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“Being chauffeured to work.”
“Nice one. Getting a lead on a case we’ve been chasing.”
“One of my patients took more than five steps today since her surgery.”
Christ, her smile is so bright, it’s blinding. “Hot meat-lover’s pizza with extra cheese,” I say.
“Pizza cures all,” she admits. “Good friends to make the worst of the day go away,” she continues.
I don’t correct her. If she wants to think we’re friends, that’s fine for now. But soon, very soon, I’ll make it clear that this is more.
“Night, buttercup.”
“Night, Superman.”
I can’t resist, I nuzzle my face into her neck and inhale her goodness. “Sleep.”
“Okay.”
FOUR
Our First Kiss
ALEX
“Dustin Tursk, forty-three years old, a rap sheet a mile long. Latest stint was two years ago for armed robbery. Since he got out, the guy’s been clean. Dug a little deeper and found out that he’s an informant…for us. He was working the inside on a case for Detective Sammas. Seems that Tursk was invited into a crew that did high-end robberies, mostly paintings and other art,” Zeke says, reviewing the intel he’s collected.
“Why would he roll on his buds?” Damian asks. Fair question. It’s not easy getting a guy to set up his friends.
“Sammas said that the last job they pulled, they killed the security guard. The guard was married to Tursk’s sister. He was a good guy, took care of his wife and kids, and didn’t deserve that. Tursk wanted to get even, but wasn’t willing to go back to prison for it. He thought this was the right move,” Zeke replies. “I checked it out. All true. His sister, Ruby, is a mess. She lost her husband and brother all to this crew.”
“What was he doing at the back entrance of the clinic? And how much do we know about the guys he’s been informing on?” Caleb asks.
“All great questions. Why he was at the clinic? No fucking clue. Sammas is coming to fill us in on what he has on these guys. I think that someone should go talk to the sister. Dustin was staying with her, and maybe he left a clue behind.” Zeke shuts his laptop.
“Alex, take Zeke with you to his sister’s place. Hopefully, Ruby knows more than she thinks and can shed some light on her brother and the men he’s been hanging out with.” Caleb then turns to Damian. “You’re with me, and we’ll talk to Sammas.”
Caleb leaves the room, with Zeke close behind. Damian hangs back, then turns to me and says, “Chloe’s really worried about Sabrina. How’s she doing?”
It doesn’t surprise me that Chloe is worried. Those two consider themselves family.
“I’m not sure how you held her off this long. I was expecting you guys to be knocking on her door last night.”
“Wasn’t easy, but Chloe knew you were with her. She likes you for her,” he says. “Sabrina’s like a sister to her.”
I know where this conversation is going and decide to put his mind at ease. “Bri’s shy and cautious. We both know what she’s been through. I’m treading carefully. On the other hand, she’s home, but she can use some company today. Bri pretends to be tough, but I can tell she’s uncomfortable staying on her own right now.” It was killing me to walk out the door this morning. I left her curled up in the corner of the small sofa, knees up against her chest, completely faking a smile.
“On it.” He leaves the room, reaching for his phone. I actually feel loads better knowing that Sabrina will have Chloe to distract her from the drama of the past couple of days.
Sabrina was held against her will by her ex. The balance between giving her space and being there to support her is tenuous. The fact that she invited me to stay with her last night was huge. It’s not about sex, although I look forward to the day when I can watch her ignite with the fire I know she has burning within.
When she doesn’t think I’m looking, I catch her staring at me. The first moment I set eyes on her, I felt the pull of her sweetness. I tried to avoid her, but found myself searching her out. The way she stood by Chloe’s side when Luis was making his move on her revealed the depth of her bravery. When Damian was shot, it was Sabrina who made sure she pushed Damian to do his physiotherapy exercises. She was over at least twice a week.
Sabrina has the purest heart, even with the ugliness that she’s lived through. She refused to go home, in order to protect her family. Chloe’s mentioned that she’s called her parents, but still hasn’t made the decision to go home for a visit. I thought it odd that, now that the danger of Cameron is eliminated, she still doesn’t want to go home.
We have a therapist on staff here at the precinct. The therapist told me that without meeting Sabrina, she could only conjecture there could be several reasons, but her bet is on shame. Sabrina could be feeling the shame of having Cameron pull her away from her friends and family. It’s not a secret that Cameron basically had her locked in the house, which also means that he sexually abused her. The words the therapist used were “shame,” “dirty,” and “weak.”
If the asshole weren’t already in prison, I’d hunt him down and never give him the benefit of incarceration. I’d make sure he hurt as badly as he hurt Sabrina. Following the advice of the therapist, I’ll have to move slowly with Sabrina and be prepared for a breakdown. I’ve been waiting for it. I think Chloe has been as well, since she’s been hovering since Sabrina moved into her new apartment.
