Sworn to Protect

by Jo Davis

  “O-kay.”

  At last they reached the little house and stumbled onto the front porch. Shane rang the doorbell and waited, fumbling his soaked wallet from his back pocket. When there was no movement from inside, he rang it again.

  Finally there was a shuffle from the other side of the door. A pause, as though the person on the other side was inspecting the visitors. Shane held up his wallet, badge visible.

  “S-Sugarland PD, Detectives F-Ford and Kayne. We n-need some help.”

  A chain unlatched and a bolt slid, then the door opened to reveal a slight, elderly man peering at them with a bemused expression. “The police? Out here?” He eyed them from head to toe. “Damn, boys. What happened to you?”

  “C-can we t-tell you on the way to town?” Shane asked politely. “We seem t-to have driven our c-car into the river.”

  After inspecting Shane’s badge more closely, he nodded. “Sure thing. Let me get my keys.” He shook his head and walked off, muttering about crazy policemen driving around not knowing where the river was located. In moments he was back with his keys and a couple of blankets.

  “To the hospital with you both. Even if ya think you’re fine as can be, hurts can make themselves known later. You’ll need to get checked out and claim workman’s comp if you were on the job tonight, in case you have medical trouble later.”

  “Thank you, s-sir.”

  “Not a problem, son.”

  Shane hated to admit that the old man was right. Which meant he’d have to call Austin from the ER. In the middle of the damned night. Then that would mean also telling the captain—who’d been yanked out of his nice warm bed on a winter’s night—how colossally they’d managed to fuck up a simple drug bust that would have brought them loads of glory.

  This night was bound to get worse before it got better. Because then he’d have to call the woman he loved, as promised.

  And tell her that he and Taylor had almost drowned.

  12

  Daisy started when the phone rang at 3:27 a.m.

  She hadn’t been sleeping, but tossing as the hours crawled by. Snatching it off the bedside table, she frowned at Austin’s number on the screen. Then came the sudden ball of dread that hit her stomach like a rock.

  “Hello, Cap?”

  “No, sugar, it’s me,” Shane’s tired voice said on the other end.

  “Thank goodness! I thought it was Austin about to give me bad news. Why are you using his phone?”

  “Because he let me borrow it. He’s at the hospital with me and Taylor, and—”

  “What!” Sitting up, she switched on the lamp and began searching for her sweats. “Are you at the ER?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “I’m on my way. Stay put,” she ordered.

  She hung up without giving him a chance to protest further. In less than five minutes she was wearing sweats, a T-shirt, tennis shoes, and her coat, and was jogging out the door. Those two, plus Chris, could get into more scrapes than any ten guys she knew. Not that she had room to talk after her brawl with Len.

  On the drive over, she consoled herself that Shane had done the calling and not Austin. He had sounded tired, but otherwise fine. She hoped that was the case. But what about Taylor? Shane and his partner were tight, as partners tended to be. If anything bad had happened to him, Shane would go nuts.

  Speculating drove her crazy, and she was nearing panic by the time she dashed into the ER and pulled her badge from her purse, demanding to see her man. She was immediately shown to an adjoining pair of cubicles, where Austin was leaning against the wall, yawning hugely.

  “Cap! What happened?” she called, jogging up to him.

  “Those two fucktards almost got themselves killed, that’s what,” he grumbled. “Your man’s fine, just a little bruised, but Taylor’s more banged up. He inhaled a lot of water, too.”

  She didn’t know which issue to tackle first—that he knew about her and Shane, or Taylor’s condition. She opted for the latter. Coward. “Water? How?”

  “They staked out a drug deal we got on a tip, and the info turned out to be good. The supplier was meeting two pushers to offload a shipment of what we suspect is that new drug.”

  “The one that killed Brad Cooper?”

  “And some other victims, too.”

  “Did they make an arrest?”

  Austin gave a humorless laugh and rubbed his eyes. “Not only did they not make an arrest, Taylor fell for an evasion maneuver while in pursuit and drove right off the road into the Cumberland.”

