“I think you’re coming out if it, Rave. New man, new family, Elli of course, thriving bookstore. You’re going to be just fine. They’re going to catch him soon. They have to.”
I sniffle a little and thank him just as Todd is pulling up. Mark escorts Reggie out while Phil stays by my side.
I go upstairs, making sure I have my panic button, and change into my PJs to wait for Emmett to get home.
Home.
Raven’s fingernails trail over my back as we lie in her bed, my head in her lap. The sound of pages turning as she reads echoes throughout the loft.
I can’t remember the last time I felt this at peace.
“Emmett?”
“Yeah?” I turn in her lap so that I’m looking up at her.
“This is nice.”
I wait, expecting more to follow, but she goes back to reading.
I’m not sure if we just had some sort of breakthrough or what, but I’ll take it. I’m still turned facing upwards to her, and I can see a subtle blush highlighting her high cheekbones. I want to make a joke to put her at ease, but I don’t. I just nod in agreement and keep watching her.
She’s ignoring me, like she doesn’t want to admit any more than she already just did.
But, I can feel those walls slowly coming down.
The next morning I decide to take the captain’s advice and stay close to Raven throughout the day, unless we get another lead to follow.
There have been no sightings of Brent Smallwood since the attempted kidnapping. No hospitals have any record of anyone coming in with injuries consistent to a car wreck, and he hasn’t returned to the hotel, although they’re still holding the room and charging the card on file.
The same card that was used at the bar the night this all started.
Lacey is still being held but hasn’t given any more info.
I hear Raven’s phone ringing from her side of the bed, but she’s in the shower and I don’t answer it because I don’t think it’s my place, nor do I think she’d appreciate it.
A few minutes later she emerges in a cloud of steam, wrapped in a towel. Her wet hair is dripping down her back, leaving a trail of water on the floor as she walks over to me.
I lose all train of thought as she leans down over the bed, dropping the towel as she does so.
“You have some spare time, Detective Fisher?”
I nod.
“Perfect,” she says.
I’m out of my boxers and reaching for a condom before she can blink, and she’s giggling at my excitement.
“Don’t.” She stills my hand from rolling it on and I toss it to the side.
I guess after the other night she’s decided we don’t need them, and I’m fine with that if she is.
She lies back on the bed and I take a second to look at her.
She really is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Her body is perfect. Her long black hair is soaking wet and splayed out over her head. The scent of her shampoo fills the air as I lean in and hover over her body. I kiss her neck, down to her collarbone and farther, living for her small gasps.
“Emmett.”
“Hmmm?” I continue my descent as she squirms beneath me.
“I need you to hurry.”
“Oh?” I lift my head and look at her, the fire burning in her green eyes making it hard to restrain myself.
“Please.”
I continue to make my way down, slower than before, and I hear an impatient noise escape her lips. I let out a chuckle and she squeezes her eyes shut so she can’t see me grinning at her.
“Emmett,” she pleads.
And I give her what she wants—over and over again.
Afterwards, we’re lying across the bed; her still-damp hair is an unruly mess and I run my fingers through it.
Her phone starts to ring again.
“Shit,” I say. “I’m sorry. I meant to tell you it was ringing earlier when you were in the shower.”
“That’s all right,” she says, giving me another grin. “You were a little busy.”
I smack her ass as she rolls across me to get to her phone.
She’s giggling, but stops when she sees the caller ID. “It’s Landry’s mom.”
“Hello?” I answer.
“Raven! Hi, darling!”
“Hi, Mrs. Davis. How are you?” I know she knows what I’m asking, which is how she is doing after the death of her son.
“I was wondering if you’d want to grab dinner tonight? Catch up? Let me take you out on the town. My treat,” she says.
I pause for a second, caught off guard.
I haven’t seen or talked to her in five years, but before everything with Landry happened, we were close. Not like a mother and daughter, but almost like friends.
We went to dinner often, went shopping, I’d attend her charity events as her plus-one if her husband Jay couldn’t attend.
Dinner with her might be nice. And I know she’s hurting right now. She probably wants to meet up to see me, to remember Landry for who he was before everything went to shit for him.
I’m sure Emmett wouldn’t tag along because of how fucking awkward that would be, but one of the bodyguards most likely would.
“Sure!” I finally decide on. “Where and what time?”
“I’ll come pick you up, say seven-ish? Do you want to try that new seafood place in Iverson?”
Iverson is about a half hour away, but I’ve heard of the place she’s referring to and I do want to try it.
“I’ll just meet you there,” I tell her. “No need for you to go out of your way to meet me. I’ll see you around seven.”
“Well, all right, dear! I’ll see you then!”
We hang up and I glance over at Emmett, who’s trying to give me my space without eavesdropping, but it’s hard in a loft apartment.
“She wants me to meet her for dinner tonight,” I inform him.
“That’ll be nice.”
He sounds like he truly means it, and I think of how that speaks to his emotional maturity. To be okay with me—his girlfriend (?)—going out to dinner with my dead ex-boyfriend’s mom and not batting an eye about it just shows that he trusts me to make the right decisions for myself.
