by L B Wyatt
“Are you okay, Covey?”
“Yeah,” she lied with a nod. “Just need some air.” She pulled away from his hold and headed outside. She hadn’t been able to get Everly to confess the location of Amelia’s body, but Veronica was too tired to do anything more tonight. She was sure Everly would crumble under further interrogation once she was arrested. It was going to take enough energy just to explain what the hell had gone down tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“What’s the verdict?” Veronica asked as Merritt walked through her hospital room door. He stopped when his eyes fell over her indecent exposure and he turned as his cheeks reddened. Veronica was lying on her side in the bed with her gown pulled up while the nurse worked to remove the stitches Harry had placed. Veronica wasn’t totally exposed and she rolled her eyes at Merritt’s bashfulness.
“Geez, Merritt, I’m not completely naked,” she grumbled at him.
“Yeah, but you’ve got some side boob showing there,” he replied with his head down.
“So?”
“So?” he barked right back. “I happen to really like side boob. Cover it up, okay?” he insisted.
Veronica laughed softly and pushed the gown down a little. The female nurse looked a little irritated by the interruption, but she kept her head low and continued her work nonetheless.
“There, Mr. Prude, now, what did the doctor say?” Veronica inquired once more in different words and looked at Merritt as he fully made his way to her bed, placing a small duffle bag next to the bedside table. He appeared well enough. It was strange to see him in jeans and tee shirt, though. He pulled up a chair and she watched as his face twisted in pain as he eased into his seat.
“Cracked sternum,” he replied once he’d settled. “Rest and ice for a while, but I’ll live.”
“I’m glad,” she said genuinely with a small smile. “When can you return to work?”
“I’ll know after a follow up in a couple weeks. You?”
“Concussion and a bad attitude, the doc said. I’ll live as well.”
“I’m glad.” He grinned at her. “I brought you a change of clothes and some hygiene supplies,” he stated with a nod to the bag he sat down. “Thought you might feel more human if you get cleaned up.”
“Thanks, I probably will,” she agreed. Veronica felt the nurse pull the last stitch, thinking how much less they hurt coming out than going in. The nurse then cleaned the area and collected her things. She dismissed herself quietly and shut the door behind her.
Veronica pulled her gown down completely and shifted in the bed. She hated hospitals and she never would have come if the chief hadn’t made her. She hadn’t seen him since the events unfolded last night and she wondered if he was avoiding her on purpose.
“Has Morro been here?” she inquired.
“Yeah, he started to come in right before I did but he saw the nurse working on you. He said to meet up with him at the station as soon as you can.”
Veronica nodded. She hated to admit she was a little let down by Merritt’s words.
“Are you excited?” he asked as if sensing her disappointment.
Veronica sighed a little and shook her head. “About?” But she already knew what he was going to ask.
“This is a big deal, Covey. You’ll be reinstated in a couple of days. Doesn’t it feel good to be vindicated after so many people didn’t believe in you?”
Veronica shook her head again and looked at him in amusement. Geez, he really was a good guy, she realized. Not just his actions, but his heart. He had a good heart and it kind of broke hers a little. “Merritt,” Veronica drew in a deep breath. “I won’t be reinstated,” she announced and watched as his face dropped in concern.
“What do you mean? Did the chief call you or something?”
She found herself shaking her head again. “No. Not yet anyway, but he will.”
“Why? I don’t understand. This is probably the biggest scandal this town has seen in decades and you broke it wide open!” he exclaimed.
“It doesn’t matter. Ross isn’t guilty of anything. His wife is to blame. And that ledger…” Veronica exhaled. “I won’t have a lot of friends in this town after it’s exposed. Especially at the station.”
She watched as Merritt’s eyes hardened with the realization of her words.
“Roma was just one of the many involved, you know? And that book…it’s more than a prostitution ring. It’s illegal drugs and weapons too. A lot of the merchandise was sold out of police evidence. Not just at our station,” she explained. “So, yeah, you’re right. It is a big deal, but not for my career.”
“I don’t get it,” Merritt ground out. He scooted back in his chair and leaned forward on his knees, looking offended and angry.
Veronica was kind of touched by the emotions he was expressing toward the situation. It made her feel like he cared about her. Like he was going to miss her.
“Did you know?” he asked suddenly.
Veronica raised a brow. “Of course, I did.”
“Why’d you do it then? Why not just do as you’re told and leave it alone?”
Veronica didn’t have time to answer before he was answering himself.
“Ah, don’t even say anything.” He waved his hand. “I’ve known you long enough now I shouldn’t have even asked.”
“I’m going to miss you as my partner, though,” she said offhandedly causing him to look up and smile weakly at her.
“Really? Cause I’m not even sure you like me, Covey.”
“You saved my ass, Merritt. I like you plenty,” she laughed. “Why’d you do it, though?” she inquired. “Why did you put that GPS on me?”
Merritt leaned back in his chair as he wrangled some of his emotions in and shrugged. “I was worried about you. Especially after I found out that you talked with Poppy Stafford and then she mysteriously committed suicide. And I couldn’t keep up with you either. I mean, I get why you were skipping around now, but, like I said, I was just worried.”
