by Paige Tyler
Selena nodded, already pretty sure she knew where it was. She thought she’d seen a sign out that way the last time she’d driven to Athens to see some friends.
She was about to ask Webber what Brooks was like and what other cops thought about him and whether he was married, but the young officer held up a hand as a string of chatter came over his radio. She had no idea what all the codes and cop speak meant, but Webber obviously did.
“I gotta go,” he said. “They need me out front. You can grab your purse, but don’t try to clean up, okay? This is still a crime scene.”
Then he was gone, leaving her in the middle of the mess that was her classroom. He didn’t need to remind her it was a crime scene. That much was obvious.
Selena was digging her purse out of the big desk positioned in the front of the room when she heard the crunch of shoes on glass. She looked up, expecting to see Webber, and was surprised to see the principal and vice principal, relief on their faces.
“Selena,” Eva said, coming over to wrap her in a warm hug. “I tried to get the hospital to tell us if you were okay, but they wouldn’t release any details. I feared the worst.”
“I’m fine,” Selena said as she pulled back.
The hug reminded her again how bruised her body was. She’d noticed the purplish areas coming up as she’d been getting dressed at the hospital. They hurt like hell, but bruises were better than the alternative of getting shot.
“The doctor kept me for a few hours. He was concerned about a concussion,” she added, wanting Eva to know there was nothing wrong with her. “But I passed all the tests, so they said there’s no reason I can’t go right back to work.”
Eva smiled, the corners of her dark eyes crinkling a little behind her glasses. “I’m glad. We were all worried about you.”
While Selena didn’t doubt the older woman was concerned about her health, Eva’s husband happened to be one of the school board’s lawyers. Sadly, that meant almost everything that came out of Eva’s mouth had something to do with school liability. At the end of the day, Eva was probably more worried Selena’s injuries might end up costing the county somehow.
“Can I get some help cleaning up after the police are done with it?” Selena asked hopefully.
Hugh stepped forward. “This place is going to need more than a quick cleaning, Selena. I have people coming over to board up the windows, but they won’t be able to replace them until later in the week. I’m still working with the county office to find someone who can clean up the blood. There are only so many companies who specialize in that.”
Selena was shocked at the wave of anger that surged through her. She felt like punching a wall right then…or at least screaming. But she couldn’t do either of those things with Eva and Hugh there. So instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the frustration and rage flow over her.
“I guess I can use the library. Or the gym if I have to,” she finally said.
It would be a pain in the butt for sure, but nothing she couldn’t deal with. Then she saw the look that passed between Eva and Hugh, and her stomach twisted up. There was something they weren’t telling her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Had somebody gone after Ruben or her other students because he wouldn’t go with Pablo?
“Nothing is wrong,” Eva said. “But you won’t be teaching any classes this week. You and your students went through a horrible ordeal, and the superintendent wants to make sure all of you get the help you need to process everything that’s happened today.” She exchanged another look with Hugh. “We’ve given the students who witnessed the shooting the rest of the week off so they can see a counselor for post-traumatic stress. We’ve also gotten a substitute for you so you can get counseling.”
Selena stifled a groan. The woman sounded like Dr. Pham. “Eva, I don’t need counseling, and neither do my kids. What they need is to be in school instead of out there on the streets. In here, I can keep them out of trouble. Out there, they’re completely on their own. They’re never going to get counseling, and you know that.”
She didn’t know why she bothered. Eva and Hugh were the kind of people who thought schools were there to teach kids and nothing else. They refused to even consider that for kids like hers, school represented safety from alcohol, drugs, gang violence, abusive parents, and a hundred other things that could screw up their lives. Weekends and summer breaks were bad enough, but a week away from this school after everything they’d seen today was the worst possible thing for her students.
She kept trying anyway, hoping to sway Eva, even attempting to get Hugh on her side, but in the end, it was no use. The lawyers and the school board were doing what they thought was the right thing. There would be no arguing with them.
Selena returned to her desk to grab her purse, mentally putting together a list of which students she’d need to check in on first when Hugh spoke. “Selena, Eva and I were in the SWAT vehicle watching the video when Pablo tried to kill you. And while I know you aren’t the kind to seek out professional counseling for yourself, I hope you’ll take this time off to talk to someone. A friend, your family, a priest. Hell, you can talk to Eva and me if you want. But please, talk to someone. Don’t try to do this alone.”
She opened her mouth to tell him that he needed to spend more time worrying about the kids and less about her but bit her tongue. Hugh was just trying to help. It had been a long, crappy day, and her frustration was getting the best of her. So she nodded and thanked Hugh for his concern, then murmured a few noncommittal words about talking to a friend as she left.
