyn was with her little demon girl gang now, but she didn’t seem to be with them. Except for Powell. Who had a worried look on her own beautiful face. It unsettled him, no denying that.
“About what?” Daniel asked.
“Still trying to figure out why them together.” Jarrod motioned toward the two beautiful women. He had a hard time not watching them, studying them. They were so puzzling—in a very intriguing way. “I can’t find any overlap except their friendship. No business ties anywhere. They don’t even do anything but work, nothing that would draw this.”
“Haldyn is just as confused. She says she can’t think of anywhere she and Powell would have made a common enemy.” And Daniel believed her. Daniel watched her for a moment, that longing look in his eyes again. Daniel still wanted her. Jarrod had to wonder why the guy had been so reluctant where she was concerned. If Daniel felt that strongly for her…
He really didn’t want Daniel with her either, though. Not if he was being honest. He wanted to scoop her up himself, carry her back to his suite, and do things that would shock Daniel to his eyebrows.
Do things to her. All night long. The things he had started that morning.
Before Daniel had called and interrupted.
Maybe the man had had a sixth sense or something.
Jarrod couldn’t resist looking toward her again—just as one of those Barratt guys, Mac, leaned down and kissed Haldyn right on the forehead. She smiled up at him, a beautiful smile.
She was a very beautiful woman.