“Well, I’m glad. I’m not sure how I was going to get out of that one.”
Merritt chuckled. “Me either. I mean, what were you planning on doing with that little pig-sticker?” he asked in reference to the knife she’d brought to the gun fight.
Her eyes slanted with offense and her smile dimmed. “Hey, that little pig-sticker helped me out more than you know,” she countered causing Merritt to laugh out loud.
“Seriously, Veronica,” he sobered a little and leaned forward again. “What are you going to do if you’re not a detective?”
Veronica raised her brow again and her features softened. “I’m always going to be a detective, Merritt, and trust me, I have plenty to do.” And with that thought, her mind developed another question. “Hey, what ever happened with the feds? Are they still working on that homicide?”
Merritt shook his head. “I don’t think so. Not at our station anyway. They couldn’t find a lot of evidence. I think it must have gone cold.”
Veronica was afraid of that. Her stomach turned with the implications in that thought and she lowered her head in deliberation.
“Did you know her?” Merritt wondered. “Or is it that Murphy guy who makes you so interested in the case?” he wondered abruptly causing Veronica’s eyes to lift upward sharply.
Her first instinct was to put her defenses up. To shut him down and out and close the topic. It was none of his damn business, right? Her conscience twitched. If anyone had earned her trust, it was Alexander Merritt. So why not give him a little to go on? It was better than the vulgar automatic response she usually gave when people asked personal questions.
“Both, actually,” she offered politely. It disturbed her a little that Merritt had picked up on her connection with Quinn Murphy, but she didn’t even know Merritt’s wife’s name. “Hey, do you have any pictures of your family? I’d like to see them if you do.” She watched as confusion flitted across his face followed by curiosity.
“Like my mom and d
ad?” he wondered.
Veronica rolled her eyes. “No, like your kid and wife, stupid.” She smacked at his knee but he continued to look on at her as thought she’d lost her mind.
“I’m not married and I don’t have any kids, Covey. Who told you that?” he inquired.
Veronica felt embarrassed, but she mostly felt angry and guilty. Everly had played her. How in the hell did the woman know Veronica was clueless to her partner’s personal life? Was Veronica that transparent? That obviously calloused and uncaring?
“Covey?” Merritt’s hand on her arm drew her from her thoughts and she looked up at him.
“I’m sorry, Merritt,” she said to her own surprise.
“For?”
“For being a bitch.”
Her words caused him to laugh a little. “You don’t have anything to apologize for, Covey,” he assured. “I never thought anything into it. Besides, your attitude and personality—they’re what make you so damn good at your job. Don’t ever forget it.”
She wasn’t sure if his words were comforting or insulting. She wasn’t sure how to take them. She knew there was no way Merritt would purposely slander her, but there was an underlying truth to his statement. Being a bitch did make her good at her job because it helped her cut off all emotions and ties to people. She could see clearer when she wasn’t clouded by caring.
Suddenly, she was so sad she had to dip her head so Merritt wouldn’t see. She could be good at her job and be a decent human too, right?
Wrong, said a hard voice in her head. Arc would never approve of such conceptions. He had taught her just how she was supposed to act and think to be the very best at what she did. And she had longed for his approval above everyone else’s for most of her adulthood. The absurdity of it all was devastating. She didn’t even know what he looked like or sounded like and yet, she was obsessed with him.
Veronica wrestled with herself. She had been doing really well for the past three years. She hadn’t even thought of Arc that much, just a fleeting memory here or there, but now this whole situation with the dead Rogue had brought it all rushing back.
“You okay, Covey?” Merritt asked yet again.
She jerked her head up, a frown deeply set in her features. “No.” She shook her head. “My head’s really starting to hurt. I think I need to rest.”
He nodded in understanding and stood up. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said quietly at her bedside. “And I’m really going to miss you. I don’t care who’s assigned as my next partner, I’ll never learn as much from them as I have from you.”
Veronica wanted to say something nice in return, but words failed her. She was barely holding back her emotions as it was. She needed him gone so he couldn’t see her fall apart. She needed to be alone.
“See you around, Merritt. Thanks for everything,” she said stiffly, sinking down in the bed and turning her back to him. She listened for him to leave and then breathed a sigh of relief when the door shut behind him. She was glad to see him go.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Just one night, they said.
Just for observation, they said.
Veronica felt like she’d been lied to. She had just managed to fall asleep in the uncomfortable bed when she heard something. She wasn’t sure what it was. She was on her side, facing away from the door. It could just be the nurse peeking inside to make sure Veronica was still breathing.
Or it could be someone trying to kill her again.
Sure, those were two very broad possibilities, but the current situation she was in left her with little in between. Her eyes opened wide with new alertness. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest. For the first time since being stuck in this forsaken place, she realized she had no weapon. No protection whatsoever. Well…there was an officer posted at the door following Morro’s orders, but that certainly wasn’t as comforting as a gun under her pillow would be. No, Veronica wished she had something tangible to make her feel a little safer. She felt like a sitting duck—dead in the water, really.
