“If you truly believe Erin is in heaven with your son, then why couldn’t you possibly believe that she has a hand in giving you Josie?” Hannah said softly. “Because all of the circumstances lead me to believe that’s the case.”
She raised her hands. “But I’m a romantic at heart. Maybe I’m just reading too much into events.”
Dean could only stare at Hannah wordlessly, her poetic take on events burrowing into him, taking hold of his gut and sinking in.
“Dean,” Jason said, his voice steady yet firm. “Hannah’s right. We don’t know why Erin went out on her own. We never will. She could have called you and we would have brought her a whole grocery cart of items, but she didn’t. She would never blame you for forgetting milk. For some reason she decided to go out herself. Maybe she was going to get something else. Maybe she wanted fresh air. You and I both know that she ventured out, no matter the conditions. God, we were more afraid of her catching pneumonia than anything else. Maybe she decided to go to the store to buy baby items. She’d had a list of things she’d wanted and hell bent on getting them, convinced they’d help her prepare for the baby. Maybe she wanted to buy you a birthday gift. Who knows? But I don’t believe for one moment that she went out because you didn’t get milk.”
“But…” He didn’t know what to say. Rationally he understood the evidence laid out before him. In his heart, he couldn’t agree with them.
“She loved you,” Jason said, placing a hand on Dean’s shoulder. “She loved you so much that the very last thing she would ever want for you is this self-tortured life you’re living. What if she did send Josie to you to help pull you out of your misery?”
Jason released his hold, kissed his wife, and ushered her to his car, leaving Dean standing in the parking lot, astounded.
Erin would throttle him for the existence he’d created for himself. She expected better from him. She would be the first person to tell him to pull his head out of his ass. Much like Hannah did, just well beforehand. God, Erin would have loved Hannah. And while Hannah gave him his ass ripping, Erin would have been right beside her, backing up the brazen woman.
But more than anything, Erin wouldn’t have begrudged him happiness. Even at one point in their marriage, when they’d been hitched for only a couple years, and considered divorce, because they’d hit a rough patch, all Erin had preached was that she didn’t want him hanging onto her, miserable that they were no longer together.
Could Erin be playing a part in Josie’s appearance in his life? Or was it circumstance? No, Dean didn’t believe in circumstances. He believed in hard evidence and purpose.
“Dean,” Nick said, catching him off guard.
He wheeled around.
“You okay?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. He looked his partner in the eyes. “Is she right?”
“Who? Hannah? You do realize she’s nuts?”
“She’s not.” Dean defended his best friend’s wife even though a couple minutes prior he wanted to muzzle her. “She’s actually brilliant and you know it. But is she right?”
Nick shoved his hands into his suit pockets. “Yes.”
Dean raised a brow, waiting for further explanation.
“I heard what Jason and Hannah said, and they’re both right. About Erin being out to get milk. You know how independent she was. If it had been only milk she wanted, she would have called you, Jason, Chief or me,” Nick said.
Dean snorted. True. She would have called them all to make sure she got the milk she wanted. His Erin could be relentless.
“As for the other stuff. Her sending Josie to you. I can’t say. I don’t believe in that type of cosmic intervention stuff. But some people do.” Nick pulled his keys out of his pocket.
Dean’s head fell back, catching the bright stars shining down upon them on the clear night, looking for an answer. What the hell did he do? Where the hell did he go from here?
A car pulled into the parking lot, its headlights playing spotlight to them.
“But I do agree with one thing,” Nick said. “You need to move forward.”
Dean snorted. “Funny, coming from you.”
Nick held up his hands. “My circumstances in no way can be compared to yours.”
“Dean?”
Nick smiled widely. “Maybe I should start believing in a higher power at work.”
Dean spun to find Josie approaching, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, long yoga pants dragging on the ground, an oversized coat engulfing her small figure. It was at that moment he could see what Hannah was talking about. It was at that second, he realized, that his Erin had played a part in sending him to cross Josie’s path. His wife always did have good taste.
28
Josie lost her breath when Dean spun to face her. He was so handsome and tall and striking in his black suit. But those physical features didn’t matter when his heart was his most important attribute. She had to remind herself that heart remained closed.
“Hi.” His mouth turned down as he gave Nick a sharp look, then returned to her. “Are you here to pick up your brother?”
“Yes.” She stopped in front of him, having to strain her neck upward to speak directly to him.
“Josie, we need to talk.” Dean took her by the elbow, attempting to lead her aside.
She stood her ground. She didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. There would be no apology or excuse that could make his admission not sting. In fact, anything else added onto his revelation might do further damage, if that was possible. “I don’t have time to talk, Dean. And you’ve said plenty.”
Nick stepped up next to her. “Josie, we need to speak with you about your brother. Why don’t you come inside and we can talk privately?”
It wasn’t a request.
