Tactical Pursuit

by Lynette Mae

  She leaned closer. “Jillian don’t you quit on us now. Mac loves you. She needs you, and so do I.” That was the absolute truth. Devon fought the new tears that filled her eyes. She reached up to stroke Jill’s hair while she spoke. “I know you tried to save me from the investigation back in Boston. You didn’t turn your back on me. Guess it was easier for me to be angry with you than to accept what we couldn’t change. You know how stubborn I am.” She laughed mirthlessly. “I’m sorry about the raid. I should have taken the front. I hope you know if I could go back and change it, I would. Anyway, please keep fighting. I’m begging you. Mac and I—we never thought we’d have another shot at love. You and Jessie are like miracles, and we’re not letting you go. You hear me? Please. We’re your family.” She swallowed hard and kissed Jillian’s hand. “I love you, Jill.”

  “She knows.” Mac placed a hand on her shoulder, and Devon wondered how long Mac had been standing there, not that it really mattered. She straightened and continued to stroke the top of Jillian’s head. Her other hand found Mac’s and squeezed. “We’ll all get through this, Mac. I love you. Both of you.” Tears spilled out and rolled down her cheeks.

  Devon stood and pulled Mac into a tight hug. They held each other and let their emotions flow, matching one another tear for tear. Finally, she composed herself enough to look into Mac’s eyes. “She really loves you. Before we hit the place, when you told us you had an eye on us from the air, remember?”

  Mac nodded, her swollen eyes filling again.

  “She looked up to the chopper—at you—and when she turned back to me, I could see it. Feel it. Love was so pure and intense in her eyes. I know that woman. She adores you.”

  “Thanks for that.” Mac leaned in and took Jillian’s hand again, then sat down heavily.

  “I’ve gotta get back to Jess. Don’t forget, Conner’s right outside if you need anything.”

  Mac nodded.

  “I’ll be back later.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  DEVON’S CELL PHONE rang. She jumped and silenced it, casting a quick glance at the bed. Jessie still slept soundly. Her parents had arrived the night before and her mom was sitting in a chair next to the bed across from Devon, humming, “You Are My Sunshine.” Devon smiled and pointed to the phone and the hallway. Mrs. Kilbride winked at her and went back to her knitting.

  Devon pulled the door closed behind her and hit redial on the phone.

  Kelsey picked up on the first ring.

  “What’s up, Kelse?”

  “First, how’s Jessie?”

  “Better, thanks,” Devon said. “Looks as though she’ll be released in a couple of days.”

  “Excellent. What about Jillian?”

  “They’ve upgraded her to stable, and she’s awake, but still in the ICU. Doc’s happy with the progress her lungs are making. She’s still doped up on loads of pain meds.” Devon shuddered thinking about third degree burns to about thirty percent of Jill’s body. “She’ll need skin grafts. They’re cautiously optimistic, but she’s got a lot of recovery ahead of her.”

  “That’s too bad. Give her my best, okay?”

  “I will. Did you call just to check prognoses or was there something else?”

  Kelsey laughed. “You know me too well. I knew you’d want to get the news right away. The ballistics from Honeycutt’s gun recovered at the scene of the raid matched the slug Johnson dug out of the tree at the location of your shooting. The kid you shot was one of Scooby’s runners. Apparently Scooby’s orders were to dump the gun in the river, but instead, someone sold it to Junior for some quick cash. The good word is that you’re cleared, my friend. They’re working on the press release as we speak.”

  “Wow,” was all Devon could manage. She’d walked to the end of the corridor during the conversation and now she headed back toward Jessie’s room.

  “And,” Kelsey continued, “we got a tip about Roy moving a new shipment of cars. Caught his crew red-handed at the port. Nate’s going with me to put the pinch on Roy tonight. You want to go? After all, it was as much your work as mine that got him.”

  “That’s okay, Kelse. Now that Honeycutt is gone, I don’t feel any angst over needing closure. I put in for leave to spend time with Jessie. This is where I need to be.”

  “I understand. I’ll call you when we’ve got Roy. Hell, I don’t think you’ve taken a vacation in years, have you? Go be with your girl. She might need some physical therapy.” Kelsey chuckled.