  “Oh, jeez,” she breathed, glancing around the partition between the two cubicles. Shane was sitting perched on the edge of the exam table, and gave her a wan smile. Taylor appeared to be out like a light. She glanced back at Austin, “Thanks for the update, Cap.”

  Then she left him standing there and joined her guy. Since Austin already knew, there was no reason to hide their status. She wondered what action he would take, if any, but she wasn’t going to worry about that. That would have been the very least of her concerns if something had happened to Shane.

  “What on earth am I going to do with you?” she said softly, taking his face in her hands. She kissed him gently, mindful of any injuries he might have.

  “That’s my line. And it wasn’t my fault.” He grimaced. “Wasn’t Taylor’s either. We were trying to catch the suspect, and he pulled a classic evasion on us.”

  “Know thy battleground,” she quipped.

  “Definitely.”

  “Are they letting you both go home?”

  “That’s what the doctor said. He almost kept Taylor, but decided he could go, too, since he doesn’t have a concussion. His concern was Taylor’s lungs, but he gave him a shot of antibiotics to ward off an infection.”

  “Does he need a ride home?”

  “Austin’s taking him. He’ll be okay.”

  “All right.” She kissed him again, and then spotted their captain watching with a bemused expression. Blushing, she let go of Shane.

  She sat in a chair and waited with him for almost twenty minutes, until the nurse came with their walking papers. Then they bid Taylor and the captain good night, and climbed in her car. Daisy started it up and pulled away.

  “I’m taking you to my house, unless you have any objections.”

  “None. Drew is taken care of for the night, and I’m beat.”

  “Good. Then let’s get you showered, dried, and warm.”

  “That sounds like heaven—right after being in your arms.”

  She smiled and thanked her lucky stars that he was safe.

  • • •

  What a difference a week made.

  Daisy couldn’t help but mull over the push-pull of their relationship. They’d been lovers, then he’d run. Fast and far. Then he wanted her back, but she wasn’t ready. She had to learn to trust him again, and that process had taken a large step toward healing when he’d run to her side, then nursed her in the wake of that drunk’s attack.

  And now . . . Maybe, for the first time, she and Shane were in the same place. Together. It was a heady idea, and her heart beat a little faster. That this man could be hers, for keeps, was a dream she’d held dear for years. Long before he was aware she existed. She’d pined from afar, and from very near, and it seemed that wait might be over.

  After poking around in her closet, she settled on a pair of dark jeans that hugged her butt just right, and a black V-neck cotton shirt that made her loose blond hair and eyes pop. There were two very good reasons she wanted to look her best at Tommy and Shea’s party tonight, and Shane was one, of course. The other was going to give her great pleasure, in a completely different way.

  This wasn’t just a party including Tommy’s buddies, but with Shane’s friends in the department, too. Well, Leslie wasn’t a friend, but she had managed to wrangle an invite from Tonio, the new cop. Poor sap. If he didn’t know the score yet, he would. That woman had served more cops than McDonald’s.

  Happy, Daisy grabbed
her purse and keys and hit the road. She was stopping by Shane’s first so they could all go together. Shane, Drew, and herself, attending their first party as a family of sorts, and she was as nervous as she was excited. Since that first lunch where she’d visited Drew at school, she felt that they were slowly forging a connection, even if he was still a bit sullen. Tonight would be the first real test of their progress.

  The boy had no memories of his mother. She couldn’t fill that hole, but she could be a mentor. A strong female role model where he’d never had one. Far from being a burden, she considered it an honor. A chance to make a real difference, unlike with so many young lives that touched hers and vanished.

  A short time later she arrived at Shane’s place and trotted to the door. She knocked and waited until it opened—and then she practically drooled at the sight of him.

  He wore black jeans and a blue long-sleeved shirt that looked absolutely gorgeous with his sable hair and gray eyes. The shirt, stretched across his toned chest and tucked in at his belt, emphasized his lean waist. His legs went on forever, and he wore brown boots to complete the ensemble.