This is nothing like Landry’s jealous rage.
“Yeah, I think so. I mean, it’ll be awkward for sure. Five years of pent-up feelings and I’m sure she’s mourning. I think it’ll be good for her.”
“Maybe it’ll be good for you, too,” he says.
“Maybe.”
“All the stock from yesterday’s delivery has been shelved. Did you see that new Jamie Foster release? That fucking cover, I could eat him up.”
“Reggie.”
“I’m just saying. He’s a fictional model, Raven. Jesus. Don’t tell Todd.” Reggie pretends to fan himself, dropping into one of the chairs in the reading corner.
I chuckle and tell him, “The designer sent over some proofs for the new T-shirts. Look at these.” I walk over to him and show him my iPad, and we decide together on which colors and designs to restock.
I really should make him partner. It’s something I’ve been contemplating for a while. He loves this place as much as I do.
Phil is back for the day-shift, and he’s hovering near the checkout counter, keeping a watch on the front door and us. Mark is somewhere outside of the building, probably in the back. I’m guessing one of them will stay here while I go to dinner with Elizabeth tonight, and one will go with me.
“I’m going to dinner with Landry’s mom tonight.”
“Like your ex in prison, Landry?”
“That’s the one, except he was killed a few weeks ago.” His jaw drops, and I keep going. “I think she’s mourning. I mean of course she is. She called and wanted to go to dinner, and I feel like I owe her that much. I did put her son in prison.” I’m picking at the rug beneath me, where I’ve plopped down on the floor to sort books.
“Excuse me, you did not put her son in prison. You ratted him ou
t, sure.”
I give him a look.
“I mean you did, but that’s what you should have done, and you were trying to save a life. He killed someone, Raven, whether he pulled the trigger or not. He orchestrated it. Don’t feel guilty.”
“I know, that’s what Elli said, too.”
“Elli’s a smart cookie. Does she know you’re going to dinner with his mom?”
“Not yet. I’m dreading telling her. You know how she gets.”
“You better tell her, Raven, before you go tonight. I know she’s feeling out of the loop over there cooped up in her apartment.”
“Another thing I feel guilty about,” I say under my breath.
“I’m going to smack you over the head with one of these,” he says, waving a book in the air.
Phil pops his head up from the front, eyebrows raised.
“Not really,” Reggie tells him. “Calm down, Cujo.”
I chuckle, knowing he’s right. I need to call Elli and tell her what’s going on.
Better yet…
“Can you hold it down here while I take her some lunch?” I ask Reggie.
“You want to tell her in person? You brave, brave soul. But yes, I’ll hold it down here.” He rolls his eyes but gives me a grin.
“You’re the best.”
“Don’t I know it, babe.”
The mirror is foggy by the time I step out of the shower, having taken the time in the steam to sort through my feelings about the case. We’re getting nowhere with Lacey, and we have no other leads.
How the fuck does someone just drop off the face of the Earth?
There’s been no sign of Brent Smallwood since the attempted kidnapping. No other leads. No tips.
I finish getting dressed and head downstairs to find Raven. When I reach the bottom of her stairs I can hear her muffled laughter through the hidden door and I catch myself grinning at the sound of it. She has so much on her plate right now, between her own life being in danger, her best friend being attacked, finding out who her father is, the strain of her non-relationship with her mother, plus finding out about Landry’s death, yet here she is giggling in the middle of her bookstore with her friend.
Pushing the door open, my eyes find her immediately. Head thrown back, eyes shining with happiness, her long black hair falling in waves down her back. My breath catches. I’ve known hundreds of women in my lifetime, and I’ve told many of them they were beautiful, whispered it to them while they were in my bed, threw the compliment out like it was weightless. But in this moment, I realize I’d been a liar. “Beautiful” doesn’t seem like a strong enough word to describe Raven, but if that’s what she is, every other woman has paled in comparison.
Her eyes find me and her grin widens. “Hey you. Have a good shower?”
“Would’ve been better if you had joined me.”
Reggie turns a little pink and backs away toward the stock room as I walk through the shelves to her. “On that note,” he says, and disappears through the doorway.
“I’ll make a note for next time,” she says as she wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me down to where she had just been sitting on the floor. “Sit with me?”
I shake my head, pushing away the thoughts of having my way with her in the middle of the bookstore. We’ll have to save that for another time, like when the store is closed and there aren’t bodyguards and an employee lurking nearby.
“Do you need help with these?” I gesture toward the pile of books she’s sorting.
“If you don’t mind. I just need to sort them by genre. I want to feature them up front and get it done before I go take Elli lunch.”
“She still isn’t really leaving her apartment, huh?” I ask her.
Phil told me yesterday that Elli had only left her apartment the one night to come here, when she found out Raven was missing. Other than that, she’s been holed up in her penthouse.
“Yeah, I don’t know what to do. I know she’s worried, of course she is. And the trauma…I don’t know. She’s having sessions with a psych friend of mine and she says they’re going well but who knows. I’m going over there so I can tell her I’m going to dinner with Elizabeth, Landry’s mom, and spend some time with her. I may get ready there.”
