“Good, because I get enough of it at home from my husband.” Gabe scrubbed his hand over his face. “Listen, I didn’t tell you about the conversation I had with Barker last night because I was too angry, and I wanted to be calm when we discussed his proposal.”
“Proposal?” My tension returned tenfold.
“Quite honestly, I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but I can’t make the decision on your behalf. Well, I could in this case, but I respect you too damn much.”
“You’re making me nervous,” I admitted.
“I’m just going to repeat the conversation I had with him, and let you make the best decision for yourself.” I nodded. “Barker told me the missing witness, Sonya Wilson, and her family were found.”
“Dead?” I asked. Anger, frustration, and disgust washed over me when Gabe nodded. “Sonya was a young, confused woman who wanted so desperately to be loved. She’d had enough of his abuse and wanted a fresh start for herself and her family. They promised her witness protection for herself and her family if she testified. Gabe, they were kept in police custody to ensure their safety.”
“The safe house was compromised.”
“Or the officers on duty were,” I added. “I knew she didn’t flee into the night with her parents and younger siblings.”
“There was the slim possibility Axel paid her off so she could start over someplace new,” Gabe said. I shook my head. “Yeah, I didn’t think so either, but I hoped it was the case.”
“Can their deaths be tied to Axel?”
Gabe shook his head. “It was a very clean snatch and grab with no evidence left behind at the safe house or at the crime scene. This was done by someone with more skill, precision, and patience than Axel possesses.”
“He hired someone to do it for him,” I said to myself.
“It would seem because he’s still living the clean life. The surveillance hasn’t even turned up a single night of drunken behavior. He only goes to his legitimate job, church, and his mother’s house for dinner every Sunday night.”
“Bullshit,” I said. “There must be secret tunnels beneath those places. A guy like Axel Washington doesn’t just stop running drugs and guns. He didn’t kill off Sonya and her family to start a new life working for pennies compared to his previous weekly haul of cash, and he didn’t suddenly find religion. He fucking hates his mother. Did anyone check to see if she’s even alive? Has she been seen in public? If not, he’s killed her, buried her in the basement, and is using her house as his front.”
“Your captain said you’d feel this way.”
“About that,” I said. “What the fuck does any of this have to do with me? I did my part. I got them the evidence they needed to put the bastard away.”
“I was hoping this would be your reaction.”
“What other reaction would I have? What’s going on? What did Barker say that has you so angry?”
“He called and asked me to loan you out to his department so you could resume your undercover role and lure Axel back into his old life too.”
“Barker didn’t think to ask me first if this was something I’d be willing to do?”
“His exact words were ‘Elijah was made for this job. He understands the sacrifices it takes to bring criminals like Axel Washington to justice.’ Basically, he implied you would jump at the chance to return to undercover work, and I was the only one standing in your way. It’s why he called me first to see if I would be willing to spare you.”
“What did you say?” I asked.
“I told the arrogant fucker I don’t presume to know your wishes, nor should he. I also reminded him of his duty to look out for the people serving beneath him. Taking advantage of their willingness to make those sacrifices is the same as signing a death warrant. Make no mistake about it, you’d be walking into a trap for which there would be no escape, Elijah.”
I sat there stunned for a minute or so. I had made many sacrifices, both as a soldier and a police officer. I didn’t regret my choices, but undercover work wasn’t the life I wanted for myself anymore. Besides, my feelings weren’t the only ones to consider. It had been easy to risk my life in undercover work when I didn’t have someone waiting for me at home. Some might say I had a death wish because I’d thrown myself into the underground world with gusto. Captain Barker had based his assumptions on my actions while working for him, but that Elijah Markham no longer existed, and I wasn’t a lone wolf anymore. Maegan was my home, my heart, and my future. There was no fucking way I would commit to doing something which could jeopardize our relationship without discussing it with her first. Also, I had my family back. There was no way I was putting my parents through that kind of stress because Captain Barker couldn’t control the corruption within his police force. After weighing it out, was there anything to consider or discuss?
“What are you thinking, Elijah?” Gabe asked, breaking into my thoughts.
“I want Axel Washington to pay for the crimes I know he committed. He needs to be held accountable for the things I saw him do, and the things he hired others to do. It makes me fucking sick to know he’s walking the streets.”
“I understand,” Gabe said, sounding resigned as he broke eye contact to look at his hands.
“But, I don’t see how my death will bring Axel to justice.” Gabe’s head jerked up, and his eyes locked on mine once more. “Even if I captured him killing me on video or audio, the evidence would just turn up missing again. What good would it do? Captain Barker need to come up with a plan that doesn’t include me.”
“Those were my thoughts exactly, but I didn’t want to influence your decision. Had you wanted to go, I would’ve permitted it.”
“That means a lot to me, Captain.”
“Now, which one of us calls Barker and tells him to go fuck himself?”
I snorted. “It needs to come from me.” I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed his number. I pressed the button to turn on my speakerphone and relaxed in my seat while waiting for him to answer.
“Elijah, thanks for getting back to me so soon, although to be honest, I expected to hear from you last night after your captain discussed my proposal with you. How soon can you be here? I need to—”
“I’m not coming,” I said firmly, interrupting him.