  “Do I pass?”

  “Mmm.” She stepped into his arms. “Good enough to eat. Too bad we’re going to be surrounded by people.”

  “Oh, I might know of one place we can sneak away to, if you’re game.” He gave her a feral grin, and she shivered in delight.

  “Secluded?”

  “Very. And if we’re stealthy, no one will ever know.”

  “You can certainly persuade a girl to be naughty,” she said, kissing his neck.

  His grip tightened on her hips. “I do try. But only with you.”

  “Jesus, my eyes are burning,” Drew said with his lip curled as he sauntered into the room. “Don’t make me lose my appetite.”

  Shane kissed her on the lips, then shot Drew a half-smile, making an obvious attempt to lighten the boy’s mood. “She’s mine and I’m hers, and I plan for it to stay that way. Deal with it.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Kid,” he warned.

  “Sorry.” But they all knew he wasn’t. “Ready to go?”

  They trooped to Shane’s truck and got in, Daisy riding in the middle. In minutes they were at their destination, parking behind several other cars that were already there. The front door was open, so they went on in and found the party just getting started, people laughing and talking, a group of the guys already talking about teaming up for pool.

  Tommy greeted them with a broad smile, hugging Daisy and then giving Drew a knuckle bump. “Hey, big guy. Guess what I bought yesterday?”

  “What?” The boy looked interested, knowing it was probably good.

  “The newest version of Xbox was on sale at Walmart, so I picked one up, along with all the goodies and a bunch of games.”

  “Awesome!” From his face, Tommy may as well have said he’d won ten million dollars. “Do you have the new Call of Duty?”

  Shane intervened. “Drew, do you think that game is appropriate?”

  The boy looked at him as though he’d taken leave of his senses. “You’re kidding, right? You’re the one who bought me the first version!”

  A couple of cops from the station snickered, and one said, “He’s got you there.”

  “Damn, that’s right,” Shane muttered. “Fine. But stay away from the ones that have nudity.”

  “Yes, sir.” The boy bounced off behind Tommy like a puppy.

  Shane grabbed his heart. “My God. He said the words and he wasn’t even in trouble. The sky is falling.”

  “They can shock you once in a while,” Austin commented, taking a sip of his beer.

  Tonio Salvatore showed up at that moment, Leslie in tow. “Do you have kids, Cap?”

  “No. I never was blessed with any. If you guys will excuse me?”

  The group stared after him, and Tonio frowned, his handsome face concerned. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Shane told him. “He doesn’t say a lot about the subject of kids or his wife. Best not to mention either of them around him.”

  “Good to know. Thanks.”

  Leslie noted Shane’s proximity to Daisy, the protective way he stood near her, and sneered. “Looks like that’s not the only thing we shouldn’t mention around the captain. Wonder what he’d say about two of his favorites hooking up under his nose?”

  Tonio shot her a look tinged with faint disgust. “My God, Leslie. If he was going to discipline anyone it would’ve been you, about fifteen badges ago.”

  The woman’s mouth fell open as several of the guys laughed. “You asshole! You haven’t even been here that long. You don’t know a damned thing about me!”

  “No, but it’s kind of like Bigfoot. Everybody’s heard of someone who’s seen it.”

  Now they were hooting, but Leslie didn’t seem to take the teasing in the spirit in which it was intended. Outraged, she marched out the door and slammed it hard.

  “There goes your date, bro,” Julian said with mock sadness. “You break our mama’s heart by leaving San Antonio to move here, then you’re in town only a few weeks and you’re already pissing off your fellow cops.”

  “Just the ones who want in my pants.” He winked. “I’m following in your footsteps.”

  Julian had been the horn dog of Fire Station Five before his wife, an attorney named Grace McKenna, had let him catch her. Grace also happened to be the sister of Kat Paxton, Six-Pack’s wife.

