Expired Refuge

by Lisa Phillips

  Conroy squeezed his shoulder. “Get Stiles back down to holding. I got this.”

  Thirty-four

  “Can you hear me?”

  Mia said, “My ears are still ringing. When I have any hearing at all.”

  The doctor nodded. “Surprisingly, that’s a good thing. It means your hearing is coming back. It’ll take as long as it takes, I’m afraid.”

  They’d admitted her overnight, giving her fluids she was still tethered to. Medicine that eased her aches and made her shoulder feel like cotton wool. “And my dad?”

  “Your father is stable,” the doctor said. “But we’re not out of the woods yet.”

  On any other day, at any other time, Mia would have considered the doctor and swooned. He was seriously attractive, blonde like a movie star, and totally out of her league.

  Then again, she seemed somehow to have managed to catch Conroy’s attention. Probably she should peruse herself in the mirror more. Try and figure out what he saw.

  “Thank you, doctor.” She tried not to smile too much. That would be creepy.

  “You good here?”

  Aww, he cared about her.

  The doctor’s lips twitched. Perhaps she wasn’t keeping her thoughts to herself as much as she’d thought. “Good stuff, huh?”

  “Huh?” Mia shifted. Oh, that was what he was talking about. The cotton wool, drugs that were currently making her feel very mellow. And amused at every little thing.

  Just not this irritating ringing in her ears that kept coming and going.

  “Never mind.” The doctor shook his head, out and out smiling now. “There’s someone here to see you. She says she’s your sister.”

  Mia frowned.

  “You don’t want to see her?”

  “She’s the one who kidnapped me.”

  His head jerked. “I’ll have security—”

  Mia said, “She didn’t shoot my eardrum out.” How was she even supposed to explain all that had happened? Stiles was in jail. That was what counted. “It’s complicated. She gave me to the guy who did this.” Mia motioned to her ear.

  “There are plenty of cops in the hospital. You want me to get someone?”

  “If they can wait outside. I would like to talk to her.”

  “I know you’re this big shot federal agent, but—”

  “It’s okay, doc.” She tried to look like she wasn’t so mellow but in full control of her faculties. “If you could have an officer, or a security guard, wait in the hall.”

  “I’ll make sure.” He stepped back and opened the door to the room they’d parked her in to get her to sleep. Like that ever happened in the hospital. She didn’t even want to think about all the poking and prodding they’d done.

  He said, “I’ll also have a nurse let you know if there’s any change with Rich—your father.”

  She could already see her sister behind him, ready to step in. Like there was someone after her. Or, she was just really nervous.

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded and stepped out. Meena passed him. Interested. At any other time she’d have taken a second and got her flirt on. The doctor just looked confused.

  Meena shut the door.

  “I’d rather you left that open.”

  Her little sister rolled her eyes. Her movements were too edgy, twitchy even. What had she taken? Something she thought she “needed” because of an addiction Mia figured she’d never admit to. Or was it just the courage she’d needed to come here? Something to take the edge off her nerves.

  Meena sniffed and rubbed her nose with her index finger.

  Mia sighed. They should have left her with some cuffs.

  “You’re thinking about arresting me, aren’t you?”

  “You took my badge and my gun.”

  Meena said, “You’re still one of them, though. Right?”

  “You’d be right that it doesn’t make me any less of a federal agent not having my badge, or my gun.” Given the ringing in her ears, Mia had to pray she didn’t miss anything her sister was about to say.

  Mia said, “But if you’re trying to justify it as ‘not that big of a deal,’ I’m not playing that game.”

  Because it did kind of feel as though she wasn’t a real fed right now. Without the badge and gun, she was…what? Just Mia. Banged up, with ringing ears. Not a feeling she appreciated, having been a federal agent behind a badge for years now. One with firepower on her hip.

  She needed to get her badge and gun back.

  Her sister said nothing. Mia said, “They had better not get used in the commission of a crime.”

