The Monroe Sisters

by Aliyah Burke

  No point in killing myself in spin class if I can’t enjoy pancakes every now and then.

  “Why are you asking about him and he’s not my man, Daddy. He’s a detective who is here to keep me safe while this thing gets wrapped up.”

  “But he’s not here now.”

  She shrugged. “I guess then there is a uniform out there somewhere. I always seem to have someone around.”

  No need to tell her father of the breakdown where she almost panicked yesterday. That was fine to keep between herself and Sav. And the officers who nearly caught the brunt of her wrath.

  “Are you two sleeping together?”

  “No.” She didn’t even hesitate. She did, however, look up from the bowl she was mixing to look him in the eyes. “Is this why you used the doorbell instead of your key? Because you thought I was sleeping with a man who is here to keep me alive?” I don’t think what we’re doing is considered sleeping together. That would be a relationship of sorts, we’re more like fuck buddies, on occasion.

  “I’m your father, it’s my job to worry.”

  Hurt speared her. “Do you think I’m so hard up for a boyfriend that I have to wait until one is assigned to be around me to get any sex?”

  He flushed. “I’d rather not think about you having sex at all. No, I don’t think that. What I do think is that I’ve seen the looks each of you give to the other when you hope no one is watching.”

  She exhaled, flaring her nostrils. Pick my words carefully. “I’d lie if I said he wasn’t attractive, so I won’t. But that’s it. I have my room at night and he has his, if he’s here.”

  After turning on the burner beneath the skillet, she dropped a pat of butter in it. While it heated, she got down plates, glasses and mugs for breakfast. Then silverware. After that she dropped eight silver-dollar-size pancakes on the griddle.

  “What’s really going on, Daddy?”

  “I worry. Like I said, it’s my job.”

  “And I’m not capable of making smart decisions now, because I have some psycho after me for something I don’t even know what I did? Because I’m not finding love at work, like Eva did, or suddenly revealing my husband of a few years who happens to be a baron, like Tara?”

  Wow, okay, that made me sound like a whiny bitch.

  Her father lifted his salt-and-peppered eyebrows at her and she lowered her gaze, well aware of how that sounded. She took the pancakes off and served them. They didn’t go to the table but sat at the bar, each fixing them how they enjoyed the food.

  “Done with your tantrum?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You know we don’t care if you have a man or not, that’s not what this is about. This is about me caring about my baby girl. About you having a man in this house with you that you watch in a way that would scare any father. You like him, far more than you’ll ever admit to me at this point. Perhaps your sisters would get the honest truth, but I won’t and not because you are wanting to lie to me, but because you aren’t ready to face the facts yourself at this time.”

  “Daddy, it’s not—”

  “Baby, I don’t need that explanation. I just need you to promise me one thing.”

  She licked her lips and nodded. “Anything.”

  “Whatever happens during this, give what is between you a chance. An honest to goodness chance to grow and evolve. I like him for you, I like the way your eyes soften and light up as he is in the room. I love the way you lean toward him as you joke with your sisters.”

  I’ve been doing a shitty job of keeping my attraction for this man a secret if he’s been so aware of all this that I’ve been doing. Damn it, I was hoping that no one had noticed this man had found a way beneath my armor.

  “Of course,” she agreed.

  She wasn’t a fan of lying to her father but if she said no, there would be a lecture that she wasn’t looking forward to having. Perhaps he would forget she had agreed to this.

  His eyebrow quirk told her he wasn’t buying her easy agreement. In divine intervention, her cell rang diverting his attention. Then again, with this man probably not, but it did buy her a reprieve.

  “Hello?” She didn’t bother looking at the screen.

  “I’m going to be there in about five minutes. We need to get you down to the station to look at some information.”

  Sav’s voice, while intoxicating on a level she could never hit with another person, was also a splash of icy water. Eyes up, she locked onto her father’s assessing gaze.

  “Am I in danger here? My father is here and if there is danger, he’s coming with us.”

  He exhaled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you, sweetheart. No imminent threat that I’m aware of but he is welcome to come along if you’d like him to.”

  “We’re just finishing up breakfast and will be ready to go once you’re here.” She ended the call. “I have to go to the station and look at some things. He said you could come.”

  She didn’t ask, just put it out there like that so he could make his own decision.

  “You change, I’ll put your kitchen to rights.”

  She slid from her stool and hugged the man who she loved more than anyone in the world. “Love you, Daddy.”

  He brushed a kiss along her forehead. “Love you too, baby girl.”

  They were ready when Sav opened the front door and ushered them outside into the cold morning. Claiming the backseat, she met Sav’s gaze in the rearview ever so briefly before lowering hers to her hands as they lay clasped in her lap.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We did more digging on the list of names that were given when you were up for tenure and who didn’t make it when you did and we have two suspects.”

  Unpleasantness in her gut exploded and spread like wildfire throughout her entire being. “I see.” She cleared her throat twice just to get that simple statement out.

  “You think it’s someone that is upset she made tenure?” Her father’s deep voice yanked her gaze back up to find Sav’s waiting for her once more.