The sun had set while she’d been inside, and the parking lot was now lit with nothing more than a few of those fuzzy orange streetlamps, which was why she almost missed the guy standing beside the car near hers as she approached. Selena slowed, her heart beating faster. She was just wondering if she should go back inside, but then the man stepped into the light. She sagged with relief when she saw it was Ernesto. She hadn’t recognized his car, because it was a new one.
“Hey there, Little Sis,” he said with a grin as he walked over to meet her. “What are you doing messing around with the gangs? Don’t you know that’s my job?”
Selena laughed, her mood immediately lifting as her very best friend in the world pulled her into a hug. While she wasn’t really his baby sister, that had never stopped Ernesto Lopez from treating her like one. Or kept her from accepting him as a stand-in for the real older brother she’d lost a long time ago.
“What are you talking about?” She pulled back to take in his fancy suit, not to mention the shoes that looked like they cost more than her car. “You don’t hang with the gangs anymore. They’re bad for your image.”
Ernesto chuckled. “True.” He gazed down at her, his expression suddenly serious. “I was scared to death when I found out about what happened to you. Are you okay? I came as fast as I could.”
Based on the suit, Selena guessed Ernesto had been in one of his business meetings, maybe even something with the city. He used to be in the gangs years ago and had worked as a high-level lieutenant along with her brother, Geraldo. When Geraldo had gotten killed, that had been the last straw for Ernesto. He’d gotten out, turned his life around, and become a successful businessman. These days, he ran a chain of custom car franchises that stretched all the way from Dallas to California. More than that, he’d become a role model for other gangbangers, showing them it really was possible to get out of the life.
And he’d done it in large part for her. To become the brother she’d lost.
She hugged him again, even if she had to hide a grimace of pain as Ernesto squeezed her. “I’m fine. A little bruised up, but nothing I can’t deal with.”
Ernesto’s eyes hardened at her words, reminding Selena that while he hadn’t been in a gang for nearly a decade, there was still a sense of danger lurking under the surface.
Ernesto frowned, completely aware of what she was doing, but then he flashed her that charming smile he always had for her. “When I got to the hospital and discovered you’d been released already, I figured you were either at your apartment or at school. I came here.”
Selena returned his smile as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “I guess I’m predictable, huh?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I just know you. Even after one of your own students attacks you, the first thing you’re going to do is worry about the other kids in your class.”
Selena could read the disapproval on Ernesto’s face. He’d been trying to get her to move to a different school for years, telling her over and over that it wasn’t her job to save these kids all by herself.
She sighed, really not in the mood to argue tonight. Especially after the day she’d had. “Well, you’ll be happy to know you have nothing to worry about. Not only is my classroom a complete wreck, but the school board has decided I need counseling…along with my entire fourth period class. I’ve been shut down for the rest of the week.”
Ernesto was nice enough not to cheer, but it was obvious he was pleased at the outcome. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you could have been killed today. You need time to deal with that. You can’t help those kids if you don’t take care of yourself first.”
She frowned, not having a counter to that argument. The truth was, Ernesto was right. She had almost died. She simply wasn’t ready to think about it right now. She wasn’t sure when she would be.
“What are you going to do with all that time off?” Ernesto asked.
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess I’ll hang out at my place and catch up on some TV while I work on lesson plans.”
In reality, she’d spend most of the week checking in on her at-risk students, but she wasn’t going to tell Ernesto that. He’d lose his ever-loving mind if he found out she was planning to plant herself right in the middle of some of the worst gang neighborhoods in the city. Then there was her plan to track down that cop who’d saved her life. She doubted Ernesto would like that idea, either. He might be on the right side of the law now, but that didn’t mean he liked cops.
“You could hang out at my place if you want,” her surrogate brother said. “I could take some time off. We could play video games, binge-watch Game of Thrones, or do anything else you want to do.”
Ernesto had an awesome place in Arlington, out past the stadium. It had a ridiculous number of bedrooms, heated pool, movie theater, and all kinds of toys to keep her distracted if that was what she was looking for.
But it wasn’t.
“Thanks,” she said, really appreciating the offer. “But you have a business to run, and this isn’t something another person can help me with—even you. I need to work through it on my own.”
Ernesto opened his mouth to argue but then shook his head as he stepped close and pulled her in for another hug, this one even more gentle than the first. “Okay, I get it. Like I said, I know you. Nobody’s ever going to get you to do something you don’t want to do. But just so you know, my offer stands. If you need a place to get away or just need to talk to someone, I’ll be there.”
She hugged him back, feeling blessed to have someone like Ernesto in her life. He’d been the rock that had kept her sane after losing her brother, and she had no idea where she’d be without him.
Selena watched him drive away, waiting until his taillights disappeared out of the parking lot. Then she turned with a heavy sigh and headed for her car. She reached for the door handle, when she caught movement over by the corner of the school. She looked that way and was surprised to see Ruben standing there, his big shoulder resting against the brick, his expression unreadable.