  Devon played along. “Whatever it takes.”

  “All’s well that ends well, buddy.”

  “Thanks for the update, Kelse. That’s all great news.”

  Devon disconnected the call and stood there a minute, soaking all of the information in. Finally, she could stop worrying about Honeycutt and the IA investigations altogether. It seemed too good to be true. She laughed out loud and breezed back into Jessie’s room to share the good news.

  “I don’t want you in here.” Devon skidded to a halt. Jessie’s mother was at the foot of the bed, her statement directed at a dark-haired woman standing with her back to the door.

  “Mrs. K, what’s up?”

  “Devon,” she half whispered, “I want her to go.”

  The dark-haired woman spun around to glare at Devon. “How could you let this happen?”

  “Angela, what the fu–” Devon glanced at Mrs. Kilbride and then to Jessie, but she still appeared to be sleeping. She lowered her voice. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was worried about Jessie. You think you’re the only one who cares about her, but you’re wrong. And if this is how you take care of her, she’d be better off with me. At least I never let some asshole from my past get so out of control that they hurt her. She could’ve been killed, goddamn you.” Angry tears sprang to Angela’s eyes as she ranted. She stepped up into Devon’s face.

  “Devon...” Mrs. Kilbride’s voice held a warning.

  “I’ve got it Mrs. K. Outside,” she growled at Angela.

  Out in the hallway, Devon’s anger burned through her. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Angela’s accusations re-ignited her own internal recriminations and gave her a place to put the rest of her rage. She grabbed two fistfuls of Angela’s shirt and pulled her from the doorway. Oh, they were gonna have this out, all right, but not in front of Jess.

  Angela continued her tirade. “I heard all about it. It’s all over the station how this guy is some psycho from your past. I should just kick your ass for getting her hurt.” She tried unsuccessfully to break Devon’s grip.

  Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she pushed Angela against the wall. This woman needed to understand that Jessie’s life was none of her business anymore. Who the fuck did she think she was, coming here and trying to bully her way into things? Did she think Devon was intimidated by her? Or was she just nuts?

  “You know nothing. My past and Jessie’s and my personal business are none of your concern. I told you before to leave her alone, and I swear I won’t tell you again.”

  “You’re a bitch, and Jessie deserves better.”

  Devon smelled alcohol on Angela’s breath and her anger rose. “And you’re a drunk.” She pushed off of Angela and stepped away, knowing there was no point in trying to reason with her. She cocked her head to peek into the room to make sure Jessie was still sleeping, and only caught sight of Angela’s wild swing at the last second. Devon ducked and grasped her arm, twisting and driving Angela to the floor.

  Angela let out a grunt when her body hit the tile, then yelled a string of expletives. Devon looked up and met Jessie’s eyes. The initial horrified expression gave way to what looked a lot like disappointment. Shit. The charge nurse told them she was calling security, and then the intercom sounded, doing just that. Angela shouted that she was a police sergeant and that she wanted Devon arrested for assault. Orderlies and two security guards came rushing at them.

  Devon stood and backed away, holding her arms in the air. Her eyes
never left Jessie’s, silently begging her to understand that this was not what it looked like.

  One of the guards grabbed onto Devon’s arm, but when he eyed her SWAT t-shirt and fatigues, he hesitated. The charge nurse clarified. “She took a swing.” She pointed at Angela, who was picking herself up off the floor.

  Jessie’s mother chimed in, “Yes, please ask her to leave.”

  Angela swore as the guards took her arms. “I’m a fucking police sergeant, let me go!”

  “Ma’am,” the guard tried to get through to her, “please calm down.”

  “Devon, do something,” Jessie said.

  Knowing she could do nothing but whatever Jessie asked, Devon stepped forward. “Listen, guys,” she pulled her badge out of her pocket. “I’m Corporal James and this is Sergeant Ricci. We’re from Tampa.”