  Daisy was always amazed how the groups had ties and everyone was like a big, extended family. They teased and fought, and they’d pounce on anybody who messed with one of them. They were the best.

  Shane wanted to shoot some pool, so Daisy went and watched for a while, chatting with some of the wives and girlfriends who’d come to the party. They were a nice group of women who knew how to have fun, and most of them knew Shea and each other. Daisy never felt like the odd woman out, though. She couldn’t recall when she had such a good time.

  After a while, she drifted to the spare bedroom where Tommy had set up Drew to play on the Xbox. She cracked the door and peeked in, and was about to leave when he called out.

  “You can stay if you want.”

  That hesitant statement surprised her and made her happy, too. This was the first time he’d invited her company of his own volition. Whatever he said next, she’d consider a victory. Walking inside, she left the door open and sat on the bed next to him, watching for a few minutes as his character leaped around, blasted, and annihilated the enemy.

  Suddenly he paused the game. “You love Shane, don’t you?”

  She hesitated, unsure how to answer without upsetting him. “Would that bother you if I did?”

  “No. I’m not a little kid. I know how that stuff works.”

  She doubted that, considering his lack of a positive female influence. “Do you resent him spending time with me? Us getting closer?”

  “No,” he said. “Well, not so much anymore. It’s good to see Shane happy. He’s close to his sister, but there has to be more. Right?”

  “I suppose so.” She marveled at his grown-up outlook.

  “Shane deserves a super girlfriend, and you’re pretty cool, I guess.”

  She’d been given the keys to the kingdom. Somehow she knew the buck stopped with this boy, who was growing up too fast. Who needed so much. Had such love to give. He could have made their lives miserable, but instead he was trying to embrace what they were and could be.

  “Thank you.” She hugged him. “You’re pretty cool yourself.”

  “Hey, wanna play?”

  She started to say no. But then she realized this invite was one more olive branch. How many times had he heard the word no at his house? That his dad was too busy? That he had guests to entertain?

  “I’d love to.” The beaming smile she received was her reward for giving exactly the right answer.

  That’s how Shane found them—whooping and hurling insults at each other about w
ho was going to get splattered next. He came in and flopped down beside them, watching.

  “How’s the party?” she asked him.

  “In full swing.” His eyes warmed. “I thought I’d see if you wanted to go for a little walk with me.”

  She looked at Drew. “Do you mind?”

  “Nah, go ahead. I’m good.”

  “I think Tommy mentioned he was coming to kick your butt in a bit,” Shane teased.

  “He can try. I’m undefeated!” The boy went back to playing.

  Shane took her hand. “Come with me.”

  She told Drew goodbye, and he just waved without looking up. She let her lover lead her through the crowd, outside to the deck where grilling was underway. Night was falling, the stars peeking out as they made their way down the deck steps and toward the back of the Skylers’ property, by the river.

  “The day was pretty, but it’s getting chilly,” she noted.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.” His grin told her he’d very much enjoy doing it, too.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

  “Why do I get the feeling you planned this?”

  “Because you’re a smart woman and you know me well. I’m devious when I want something, and I’ll stop at nothing to get it.”

  “And what do you want?”

  “You have to ask?” Stopping, he pulled her into his arms. “I want you.”

  His mouth took hers in a deep kiss. Not rough and bruising. Slow and sensual, the type of kiss that heats the body from head to toe. That binds the heart and refuses to let go. It was more than lust, more than desire. This was Shane, wanting her as a man wants his woman, and not just for sex. This was a connection so powerful and sweet, it defied words.

  When he withdrew, he brushed a tendril of hair from her face and stared into her eyes for the longest moment. Like he wanted to take her into himself and never forget a single feature of her face. And she shivered at the knowledge that tonight—right now—meant a turning point in their relationship. For the good.

  Taking her hand again, he led her along the bank, keeping to the trees. He kept a firm hold so she wouldn’t stumble, until at last he reached a clearing in the trees near a deserted stretch of river. They stopped and he pointed.