  Yet another reason for her teammates and her group supervisor to complain about her uselessness. For a long time she’d thought she had done something to warrant their behavior towards her. Then she learned there had been a woman on their team before. That woman had been killed by a suspect they’d been chasing.

  Now they considered anyone—especially a female—who couldn’t bust doors in, take down a suspect single-handedly, and generally protect her own back as not worth their time or the cost associated with it.

  Mia had never even had a chance of measuring up to that impossible standard.

  It had taken time, but she realized that now. Not just from seeing Conroy and how he interacted with his officers, like Wilcox and Ridgeman. He trusted them to do their jobs.

  It was a far cry from how her team acted towards her. Not their fault, given what they’d been through, but it was something they needed to right.

  Her sister made a face and leaned against the end of the bed. She never stilled, and she was nowhere near relaxed. “I didn’t come here to talk about your stuff.”

  “What did you come to talk about? Dad is stable. Stiles is in custody.”

  “So all’s well that ends well?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “I’m not going to jail.” Meena’s eyes widened. “It was all Ed. Not me.”

  “You think that defense will hold up?”

  “It’s worth a try,” she whined.

  “Meens, you can’t live like this.”

  “I’m not going to,” Meena said. “I’m leaving town. Forever. I’m sick of being in the middle of Conroy and Ed Summers. Then you show up, and all of it goes in the crapper. Dad is hurt. You’re…” She waved at Mia. “All here and whatever. So I’m done. It’s over.”

  “And when Conroy catches up to you, with an arrest warrant?”

  “It wasn’t me. It was like I said. It was all Ed.”

  Like that made it better. Mia said, “None of you? Just Ed?”

  Meena pressed her lips together.

  “You should argue the finer points of your defense with your lawyer.”

  Her little sister let out a frustrated sound. “I knew Conroy wasn’t going to back down. He’s relentless. Just because Ed killed Mara. Whatever. That was ages ago.”

  She’d taken the exact opposite stance than Mia had. Dismissing the whole thing, maybe because she’d been young enough she hadn’t spent much time with Mara anyway. And she’d never looked up to either of them the way Mia had looked up to the oldest Tathers daughter.

  Though, now she wondered if that hadn’t been because Mara had been dating Conroy. That was the epitome of a good, happy life according to teenage Mia. How could things be any better?

  Then she’d lost everything.

  And in a way, Conroy had as well. Mia needed to remember that. He’d been there. It was a wonder he didn’t have some kind of PTSD. Maybe he did and he’d just never told her.

  Mia said, “If you had something that could help Conroy, it would certainly aid in getting him out of your life.”

  “Conroy, or Ed?”

  “Yes.” Mia lifted her good hand and spread her fingers. “Doing the right thing is the only thing that will give you the clean slate you’re looking for. Otherwise, when you leave here, you take everything from Last Chance County with you.”

  Just as Mia had done.

  The day she’d left,
she’d thought crossing the county line, the state line, or any other boundary would give her a separation. Her life would be back there, and she’d be free to start over. Away from where Conroy visited when he wasn’t in school, so eager to get home.

  Mia had thought things would be different somewhere else. Instead, she was still her and the memories she carried—the hurts and feelings—were all still inside her. In fact, they’d stuck around until she came back to Last Chance County. Until she saw Conroy and realized the kind of man he was. Someone with a sense of honor and duty that put her bitterness to shame.

  Father, I’m sorry. She’d thought she was the victim. The injured party. She’d never even thought about her dad, or Conroy. Help me show him that I do forgive him.

  She wanted to say the same about Ed Summers but that was a different story, and she might need some time to wrestle with God over it.

  “Meena.” When her sister looked up, Mia said, “I forgive you.”

  “If I turn on Ed and give Conroy everything on him?”