“Okay.” The air shifted around the men—Nick going into detective mode, Dean’s frown more defined. Why did they want to talk to her about her brother? She needed to get him out of the station and back home, where he could rest the night and start his day over, with a new outlook. She didn’t appreciate Hannah provoking him in his sensitive state. Though, in Hannah's defense, she didn’t know how much stress he’d been under.
“How are you? Are you all right?” Dean placed a gentle hand on the small of her back, escorting her into the station, following Nick.
“I’m fine, Dean.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there, but I was looking into a possible lead in your case and Nick and Jordan were handling everything. They didn’t need me,” Dean explained.
She stopped in middle of a row of desks and looked up at him. “A lead?”
“We’ll discuss it further. In private.” He motioned to keep trailing after Nick.
They took her into a small room, nothing like she’d seen on television. The space didn’t have a single window, but the walls were painted an ivory color with lamp lighting, giving off a warm glow. The room could’ve been someone’s basement with the large plush, tan sofa against the right wall, a small refrigerator in the corner and a flat screen mounted on the left wall. Family pictures hung on the far wall and items like kid-made ashtrays, frames, and odd knick-knacks scattered about end tables and the large coffee table.
Nick offered her to sit on the sofa. He took the large chair positioned next to the couch. Dean sat next to her.
“Josie, we know we haven’t told you much regarding your case,” Nick said.
“You’ve told me nothing.” Her back stiffened, clutching her wallet in her lap. They hadn’t given her any indication they had suspects or much else with regard to the case. In fact, while Dean had stayed with her, he’d been resolutely quiet about any detail when it came to what or who they were pursuing.
Nick shot Dean a surprised glance. Out of her peripheral vision, she watched him shake his head slightly.
“There’s a reason for that,” Nick said, his tone even and soothing. “We haven’t had much to go on and we didn’t want to give you any information you might misconstrue.”
Understandable, but they couldn’t have shed any light on her attacker?
Nick continued, “But today’s episode with your brother and the fact that your ex cornered you−”
“He didn’t corner me. He came to check on me and say hello. But he caught me scared to death to enter my own home, alone. He found me inside my car, petrified. I’m grateful he showed up because he calmed me down. He even did a sweep of my house.” She fumed. They misconstrued Steve’s kindness and that pissed her off.
A low growl came from her left. Her head swiveled on Dean. “How dare you. I counted on you,” she hissed. “A mistake on my part. I thought you would help me through this transition time. That’s what you led me to believe. But the moment you caught yourself opening up to me, you bolted. Typical.”
“Typical of who?” he asked, sounding offended.
“Men. A typical male response. Flee.” She turned back to Nick, who watched with a shocked expression. “Continue. I need to get to my brother.”
Dean murmured something unintelligible beside her.
“We have some persons of interest,” Nick said candidly.
Her heart suddenly picked up a rapid pace. She didn’t expect that to come out of his mouth. She wiped her forehead with a shaky hand, pushing the hair off her face.
“Oh?” She desperately tried to calm her nerves, taking in a deep breath, slowly releasing the air.
Nick leaned forward in the chair. “Do you need something? Water?”
She nodded, her throat having gone dry, now that Nick mentioned it.
Dean jumped up and went to the fridge, pulling out a miniature bottle of water, cracking it open. She downed it in one long gulp. He grabbed another and sat down beside her, his arm coming around her waist.
“Are you all right to continue?” Nick asked unsure.
She nodded. Dean gave her a supportive squeeze. She shrugged out of his hold, pushing his hand away, irritated by his convenient onset of concern.
“We have three persons of interest,” Nick said.
“What is a person of interest, exactly?” Though they used the legal terminology before, she wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.
“They’re not suspects because we have no evidence. But they are people we want to speak with who might have some information to help lead us to the attacker,” Nick explained.
“They’re not suspects?”
“No,” he said hesitantly. “But that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the future.”
“So you want to question them to see if they should move into the suspect category?” Was she getting the connection right or completely off base?
“That, along with evidence,” Dean added.
She refused to look at him. Her face became warm, her breathing grew labored. “Who are they?”
“Becky, your former coworker who has been stealing from you. Steve, your ex, and Harry, your brother.” Nick plucked a tissue out of a box on the side table and handed it to her.
“M…my brother?” she whispered, stunned. “That can’t be right. He wouldn’t have anything to do with hurting me. Ever. You’re mistaken.”
“We’re not saying he attacked you, Josie,” Dean said, positioning toward her. “We’re saying that we want to talk to him. He’s in a lot of financial trouble, more than he’s admitting, and you have a large life insurance policy. Your net worth alone would pull him out of trouble and give him enough to live comfortably for years.”
Josie’s eyes swung to Dean, the room bouncing. “No,” she breathed. “No, you’re wrong.”
“We hope so, honey,” Dean said sympathetically.
She pulled her jacket tighter. Her brother’s actions over the past few months assaulted her. His violence. His shadiness. The way he glared at her. The regret in his eyes when he looked at her, after the stabbing. How he’d practically disappeared from their lives. His severe anger toward everyone in her family, including his own twin. All of it flashing before her. Her ears rang.