“What? How many detectives does a small town need?” Captain Barker snorted like he’d said the funniest thing in the world. “Is cow tipping still a big thing?” I hoped like hell he never found out about the chicken snatching that went on over the summer. “Come on, Elijah. You know you miss playing with the big boys.” I nearly laughed out loud when Gabe silently flipped Barker off.
“It’s not the size of the police force that matters, Captain; it’s how you use it.” I glanced up and saw Gabe smirk.
“I’m not sure I follow, Elijah.”
“Let me explain in a way you will understand. I am grateful you acknowledged the sacrifices I made while working under your command. I am also humbled you think I could single-handedly bring down Axel Washington for a second time and live to tell about it. My survival did factor into your schemes, right?”
“Of course,” he scoffed. “I had no intention of sending you to your death.”
“That’s just what you’d be doing. You told me Axel blames my undercover persona for the reason he got caught, and his hatred grows for me every day he goes without making a drug or gun deal. Not to mention how cranky he is without his daily massages at one of his illegal parlors. It’s a recipe for my death, and I have no desire to engage in a suicide mission.”
Captain released a short, frustrated huff. “Well, I won’t pretend I’m not disappointed in your answer.”
“And I won’t pretend I’m not disappointed my life has so little meaning to you.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“Likewise, Captain. I think I’ve said all I care to about this matter. In the future, I would prefer you call me directly instead of going through Captain Roman-Wyatt.”
&nb
sp; “You won’t hear from me again, Elijah. Take care of yourself and watch your back. You never know when demons from your past might rear their ugly heads and destroy your happy new life,” he ominously said before disconnecting the call.
I stared at my phone for several seconds before I looked at Gabe. “Did he just threaten me?”
“I took it as a threat.”
“So did I.”
“Elijah, you let me worry about the situation with Axel Washington from now on. I have connections, and I promise you we won’t be kept in the dark.”
“Thank you, but I can’t—”
“I’m not asking you to turn this over to me; I’m ordering you to do so as your commanding officer. Do you trust me?”
“With my life.” And Maegan’s. My decision to keep the situation from her hadn’t changed, and my reasoning remained the same even if a small voice called me a hypocrite and reminded me how it felt when Maegan went to see the oncologist without telling me first.
“Then it’s settled. Get back to work. I’m sure somewhere in our town a devious mind is plotting to steal Halloween decorations. You need to be ready.”
“You can count on me, Captain.” I gave him a jaunty salute which he returned.
“This I know, Detective.”
Adrian was waiting anxiously for me in my chair. “Well?”
“Not here.” I grabbed my jacket and headed toward the door, knowing he would follow me. “Adrian, we have a serious problem.”
“What is it, man?” he asked once we stepped outside the station.
“Colonel Sanders was spotted strolling down Main Street. Better guard your chickens.”
“Fuck you, asshole,” he said then burst into laughter. “Seriously, partner, what’s going on?”
My phone rang, and I saw it was Maegan calling. My heart sped up knowing she most likely had the results from the blood tests from the previous day. “Hey, Freckles. Miss me already?” I tried for a casual tone, but the odd look on Adrian’s face said I’d missed the mark.
“Always,” she said excitedly. “I have some news. Do you want it over the phone or would you like to hear it in person?”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.” I hung up without saying goodbye and headed for my beat-up truck instead of Adrian’s car. “To be continued, Adrian,” I shouted over my shoulder.
Maegan was waiting for me in her office at Curious Things. She tried so hard to keep her face neutral but couldn’t pull it off. My Freckles burst into delirious giggles and leapt into my arms. “I have great news, Elijah. Dr. Lovett called and said the estradiol levels in my body are in the normal range. You’re going to need to keep using those condoms until I can get in to see my gynecologist. I don’t know if birth control is something I should be taking, and I don’t want to do anything to ruin our chances of getting pregnant after we get married.”
“Freckles, I’m so happy.” I held her tight and rested my chin on top of her head.
Maegan pulled back and looked into my eyes. “It’s important we don’t get our hopes up too high. Just because I’m producing estrogen doesn’t mean I have viable eggs. There are still many factors to consider, and I might need assistance conceiving.”
“Freckles, I’m up for the challenge all day, any day.”
“Oh, I know how willing you are to do your part, but it could involve a sterile cup.”
“It doesn’t sound as sexy as pinning you down to our mattress and fucking you until you scream in pleasure as I pump your pussy full of—” She covered my mouth with her hand to cut me off. “Too much?” I asked behind her hand.
Maegan nodded. “Having you show up and get me horny wasn’t part of my plan when I called you.” I loved knowing my dirty talk fired her up, but I respected it wasn’t the time or place to act on it. “Are you going to be good now?” I nodded.
By good, I hope she meant a long, toe-curling kiss because it was what the situation called for and what I gave her. When I pulled back, she blinked up at me looking dazed and more desirable than ever before, but I somehow resisted the urge to slide my hand up her skirt.