  “The more we dig, the more likely it is. We’re not positive that it’s someone who didn’t get tenure when she did, but those are the focus of our investigation at the moment. It could still be someone who you work with.”

  “And this is common? Trying to bomb someone because they got a job someone didn’t think she deserved to have no matter how much my little girl busted her ass.”

  Leaning forward, she touched her dad on the arm and gave him a smile when he angled back to look at her.

  “It’s okay, Daddy. We just need to let them do what they do to figure it out.”

  The man who had encouraged her to go after the dreams she had flicked a glance between her and the man behind the wheel. “You’re not shocked by this. What aren’t you telling me?”

  She flicked her tongue over her lips and tried to assure him with a smile. It didn’t work.

  “Shai Lynne?”

  “There were issues when I first got tenure. Some were very vocal about me not having deserved it and only getting it to fulfill the university’s need for compliance with affirmative action laws. It faded and I didn’t give it much more thought than that.”

  “Bastards,” he rumbled.

  “Calm down, Daddy. It was a while ago.”

  “Apparently not long enough if your life is in danger, still.”

  This was the man who protected her from monsters beneath her canopy bed, the one who ran behind her, encouraging her on the bicycle as she rode for the first time without the training wheels. The one who picked her up when she fell and kissed the boo-boo before getting right back on. The protector, father and defender.

  “It’s going to be okay.” She kissed his cheek and slid back, not even checking to see if Sav was trying to catch her eye.

  Chapter Nine

  As he stood there listening to Shai answer questions from Lopez, her father right beside her, holding her hand—something Sav wanted to be doing—he ran his mind over the co
nversation in the car on the way over here.

  This woman—just when he thought she couldn’t surprise him any further, she did. Her life was the one in danger but there she’d sat, convincing her father to stay calm and that everything would be okay.

  She wasn’t leaning on him but offering the comfort. She’d been like that when her sister had been shot as well. He recalled that first time he’d met her with ease.

  Sav rubbed the back of his neck. He wanted to take over and just go old school on them all until he found the one who was doing this to her.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Not sure, LT. From all indications, she is hesitant to even suggest that someone may be doing this to her. She’ll agree that they weren’t happy but hasn’t as of yet stated anything like yes, I think he could be the one who was doing this.” He shook his head. “I feel like we’re missing something obvious and right before us.”

  “Is this because of how much closer you’re getting to the witness?”

  “This is because that’s what my gut is screaming at me.” He uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands in his pockets as Lopez continued with the line of questions. “Nothing else.”

  “You know my wife was a witness once. Before we married. I was assigned to her case. That’s when I fell in love with her.”

  Cutting his gaze to the left where his lieutenant stood, he shrugged. “Is there a point to your story?”

  “Just that I see it, I know Lopez has mentioned it to a few people. I’ll bet you dollars to donuts, the father knows it. You’ve gone and fallen for this woman. No, it wasn’t sudden, you’ve had that same stupid lovelorn look on your face ever since she walked into your life in that hospital room.”

  Fuck. I can’t even keep my emotions under control.

  “It happens. This is why you’re not in there, Lopez is. We don’t want anyone to be able to say there was an impropriety going on. However, that does also mean I need to pull you from her house.”

  He snorted. “Good luck with that.”

  His boss cut his gaze toward him. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m not leaving her. You can pull all the damn details if you want but I’m staying there. I don’t give a fuck. My ass is there until she’s safe.”

  “And when she has to get on with her life after this is over?”

  “Then she moves on, if that’s what she wants to do.” Bracing a hand on the viewing glass, he pivoted so he could see him better. “What is with all this talk?”

  “I almost lost my career because of the woman. Now I have that but I’m on the outs with the wife. It’s a hard balance. Make sure this is what you want.”

  “We’re not picking out wedding rings, we’re not even picking out curtains. I’m doing my job which I would be doing were she any other witness in protection. What is with everyone thinking they know what’s going on in my head when it comes to Shai Monroe?”

  “So it’s just a job then, right?”

  “Yes!”

  “Then there shouldn’t be a problem with me pulling you and putting Lopez there instead.”

  Rage flashed hot and heavy through his veins. Instead of yelling, Sav shook his head. “Not happening. I’m staying with her. If that means you need me to take a leave of absence, fine, I’ll go right now and fill out the damn paperwork. I’m not leaving her until she’s safe.” His phone rang and he answered it without giving his lieutenant another thought. “Savvas.”

  “There’s someone snooping around her place. We’re about to go in but thought you’d want to know.”

  “I’m on my way. When you get whoever it is, keep them there until I get there.” He ended the call and headed for the door.

  “Savvas?”

  “Perp snooping around her house, we’re going to question him.” He was gone the next moment.

  In his vehicle, he utilized the lights and siren that he didn’t often engage in his personal ride. Now he did. If he could get this person out of her life so she could get back to work, he wanted to. It hadn’t even been that long since he’d been crashing at her place.

  Cutting his travel time in half as he shot through the lights and streamed by the traffic to her place, he couldn’t ignore the way his chest grew tight. Was this it? Would this end it all? Would he be faced with what he’d just been talking about with his LT and have to leave her alone?