She stared hard at the bathroom door letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. There was a nightlight at the foot of her bed and the glow of the IV pump, so between the two she was able to see fairly well. Her eyes moved, though her head stayed perfectly still when she saw a silhouette by the window. She drew in a quiet breath and ever-so-gently turned her neck for a better view. But she still couldn’t make out who it was. It was a man and he appeared to be standing with his back to her, staring out into the night.
Veronica moved in the bed but the figure just stood there as if he were waiting for her to get up. Building her bravery, she sat up completely, moving her legs to dangle off the side the bed. Her feet touched the floor and by all rights the cold should have sent a jolt through her body, but she didn’t feel a thing. That was her first clue this whole thing might not be real.
I’m dreaming, she thought. She moved her toes on the floor, but still didn’t feel anything. She stood up then, turning her full attention to the figure. He was tall and his shoulders were broad. At first, she thought maybe she was dreaming about Logan again. Her heart flitted a little with just the thought of him, but something wasn’t quite right. This wasn’t like her other dreams. She knew without knowing how the man by the window wasn’t Logan Hook.
Her legs moved without consent, walking her closer to the shadow. Her mind might be denying it, but her heart was not fooled. She had been thinking of him when she had fallen asleep so it was no surprise he might appear to her in her dreams.
“Why are you here?” she asked and her voice sounded strange. It echoed like the room was empty and the sound was startling. She stopped walking when she was close enough to reach out and touch him. It had never been a possibility before. Arc was unobtainable. He had never been within arm’s reach so her mind automatically hesitated to go any further. What would happen if she made a grab at him? What would it hurt? She was sleeping, right? This wasn’t even real.
But it felt real.
And touching him, seeing him, hearing him—all those things were forbidden. He’d told her when she first agreed to work at his agency that he would never be able to make face-to-face contact with her. It was a rule. So even in her unconsciousness, she didn’t even dare break that rule.
She even went as far as taking a step back when the dark figure turned. She was disappointed his face wasn’t clear. His outline was well-defined, but his features were still hidden from her. Despite knowing whatever she saw would be imagined only, Veronica longed for an image of him. Before she could dance away, a strong hand reached out and took her by the arm. Veronica hadn’t felt the cold of the floor, but for some reason she felt the warmth of Arc’s hand. It sent a violent shiver down her spine as he pulled her in closer. Despite the illusions, she was feeling the heat from his body as he pressed himself into her. He dipped his head low and Veronica felt his lips on her throat.
“What are you doing?” she whispered. Her voice so hoarse it was barely recognizable. It didn’t bounce off the wall this time. No, this was becoming more and more realistic as the agonizing seconds passed.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked and not surprisingly his voice sounded like it always did during their phone conversations. It was distorted, but still had the same effect on her. She felt goose bumps spring up all over her skin and for a moment she wanted to let everything go. To tell him what she really wanted from him, but she found herself pulling his head from her neck. Even in the close proximity, his face was still blurred and dark.
“I want to see your face,” she whispered. “I want to hear your voice. Your real voice.”
He shook his head and her arms moved with the motion. “You know the rules, V.”
“Why? I haven’t worked for you in so long. Why can’t I see who you really are?” She hated the way she sounded. She hated the whiny way it seemed as though she were begging to see him in person.
“You’ll always work for me, Veronica. You’ll always be mine.” He l
ifted his hand and cupped the side of her face, tracing his thumb over her lips like he’d done the first time they had ever met. She shivered just as hard now as she had back then.
“If I can’t see you, then what’s the point?” she demanded. Her disappointment caused her words to become harsh.
“You’ve been distracted,” he pointed out. “I’m just a reminder.”
“Of what?” she growled. She wanted to pull away but the warmth in his touch prevented her. She loved the way if felt to have his hands on her. Even if it wasn’t real. And just as if his shadowy masculine figure was hers to control in this hallucination, he cupped her face, dipping his head down so his lips touched hers. It felt like fire erupting from her core. Veronica had never been so turned on in her life. Just the fantasy of Arc wanting her as much as she desired him made her body turn into a blaze of passion. Unabashed and unforgiving, she reached up on tiptoe and pressed her entire body into him. She kissed him with a fever that startled herself and even though the sensations in this dream weren’t as lifelike as she had hoped, his lips felt different than any other man’s she’d ever kissed.
She felt his arms enclose around her, his skin touching the exposed flesh of her back. Veronica considered the hospital gown she wore and its lack of modesty and her blood boiled hotter. She wanted to be available for him. She wanted him to rip the gown off and make her writhe with pleasure. She let out a moan as he forced his tongue past her lips and pushed her back toward the bed. As far as erotic dreams went, this was pretty high on the list. Veronica could feel her body throbbing from head to toe with excitement and anticipation.
Suddenly Arc pulled his mouth from hers and it was like he’d taken away her ability to breath. She was suffocating without his lips on hers, without the taste of his flesh on her tongue.
“Don’t stop,” she gasped. “Please.”
She was so ashamed. She had never begged for anything in her life. What gave him this sort of authority over her?