Something told her he’d been hanging around the school to talk to her. She started across the parking lot, when a police car came around the far side of the building and headed toward her. The vehicle’s appearance startled her, but instead of stepping back in fear, a snarl of anger escaped her lips.
She forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down as the cruiser pulled up beside her. Officer Webber leaned out of the driver’s side window to smile at her.
“I thought you’d already be gone,” he said. “Everything okay?”
She returned his smile, but just barely. Most of her attention was wrapped up in trying to understand why she’d reacted so strangely to seeing his car. If she didn’t know better, it seemed like she’d been ready to attack the damn thing, which was absolutely insane. She glanced over at Ruben, but he was nowhere to be found.
“I was just getting in my car when you came around the corner,” she lied.
She doubted the officer would be thrilled if she mentioned one of her students was wandering around school property at this time of night.
The cop nodded, his smile broadening. “Okay, have a good evening. I hope everything works out getting your classroom back together.”
Selena nodded absently as he drove off, looking around for Ruben again before getting in her car. But like she’d expected, he was gone. She sighed, knowing he wouldn’t have been out here if there wasn’t something seriously wrong. She hoped it wasn’t something involving the Locos. With the way things had gone down in her classroom, she could see the gang blaming Ruben for what had happened to Pablo.
She considered driving around for a while, thinking she might be able to find Ruben, but she realized that would be useless. He could have gone anywhere. She’d stop by his grandmother’s place tomorrow and hope he’d be okay until then. After that, she’d make the circuit to see the rest of the students in her class.
* * *
“Since we’re stuck here with nothing to do while we wait,” Zane said, leaning back in his chair in the Coffield Unit attorney visitation room, “why don’t we talk a little more about this teacher that has you so tied up in knots?”
Brooks groaned, wondering how much longer his friend was going to keep nagging him. During the whole drive to the prison, Zane had peppered him with questions, and now that they were forced to sit on their hands, waiting for the guard to bring in Seth Oliver, he was at it again.
“Let’s not and say we did.”
Beside him, Zane snorted. “Come on. You can’t expect me to just drop this. I saw your face when you carried her out of the classroom. She got to you.”
Brooks looked at him in surprise. “You saw me?”
Zane nodded, the smile that had been on his face earlier fading a bit. “Yeah, on the video feed. I saw you throw yourself in front of her and saw the bullet hit you. When you rolled her over, I thought for sure she’d been hit.”
Brooks swallowed hard, remembering how scared he’d been. “Me too. Even after I realized it was my blood on her sweater, I was still worried she’d been hurt. She looked really out of it.”
“She was in shock,” Zane pointed out. “One of her students tried to kill her. That’s enough to mess anyone up.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Brooks murmured.
He couldn’t shake the little voice in his head that kept trying to tell him there was more to it than that. The way she’d looked at him as he’d carried her out…it was like…well…he didn’t know what it was like. But he’d seen lots of people go into shock before, and it hadn’t looked quite like that.
Zane hooked his thumbs in his equipment belt. “She wasn’t the only one who looked like they were in shock. You looked rattled, too.”
“I was worried we’d lost a hostage. That’s all.”
“Brooks, we’ve been friends since the day you walked into the SWAT compound four years ago. If you want me to mi
nd my own damn business, that’s fine. I won’t push. But if you think I believe that rubbish about you only being worried about a hostage, you’re bonkers.”
“I’m not trying to be a jackass about this, but the truth is, I don’t know what’s going on.” Brooks sighed. “All I can say is that when I looked into Selena’s eyes, something weird happened. I’m still trying to process it all.”
Zane dropped the front legs of the chair he was balancing to the floor with a thud. “What do you mean…weird? Are you suggesting she might be—”
“No!” Brooks said, quickly interrupting Zane before he could get the words out.
Werewolves in the Pack had been stumbling over their soul mates left and right throughout the past year, but he had a difficult time believing that was going on here. He’d know it if Selena was The One for him…wouldn’t he?
“Selena is beautiful, I’ll give you that,” he added. “She was in danger, and that got to me. That’s all I’m saying right now.”
Zane regarded him in silence for a moment, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Okay, I won’t go there—for now. Instead, for the sake of argument, let’s say you and Selena have a connection. Are you planning on seeing her again?”
Shit. He felt like he was going through a cross-examination on the witness stand. “It’ll be too late for that by the time we get back. Even if she’s still at the hospital, visiting hours will be over.”
Zane lifted a brow. “Seriously? You’re a cop. You have her name, and you know what she looks like. It shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to pull her address out of the DMV database.”
Brooks had already thought of that but wasn’t sure that was the best thing to do. “Doesn’t that seem kind of stalkerish?”
His friend considered that. “Okay, I see your point. Some people don’t see the inherent romance in knowing how easy it is for Big Brother to track them down. You could always stop by the school in the morning before class.”