  “No, regardless of whether you do that or not. You’re my sister, and you’ll always be the only one I have left in this world. I can’t believe you’d play me like that, and it doesn’t mean I trust you, especially because of how you got me to open up to you just so you could give Ed information about Stiles. But…it’s done.”

  “I’m still leaving.”

  “I won’t stop you.” It wouldn’t be easier to live free of the chains of unforgiveness if her sister wasn’t here. Mia had to face the fact that not seeing her wouldn’t help her forget what had happened. Or put it behind her.

  She had to move on.

  With Conroy?

  She wanted to. Enough to consider seriously giving up her job, one she’d thought of as honest, honorable work with a team who didn’t really like her. Maybe she would apply for that job with Conroy’s department she figured was open now. Wilcox had said she needed a partner. Mia could see what happened after.

  He’d kissed her a couple of times and seemed to care. She could certainly say she cared about him. That crush had smoldered for years, and now it was alight again. Flames she hoped she didn’t get burned by.

  “Have a good life, Meena.” Mia intended to do the same.

  “Fine.” Her sister hopped up to pace nervously. “I’m going. You’ll never see me again.”

  “If I had my wallet, I’d give you my card so you’d have my number. You’ll just have to get it from dad.”

  “So I can text you Merry Christmas, or Happy Fourth?” Meena rolled her eyes and yanked the door handle. Beyond the threshold stood a uniformed police officer.

  Mia recognized him. “Basuto.”

  “Special Agent Tathers.” He said nothing else. Didn’t move, didn’t nod.

  Another cop content to let her take the lead? What did they put in the water in Last Chance County?

  Meena skirted around the cop as though, at any second, he would pull out cuffs and slap them on her.

  The door shut and she was alone again. Mia looked around. She didn’t have anything, let alone her phone. How could she even call Conroy? She wanted to. The time to connect was now, since the bad guy was finally in jail. They probably even had evidence they’d be able to pin on Ed. Something to prove his participation in one of the many crimes he’d committed. Much like her sister, she didn’t doubt that if Ed was still walking around town like he was above the law, she’d have a harder time with the whole forgiveness thing. Much harder than if he was sitting in a jail cell.

  The door opened again. Basuto stuck his head in. “I’ve gotta go.”

  “What happened?” He was getting called out? What was that about? “Is it Conroy?”

  “I’ll tell him you asked about him.” Basuto shifted. “They’re sending a security guard up to this floor, and I have to go back to work.”

  The door clicked shut, loud in the empty room. Except for her. She was here, so it wasn’t really empty.

  Why had she thought that about herself, like she meant nothing? Mia was self aware enough to know she had some work to do in order to get a complete grasp on who she was. She’d never thought about it before. Now that there was a possible relationship on the horizon, she couldn’t risk bringing her baggage into it.

  Even she knew that, though she’d never had a real boyfriend.

  While she was waiting on her healing and discharge, Mia decided to go find her dad. Nothing wrong with her legs. She shifted them to the side of the bed. Even with the nice meds in her system, she could still feel the burn in her shoulder.

  It took some teeth gritting, but she got her pants on. Mostly fastened. She tucked the hospital gown into the back of her waistband. Ready to go.

  Mia pulled the IV bag stand with her. She let go of it to twist the door handle, the arm they’d put in a sling to take the weight off her shoulder tucked against her side. Her sister had been here. She hadn’t apologized. Meena was starting a new life, and this one wasn’t for her.

  Meanwhile, Mia wondered if Last Chance County hadn’t been the place she was supposed to have been this whole time.

  Her home.

  The door was suddenly tugged out of her hand. She took half a step back. A very male body tugged hers against his, steadying her so she didn’t fall.

  “Careful.”

  She lifted her chin and looked into his eyes. Experience…and not a small amount of pain resided there. Something very familiar to her, it was almost comforting.

  He smiled. “I brought you a present.”

  She blinked, wondering what on earth it was. “Tate?”

  Thirty-five

  Conroy stepped off the elevator, Wilcox with him.