“Josie?”
She couldn’t breathe. She tried to get out of her wool coat. She needed to get out of the station. She needed air. Fresh air, to clear her mind and her lungs. She couldn’t breathe.
Josie bolted up to her feet too quickly, dizziness spinning the room. Her legs gave out, her body went limp, the lights in the room tunneling into darkness.
29
“Josie!” Dean snagged her around the waist before she hit her head off the corner of the coffee table.
Nick picked up the phone on the side table and called for an ambulance.
Dean hoisted her up, gently laying her on the sofa. “I need a cool wet towel.”
Jordan rushed into the room. How he knew what happened, Dean didn’t know, except maybe Nick called out to him. Dean wasn’t aware of what happened around him, the world fading in the background as he focused solely on Josie, brushing her hair off her face.
“Josie,” he cooed. “Josie, honey.”
God, his heart pained for her. How much could one woman take before she lost her mind? Or her sense of self.
A cold towel was shoved into his hand. He gently wiped her clammy forehead, her face pale and cheeks hollowed. She looked terrible. Despite that, she was the most beautiful woman that had truly captured his attention since Erin’s death. And someone close to her was betraying her in the most inhuman way. He needed to stop the bastard...or bitch. He had to bring calm into Josie’s world.
Something in him clicked, trying to rouse Josie. Her frail body and mind no longer able to tolerate what was occurring in her life, temporarily shutting itself down to mentally give her a break. He needed to help her. He wanted to help her. He wanted to be there for her and give her whatever she needed. He wanted to be her support system. A man she could count on and turn to in times of need and stress. The man who would protect her from all this shit. He wanted to be that man. He wanted to be her man.
Josie’s eyelids fluttered.
“Josie,” he coaxed her to wake.
Her breathing increased, her chest rising and falling with pronounced definition. Her eyes blinked open.
Dean brushed at her damp hair.
“Hi,” he said softly.
Tears pooled in her eyes, spilling over the sides. He gently wiped them away. “Don’t cry, sweetheart.”
Her sadness was a knife to his soul. Her distress made his skin crawl anxiously, wanting to take away her fright.
“Why?” she whispered.
He didn’t understand her question. “Why what, honey?”
“Why would you do this to me?”
He recoiled, taken aback by her accusation. “Josie, we’re not purposely trying to hurt you. We only want to protect you. To keep you safe. To find the man who attacked you and put him behind bars. We aren’t saying your brother is involved, but we need to question him. And we told you who our persons of interest were so you are aware of the situation. Two of those people were in your home this evening. If Hannah hadn’t been there, and one of them happens to be the man who attacked you, who knows what could have occurred.”
A small squeak escaped her lips. Shit. He shouldn’t have put it like that.
“I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right,” he said.
A couple of EMTs entered the room, large black duffle bags in their hands. Dean scooted out of the way.
He watched the two young EMTs work on Josie, kindly asking her questions, taking general vitals. She seemed okay. On the outside. But her eyes wouldn’t leave him. He tried to relay a silent message that everything would be all right. Her wide, wary eyes didn’t suggest she was receiving his message.
After twenty minutes, the paramedics left, stating she didn’t need to go to the hospital but to keep an eye on her. He knew the routine.
Dean sat beside her on edge of the sofa. “Let me take you home, Josie.”
“Why?” her voice shook.
“Because I want to look out for you.”
“Why?”
He
opened his mouth to state that he thought maybe he was falling in love with her, but clamped it shut. What if he wasn’t? What if he admitted to something that wasn’t actually there? What if, when they finally caught the man who tried to kill her, all of his feelings went away?
“Because I care about you,” he said. That was okay, right?
He rose, holding out his hand. She slowly reached up, accepting his offer. She clamped onto his bicep for support. Nick and Jordan stood off to the side, watching curiously. They walked by his brothers in blue, ignoring the skeptical looks they gave him. Dean quickly guided Josie to his car, driving her back to her house. When they walked through her front door, he didn’t like the feel of the home. Something uncomfortable and evil lingered within the walls.
Josie started to schlep up the steps.
“I need to go to bed,” she said dazed. “I’m tired.”
“Josie,” Dean said, walking after her. He had the overwhelming urge to clear the air with her. The pressure of his emotions had become too much and he’d selfishly needed to alleviate the valve. Unfortunately he’d hurt her in the process. It was up to him to mend their rift.
She stopped and looked over her shoulder.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “When I said that I care for you, I wasn’t being truthful.”
“Dean, I really can’t take much more. I want to go to bed and wake up and hope my nightmare has been just that. A horrible nightmare. I don’t want to deal with this any longer. I don’t understand why I’m going through this hell. I don’t understand why someone would want me dead. I don’t understand why I’m a target. I’m exhausted, Dean. And the one thing I can’t add to my life is a man’s emotional baggage. I have enough of my own currently.” She turned away from him.
Damage: The Men of Law (The Men of Law Series Book 2) Page 17