  Angela started to say something. Devon nudged her, muttering, “Shut up, Angela. Unless you want to end up in the Orange County Jail tonight.” She continued talking to the guards. “We really didn’t mean any harm. We’ve...uhh, all had a rough couple of days.” She looked at the nurse, “Ma’am, I’m very sorry for the trouble.” Devon checked to see if Jessie was still watching. She was, and obviously fully expecting more.

  Devon said more assertively, “I promise there will be no more trouble. I’ll take full responsibility. You have my word. No hard feelings, right, Angela?” She extended her hand and waited until Angela grudgingly took it.

  The nurse said, “I know it’s been hard on all of you, but just remember, I have patients healing. One more outburst and I’ll have both of you removed.” Her stern look punctuated the sentence.

  “Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” Devon said. She snuck a look at Jessie, who was smiling now.

  Angela mumbled an apology and something about needing to get back to Tampa. She quickly exited. Devon watched her walk down the hall feeling alternately irritated and sorry for her. She knew that Jessie was too kind of a soul to ever ignore someone in need, but Angela was taking advantage of her good nature, and she pushed Devon’s patience to the limit. Still, she had promised Jess that she would try to be nice, and instead, she’d lost her temper. Damn. She sighed heavily and headed into Jessie’s room to face the music.

  Mrs. Kilbride was adjusting the pillows behind Jessie. She shook her head when she saw Devon in the doorway, but couldn’t hide a smile.

  “Mom, could you give us a minute?” Jessie asked.

  “Sure, honey. I’ll just go get some coffee. Can I bring you some?” She directed the question at Devon.

  “Sure, thanks.”

  Neither Devon nor Jessie spoke while her mother gathered her purse and headed down the hall.

  Devon approached the side of the bed cautiously, watching for clues to her reaction. Jessie arched an eyebrow. Devon stopped at the railing, pushing her hands into her pockets, and dropped her eyes to the metal. “Jess, I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

  Jessie held her hand out and Devon took it.

  “Could you do something for me?” Jessie’s tone was almost matter-of-fact and the change made Devon look up at her.

  “Anything.”

  “Stop apologizing when you’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “But, I promised you...”

  Jessie tugged on Devon’s hand to bring her closer. “Kiss me.”

  Devon kissed Jessie tenderly, trying to express every ounce of her love and commitment. A tiny, emotional sound escaped her throat when Jessie’s lips opened to her. Everything in her life paled in comparison to her love for Jessie, and there was nothing Devon wouldn’t do to prove it. The kiss deepened and her heart raced. Jessie shifted beneath her and moaned, but this sound was pain accompanied by a flinch. Devon pulled away, horrified that she’d hurt her. “Jess?” Her eyes raked over Jessie’s body trying to see what she’d done. “Shit, I’m sorry. Where did I hurt you?”

  “It’s okay, you didn’t do anything. My medicine is wearing off a bit, I guess.”

  “I’ll get the nurse,” Devon said. She turned toward the door, but Jessie grabbed her arm.

  “No. Please stay here with me. I have something I want to say.” She patted the bed next to her. Devon sat carefully, trying not to cause any more pain. Jessie waited for her to settle and took Devon’s hand, looking at her seriously. “I’m sorry that Angela keeps pushing your buttons. She’s got issues, but that’s no excuse, and I was wrong to make you feel as though I was siding with her.”

  “I’m trying to work on my temper.”

  “You’re fine. I know that you never go looking for a fight. Defending yourself—or me—is entirely different.”

  “You make me want to be a better person,” Devon said.

  Jessie cupped Devon’s cheek in her hand. “I love you exactly the way you are.”

  The devotion in her eyes nearly brought Devon to tears.

  After a pause, she shifted gears. “Now, I remembered earlier that there was an explosion, and people got hurt. How’s Jillian?”

  “She’s umm...” Devon looked away, trying to think of the easiest way to say it, and deciding to accentuate the positive. “She came through surgery. There was some shrapnel in her arms and legs. They got that out. The blast burned her lungs and some of her skin, though, so they still have her in ICU. The first twenty-four hours were critical, and she’s past that.” Devon drew a deep breath and finished resolutely, “She’ll be okay.”

  Tears blurred Jessie’s eyes and she nodded. “How’s Mac holding up?”