  “The doc said she’s in four.”

  They’d escorted the chief in. Jess was still with his body. They had no other family that Conroy knew of.

  He’d asked the desk nurse about Rich. Since Mia was here, he had to go through Mia to get the specific information about his condition. Beyond the fact he was stable at least.

  Conroy stopped. End of the hall on the second floor of the hospital, he could see the door to room four. An open door, where Tate stood. His arms around Mia.

  Neither saw Conroy, or Savannah, who both watched as Tate slid his arms back and lifted a brown paper bag.

  Mia opened the bag he held with her good arm—the one with the IV tube snaked through the inside of her elbow. After a second peering inside, she looked up and beamed at Tate.

  “He said he was running an errand.”

  Conroy didn’t glance at Wilcox, he heard it all in her tone. “Guess he was.”

  “Hey.” Meena sashayed to a stop in front of him, and he realized only then that she had been headed their way.

  He tore his attention from Mia and looked at her sister. Eye level with him, her gaze shifted. She was on something. He expected her to be cocky. Took a few seconds, but then she got there.

  “Guess you’re here to arrest me.” Meena lifted her wrists and held them together.

  “I’ve been too busy.” Did he need to explain that she wasn’t all that high on his priority list? “You’ll have to wait until I have a warrant.”

  Meena lowered her hands and sighed. “Maybe next time you’ll be lucky.”

  No, thank you. His gaze strayed to her sister.

  Meena sighed, long and dramatic. Conroy was pretty sure Wilcox snickered beside him. Conroy said, “It’s been a long day.”

  “Right. You’re busy.”

  Tate and Mia had noticed them now. Conroy wanted to wince. He looked like a total loser standing with his detective and Mia’s sister by the elevator, watching her while she stood in a clutch with a man he sort of respected but didn’t all the way trust. Maybe he should tell her that Tate wasn’t as straight laced as any of them thought.

  Which only made him wonder if she liked that. Maybe a little bit renegade was her thing, more than Conroy. Maybe all they’d shared was all they would ever have between them.

  Wilcox looke
d at her phone. She didn’t say anything, but it wasn’t like they could stay long. There was still a host of paperwork to do and a million phone calls. It was late. Tomorrow would be another full day as would every day be for the next couple of weeks. Then again, did life ever really slow down?

  He stepped aside and pressed the elevator button for Meena. “Don’t let us hold you up.”

  She shifted, studied him.

  Wilcox said, “Chief Ridgeman passed away earlier.”

  “The old man is gone?” Meena’s painted brows lifted.

  Conroy glanced between them. Why had Wilcox shared that? He hadn’t thought they were anything to each other, least of all friends.

  Meena looked at her sister for a second, down the hall where Mia stood with Tate. Watching. Mia lifted her good hand. Seemed like she was about to wave him over, but she didn’t. What was in that brown bag Tate had brought her?

  Meena said, “She told me to do the right thing.”

  “Yeah?” He watched Meena’s face. The war played out there, a battle over whatever she was trying to decide. What did ‘do the right thing’ mean?

  He had enough evidence needed for a warrant to have Meena arrested, along with Ed’s people who’d broken into the police department and shot one of his officers—once they identified every masked gunman. They’d kidnapped Mia and stolen evidence. Surveillance footage was ready for his people to go through. It would take time, but Conroy was sure they would get there.

  The next step to bringing down Ed Summers.

  What he really wanted was to tear the whole operation apart. Throw all the players in jail for good. No more Ed, no more illegal business. And not just illegal business—though that was bad enough—he just wanted his old friend to be out of play and off the street. For good.

  With the break-in and his officer shot, he could bring charges against those who’d perpetrated the crime. But in order to get Ed as well, Conroy would have to be able to prove that he either participated in it or commanded it to be done. That he’d sent them in to target the police department.

  Without looking at the evidence they had, and running down the leads to get a full picture, he didn’t know what he could do.