“I will do whatever it takes to make your dreams come true,” I whispered in her ear. “They’ll just need to know I won’t be entering the little sterile room by myself to jerk off in a cup. I don’t want some tacky porn magazine filled with fake tits and tans when I could be looking at you.”
“I’ll even hold the cup for you.” Maegan stood on her tiptoes. “Between my tits as I kneel at your feet.”
I groaned pitifully. “Is that the kind of thing you tell a man after you said we can’t get up to any naughty business in your office?”
“I’m sorry,” Maegan said, but her crafty smile said otherwise. “I do like knowing you’ll be thinking about me all day long.”
“I think we need to practice the cup holding stunt just in case I am called to action. I’ll need to make sure I have excellent aim.”
“There’s no better time than tonight to start practicing.”
I loved the way my Freckles thought. “How soon can you get in to see your doctor?” I asked, trying to steer us back to a safer subject.
“They’re booked solid until January, but they’ve put me on the list to call if there are any cancellations. In the meantime, we…”
“Bag it up,” I finished for her.
She patted my chest. “You got it.”
It was a very small sacrifice to make when the reward was the joyful gleam in her eyes and hopeful smile on her face.
“I hate to interrupt whatever is going on in there,” Jackie Miracle said on the other side of the door, but I had an urgent-sounding message from my daughter. “Is everything okay?”
“This is my cue to leave,” I said before I opened the door for Jackie to enter. “Everything is great, Jackie.” I kissed her cheek then gave my Freckles a quick peck on the lips. “See you tonight.”
I’d almost made it to the door when I heard Jackie’s delighted squeal coming from the office followed by her promptly bursting into happy tears. I imagined they were both hugging and crying over the opportunity they never thought they’d have. I looked up to the sky when I walked onto the sidewalk. If it’s not too much to ask, I want a little girl with green eyes, curly blonde hair, and a ton of freckles, I said to whoever might be listening.
I DEBATED HOW MUCH WE would tell our friends and family about the potential changes to my circumstances. On one hand, I didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up too high only to find out later I still wouldn’t be able to conceive a child. On the other hand, if it did happen, wouldn’t it be better if we were surrounded by people to support and love us through our disappointment? Once the decision was made, I had to decide how and when to tell everyone. There had to be a proper pecking order.
My mom was first because she was my mom. Milo heard all the jubilant squealing and sobbing and came rushing in. He joined our celebration because he understood how much the opportunity meant to me. Later that night, I insisted we call Brenda and Jack to tell them the news. I didn’t want his parents to feel excluded from our happiness, and they were also overcome with joy for us. Brenda was certain to point out she would love any child Elijah and I raised, but she knew how happy the news made me.
“We should make an announcement at the Halloween party this weekend,” Elijah said as we reclined in the bathtub later that evening. I was pleasantly surprised to discover he loved the holiday as much as I did. “I know we already have costumes, but maybe we change them up a bit.”
“Instead of a pirate, you’ll be what?” I asked.
“A sperm.” I nearly choked on my sip of wine. “Should you be drinking alcohol, Freckles?”
“Elijah, I’m not pregnant, and I’m not trying to get pregnant right now. Drinking alcohol is okay.” I leaned and turned my head to look up at him. “Just how the hell would you dress as a sperm?” I had this horrific vision of him wearing a giant sperm costume with his grinning face sticking out of the rounded head.
“I was thinking of drawing a sperm, or twenty, on a T-shirt with the words ‘looking for love’ beneath my swimmers.”
“Instead of a tavern wench, what would I be?”
“An egg, of course,” Elijah said in his best duh voice. “We can draw some eggs on your T-shirt and then write ‘in all the right places’ beneath your baby hatchers.”
“‘Baby hatchers’?”
“You don’t think it’s catchy?” I shook my head then returned to a comfy position against his chest. “What about the costumes?” he asked.
“Maybe we can find a more discreet way to tell the few people we want to share our news with rather than announce it in a way that’s sure to make it to the gossip section of the Blissville Daily News.”
“Freckles,” Elijah said softly, snaking his arms around to hold me firmly against his chest. “As excited as I am about the possibility of having a baby with you, it’s a little like putting the cart before the horse.”
“Which one of us are you calling the horse, and is this your way of tempering my excitement?”
Elijah chuckled warmly. “I only meant I want to start planning our wedding. I know you, and there’s no way my boys are going to tango with your girls until we’re properly wed.”
“True,” I said. “What do you have in mind?”
“We’re going to San Francisco next month to do the final filming for The Paranormal Whisperer. You know what state is next to California?”
“Oregon? Arizona?”
“Nevada.”
“You want us to get married in Vegas?” I asked. “How upset do you think our mothers would be if we did that?”
“They wouldn’t be upset; they’d be furious with us, Freckles.”
“That’s no way to start out a marriage,” I chided. “Besides, I need more than a month. How about spring?”
“There are three months we typically associate with spring, Freckles. Which one are you thinking about? Please tell me it’s March?”
I shook my head. “Still too chilly and unpredictable.”
“April?”
“Too rainy?”
“May?”
The Lady Stole My Heart (The Lady is Mine, #2) Page 21