  Derek slammed on the brakes as he came up to her house. There were three cop cars there, lights flashing and officers milling around. After shutting off the engine, he hopped out.

  One woman met his gaze and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. He took the steps to her door in a single leap. Pushing in, he sucked a deep breath.

  Destruction.

  No way he would have recognized this place as the one he’d left this morning when that first call had come in to him. Holes in the wall, furniture overturned, broken glass on the floor and, from the looks of things, the kitchen wasn’t any better.

  “What the fuck happened?” He whirled on the nearest officer. “I was told there was a perp.”

  “There was. He’s been apprehended.”

  “Then what the fuck happened to this house? Snooping around is outside to me. Was he—is it a he?—inside when I got the call?”

  “I wasn’t on the scene right away. I heard he jumped through a window and they pursued. Shots were fired and, well, he’s in the backyard right now with the medics.”

  She’s going to lose her shit with this insanity of her house. With a nod to the officer, he jogged through the destruction and went out through the back door to, sure enough, find two medics and four police officers around one skinny middle-aged white man.

  “Name?” he asked the nearest one to him.

  “This is Rule Janor.”

  He cocked an eyebrow but held his peace. And would do so, at least for the moment. Stepping forward until he was within the group surrounding the suspect, he cleared his throat. The man tipped his head back and looked at him, watery blue eyes not exactly overflowing with intelligence.

  “Who are you and why were you breaking into this house?”

  “They shot me, man!” he whined, gesturing to the injury with his good hand.

  “Oh no,” he drolled. “The man breaking into someone else’s house got shot while he was trying to elude the police there to apprehend him. Let me get you a lawyer and I’m happy to do so but first I want to know why you’re after Ms. Monroe.”

  The man’s face scrunched up. “Who?”

  “The woman’s whose house you broke into and tore up. What is the purpose of terrorizing her?”

  He flinched and Sav wasn’t sure if it was from his scowl or from the medic with the cleansing agent.

  “I don’t know no Ms. Monroe. I wasn’t terrorizing anyone. I don’t hurt people, check my rap sheet. I do B&E. That’s it. I’ve never hurt anyone. Honest.”

  He walked off. “Fuck.”

  “Savvas?”

  Halting, he turned to find who’d called his name. Recognizing the officer, he gave a head nod. Mark Prestate, who’d been on the force for a few years. “Mark. Didn’t see you earlier. What’s up?”

  Now I have to tell her that while someone broke into her house and broke windows along with other things, it had nothing to do with the people who are after her. She can’t stay there tonight, and it may be better to not go back for a bit.

  “Yeah, you were one-tracking to find the perp.”

  “What can I do for you?” There wasn’t any point in commenting on the observation, it was true, he had been.

  “I know this guy is blabbing about how it’s just random, but I’ve been keeping an eye on this case and I pulled the stats for B&E in this neighborhood. It’s not a place that someone just suddenly decides to walk in and rob.”

  “Why are you watching this case?”

  “My son is in Dr. Monroe’s class. He thinks she hung the moon and is devastated this is happening to her, so he asks me about it every now and again. He wants her back in
class.”

  He scrubbed a hand down over his face. “Sorry.”

  “No, don’t apologize. We need to nail this fucker. I think he’s right, he is just a simple B&E guy, but someone put him up to this place, specifically her house, to get the resolution needed so she’s not so watched.”

  “That makes a lot of sense. You done here?”

  Mark nodded. “I can be if you need me to be.”

  “Follow me back to the precinct and let’s have a chat with my lieutenant then you and I will have a crack at this nutjob.”

  “Roger that.”

  The man spun around and Sav headed back for his SUV, whipping out his phone. He needed to give his LT a heads-up about what was going to go down once they got back.

  * * * *

  Shai prayed for her sisters’ calm. Took a deep breath and did it again. Nothing worked. Lopez was irritating her all the way around. From the way his smarmy eyes roved over her to the way his tone took this edge of disbelief when she gave her responses.

  Eva and Tara would remain calm. Not let anyone see them crack. I’m fine with putting forth a strong front, but damn this fucker is pissing me off.

  She also had to stay calm and relaxed because the one thing she didn’t need was her father getting a heart attack from the stress heaped on them. The detective tapped the end of his pen on the metal table of the interrogation room.

  They could call it whatever they liked, she wasn’t an idiot.

  “Are you sure you don’t have any more insight as to who from this list that we’ve interrogated may be behind this?”

  Translation—I don’t think you’re smart enough to take a piss yourself and I want to spoon feed you a person so I can stop wasting my time with this case.

  Think of your father. Can’t do anything to upset him further. Don’t make this worse. Tara has to work with these fuckers.

  Ensuring the smile on her face never slipped, she loosely clasped her fingers before her.

  “I apologize that I’m not providing the answers you’re seeking, Detective Lopez. However, as I’ve stated numerous times, I don’t know anything more. Had I any such knowledge, I would surely provide it for I have no wish to continue living like this. I would very much like to have my life back.”