“I think that’s a good idea. It’d be good for her to feel some normalcy again, like things were before this all started. I’m gonna go to the station and check in with Monica, but I’ll be around if you need me.”
Her hands move swiftly through the stack of books, sorting them faster than I can read the titles. “Thank you.”
“I thought I could help you with this.” I chuckle, as she’s almost already done. “Want me to start carrying them to the front for you?”
“Yes, please. Just set them on the front shelves and I’ll come organize them when I’m done sorting. Thank you again, for everything, not just the book help.” She winks at me then goes right back to sorting.
“You’re welcome, gorgeous.” I gather the stacks and carry them up to the front, hearing her give a humph and grinning as I go.
The giant gold doors close on me again, showing my reflection. Hair curled in gentle waves, faded jeans and a Poe’s hoodie, not unlike that morning a few weeks ago when my entire life changed.
But the eyes. My eyes are a night and day difference from the girl on that panic-stricken morning. Gone are the frantic, teary, terrified eyes. In their place staring back at me are glowing, radiant, happy eyes.
Eyes that belong to a woman in love.
And though there’s still a sliver of terror there and also sadness for the chain of events that got me here, I’m grateful. Amidst all this chaos, I somehow fell in love.
The ding of the doors opening on Elli’s floor draws me out of my musing and I take in her foyer. Neat as a pin, no shoes strewn about, no sign of a struggle.
I shake my head clear and walk to her door, wondering if I’ll ever be able to come here without thinking about that morning.
“Get in here, bitch.” Elli throws the door open, tapping her foot as I meander through the doorway. “You haven’t been in a hurry a day in your life, have you?”
“Why am I hurrying?”
“I have a one o’clock coming.”
“A client? Coming here?” I ask her.
“You could say that.” She has the grace to look sheepish as she closes the door behind me.
“Elliott.” I know good and well she’s not letting a client come to her personal home.
“What? I have needs, Raven. Needs! And I haven’t had sex since…you know.” She dismisses it with a wave of her hand, and I cringe.
“You’re just going to keep calling it ‘you know’? You were raped, Elli. And I’m not saying you’re not ready, only you can decide that, but if you’re doing this as a distraction from dealing with—”
“I don’t want to hear it. Honestly. I love you, I mean it, but mind your damn business.”
My eyebrows shoot up, but I hold my tongue. I know this Elli—she’s like a wounded animal. The closer you get to try to help, the more she’ll maul you. “All right, all right. Who is he?”
She stares at me for a second longer, as if not really believing I’m letting it go, and I raise my eyebrows again pointedly.
“You going to show me his picture or just stand there?” The tension breaks as she twirls around looking for her phone. “Coffee table, E.”
“I knew that. Okay, okay, so he’s this new lawyer at the firm, and I know I shouldn’t but…I can’t say no. I mean look at him, Rave. Just look.”
I grab her hand to hold her phone still so that I can look, and I see a handsome blond in a three-piece suit with a lazy smile. I wait for the stomach flip that usually comes with seeing a fine specimen of the opposite sex, but it doesn’t come. He’s attractive, sure, but he does nothing for me.
“He looks…lawyer-y,” I say encouragingly to her, handing her phone back.
“That’s it?”
I pull my lips in and nod.
/>
“You’re ruined,” she states.
“Am not.”
“Detective Emmett Fisher has ruined you,” she says, shaking her head. “Can’t say I blame you, though. If I was hitting that I’d only have eyes for him, too.”
“Okay, enough. Come eat your lunch so I can leave before Mr. Lawyer gets here.” I place the takeout containers on the coffee table and sit down on her white plush rug.
I try not to think about how destroyed her living room was that morning and push it out of my head.
She’s redecorated—her way of pushing it out of hers.
I take my time opening my food, waiting until her mouth is full of her first bite of chicken parm before I drop the bomb. “I’m going to dinner with Landry’s mom.”
Chew. Chew. Chew. Eyes bulging. Gulp. “Excuse me?”
“She called this morning and said she wants to meet me for dinner. I think she’s grieving, E. I just feel—”
“No, no. You don’t feel sorry for her. You feel guilty and this is a guilt dinner and you have no reason to feel guilty. You may have tipped them off, but he would’ve been caught eventually. You just sped up the process before anyone else, including you, could have gotten hurt. You don’t owe her a damn thing. When is the last time you heard from her? Five years ago? And now she wants to—”
“Elliott.”
“Don’t you Elliott me. I know you. If you want to go, you’re going to go and that’s that, but don’t try to paint this as something it’s not. You’re only going because you feel responsible for her son getting killed and that’s bullshit.”
“You’re probably right. But regardless, I told her I’m going so I’m going. I’ll text you during and after. I just really do feel bad for her. I mean she lost the perfect image of him when he went to jail, and you know as well as I do that she spent that first year drunk and in bed. And now this. I don’t know how she’s going to cope. And no, it’s not my responsibility, but at least I’ll know that I did what I could. I don’t plan on seeing her again after this. I just want to get it done and over with and move on from the Landry chapter.”
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