  “As well as can be expected. Her cousin’s with her, so that’s good.”

  Jessie tilted her head to meet Devon’s eyes. “How are you doing?”

  “Fine.” She dropped her gaze to the bed.

  “It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling, honey. Jill is important to you, I get that. You don’t have to worry about keeping that from me.”

  Devon looked up at her gratefully. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  Jessie smiled and Devon’s heart lifted. “The doctor says they want me to get out of bed ASAP. Will you take me to see Jill tomorrow?”

  “Sure, baby. Anything you want.” Devon laid her head across Jessie’s lap and melted into her warmth, floating in the happiness that she hadn’t lost her, and drawing comfort to ease her fears for Jill. Maybe, she thought, things were finally going to be all right. She drifted off to sleep with Jessie softly humming and stroking her hair.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  DEVON FLOATED, SUSPENDED in blue-green warmth. Sounds—voices from somewhere above her—were unintelligible. Kicking forcefully, she propelled herself upward through the liquid world toward the light. She surfaced silently from the depths, and immediately felt the warmth of the sun bathing her skin, just before a familiar tender touch drew her into a firm embrace. A tongue traced the outline of her mouth before soft, pliable lips took hers, moving sweetly, caressing deliciously. Now she was floating again. This time, she drifted in a sea of sensations brought on by the exquisite kiss.

  “Am I dreaming?” Devon wrapped her arms around Jessie through the water.

  “Mmm, I don’t think so.” Jessie tasted her way beneath Devon’s jaw and down her neck. “But I’ll keep going until I convince you.”

  Devon chuckled softly and dropped her head back, affording her lover full access to the tender skin beneath her ear. A shiver rippled through her. She reveled in the majesty of the feelings: the heat of the sun, the cool flow of the water, the brush of the tropical breeze on her skin. The feel of Jessie’s arms around her eclipsed all else, firmly anchoring and reassuring her that the world was right and she was well loved. Her hand found Jessie’s breast and tweaked the nipple through the nylon of the swimsuit, bringing it instantly to rigid attention. Jessie smiled against Devon’s lips.

  “Happy?” Jessie asked.

  “Deliriously.” Devon pulled their hips together.

  “Hey, you two, let’s go. We’d like to eat sometime tonight,” Mac shouted from the boat.

  Jill
ian stood beside her on the deck with a crutch under one arm and the other arm curved around Mac’s waist. She looked incredible despite the brace on her leg and a bandage on her arm from the final skin graft. They’d spent the day on Mac’s boat, enjoying the sunshine and the water. Jillian had to stay beneath the canopy of the boat due to the sensitivity of the new skin. With the exception of a quick dip, Mac had remained by her side all day. Devon still couldn’t quite believe how well Jillian was recovering after only three months.

  Devon rolled her eyes. “We were waiting for the boat to stop rocking.”

  Mac laughed out loud. “Look who’s talking.” She reached out a hand to help Jessie climb on board. When Mac offered her hand, Devon jerked her over the side and into the water. She laughed heartily when Mac surfaced, wide-eyed and sputtering.

  “Devon!” Jessie gasped.

  “Oops, sorry,” Devon said with mock sincerity for Jessie’s benefit.

  “You are not,” Mac said, but then she was chuckling too. She grabbed Devon and dunked her under the water in retaliation.

  When they popped back up, they both said “Ass,” in unison, then burst into new fits of laughter. Devon marveled at the exquisite gift of this lighthearted moment after all they’d been through so recently.

  They were still grinning a short time later when they pulled up anchor, preparing to return to the marina. Mac had promised Jessie a turn at the helm and the two were chatting about boats and learning to water ski as children. Jessie opened up the throttle when they cleared the channel.

  Devon took a seat beneath the canopy next to Jillian. Jill’s rich auburn hair whipped around her, and she tilted her face into the wind while the sun set the western sky ablaze with color beyond her. She looked relaxed and very content leaning against the rail, her eyes closed, obviously enjoying the moment. The sight triggered memories of a younger Jillian, and it made Devon smile to recall their history with fondness. No sparks. No anguish. Just a warm sense of understanding, and maybe even belonging.