by Sarah Curtis
She watched after him as he was wheeled away, thinking that was only one of the many reasons why she loved him.
If only forgiveness could come so easily.
Dean
Dean stormed the corridors, searching for Sadie. Everything had taken longer than he thought it would, and that put him on edge.
After his CT scan, which revealed no head trauma, a plastic surgeon had been called to stitch up his wound. He didn’t give a shit how it healed—what was one more scar? But try and explain that to anyone. So there he sat and waited. Then waited some more to be discharged.
She’d said she wouldn’t leave without him.
He needed to believe that was true.
He reached the nurses’ station, but Sadie wasn’t there. The blonde behind the counter looked up from her task, and reading the fierce expression on his face correctly, answered before he could ask. “She’s in with a patient.”
He hadn’t realized how rigid he’d been holding himself until he felt his body relax.
She hadn’t left.
He forced a smile his ass was too tired to feel. “Tell Sadie I’m in the waiting room when she’s ready to leave.”
The nurse smiled—hers didn’t seem forced. “Sure thing.”
He pushed through the double doors that separated the patient area of the ER from the main entrance and scanned the room, finding an empty patch of seats in a far corner. He sat, pulled out his phone, and checked the time. It was three a.m. in Tennessee. He hesitated, his thumb hovering over Cobi’s name for a full thirty seconds before he thought fuck it and tapped the screen.
It rang four times. Dean was just thinking he would need to leave a message when Cobi answered—well, sort of. “Hmm?”
“Sorry, did I wake you?” A smile pulled at his lips. He knew he had.
A rustle of fabric and some nondescript noises filled his ear before Cobi replied, “What the fuck time is it?”
“O-dark-hundred.”
“Hrmph.”
Dean heard water running and a moment later, the flush of a toilet. “Bro, did you just take a piss while on the phone with me?”
The noise of a door clicking shut followed by an exhalation of air had Dean picturing Cobi flopping down on the couch. “You wake me up, that’s the consequence.”
Now that Cobi sounded slightly awake, Dean got to the purpose of the call. “Sadie knows.”
“Fuck. How’d she take it?”
“Better than I thought she would. Not as well as I’d hoped.”
Cobi snorted in his ear. “Hoped she’d be so relieved you’re not a drug dealer, she’d rush into your arms and smother you with kisses?”
It was Dean’s turn to snort. “Maybe not quite that dramatic, but yeah, something like that.”
“Give her time. It’s a lot to take in. How’d she find out? Did your case finally close?”
“My case closed, and she found out when I showed up at the hospital in an ambulance.”
“Whoa, wait a minute, you were hurt? I think you need to start this story from the beginning.”
He did, filling Cobi in, leaving out the boring bits—like the CT scan and plastic surgeon. “Now, other than taking her home and locking her in my bedroom until she forgives me, I’m not sure what to do.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“It’s a terrible idea. It’s called kidnapping. That’s against the law, and in case you’ve forgotten in the past two minutes, I am the law.”
“Not the part where you lock her up, the taking her home part. Take her home and keep her there.”
“And how do you suggest I keep her there if I don’t lock her up?”
“Bro, if you don’t know the answer to that, you’ve got worse problems than Sadie being mad at you.”
“Hardy fuckin’ har har. Please tell me Hadley had a better idea.”
Cobi snorted again. “She said to come clean and start over.”
“What does that mean?”
“Bro, you really are clueless. Pretend like you never met. Introduce yourself. Take her on a first date. Shit like that.”
Dean’s mind started spinning. “And Hadley thinks that will work?”
“She said—” He cut himself off. “Shit. Hadley’s calling me. Got to go, bro. Good luck.”
The line went dead. Well, shit. Pocketing his phone, Dean tipped his head back and closed his eyes.
He needed to plan.
How could he meet Sadie for the first time while sitting there waiting for her? And how did he take her on a first date when he’d already promised to take her to see her brother the next day?
He wasn’t sure how it happened with his brain feeling like sludge, but inspiration struck. He didn’t like what he was about to do but trusted Hadley to know women better than he did. Pulling out his phone, he sent a text to Sadie and made a phone call.
Then got up and left the hospital.
Chapter Thirteen
Sadie
Sadie had just poured her second cup of coffee for the morning when the doorbell rang. She answered it, expecting Dean. Who she got was a stranger.
“Ms. Pierce?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Agent Davis. I’m here to take you to see your brother.”
To say she was confused by the turn of events would be an understatement.
After extracting a promise for her to wait for him the night before, Dean had bailed on her, texting a terse excuse that something unexpected had come up and he’d see her the next day.
A little irritated and a lot disappointed, she still understood his life was crazy at the moment so had been forgiving. But her forgiveness would only go so far, especially as he had a lot to make up for. So far, he wasn’t doing a bang-up job.
“Let me grab my purse.”
Agent Davis was not a gabber, so the drive was conducted in silence apart from the radio, playing so low, Sadie couldn’t tell what she was listening to. She used the time to scroll through her phone—no missed calls or texts from Dean—and ponder.
Instead of worrying about how much trouble Ray was in or if they could afford a decent lawyer or how she was going to break the news to their mom, she obsessed over Dean’s actions from the night before and that morning and what they could mean. Was he really so busy he couldn’t be bothered?
They pulled into the parking lot of the police station, and Agent Davis drove around the building to park in a section not accessible to the general public.
The skies had been overcast for the past couple of days, but Mother Nature had decided that moment would be a good time to open up. It started with a few splashes on the windshield that turned into a steady stream in the time it took Agent Davis to park.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have an umbrella.” He pulled the keys from the ignition and slipped them into the pocket of his suit jacket.
Sadie shrugged. “A little rain never hurt anyone.”
But in saying that, she did sprint to the building’s overhang so she wouldn’t get too wet. Agent Davis walked at a more leisurely pace, his buzz-cut hairstyle not affected in the least from the steady downpour.
He punched a button to gain access to the building, flashing his credentials at the camera. A buzz sounded and Davis opened the door, holding it for her to step inside first.
Sadie had never been in a police station, so her only reference was from the police dramas she’d seen on TV. They had gotten it mostly right, though she was sure not all were the same.
The soles of her wet sneakers squeaked against the gray linoleum as she followed Davis down a hall that led to more hallways. He took the one that branched to the right, stopping in front of a large window that revealed a mid-sized room, too big for the lone metal table and two folding chairs that occupied it.
Her brother sat in one of the chairs. Across from him, in the other, sat Dean, looking sharp in a dark suit and tie with his hair neatly styled and cut shorter than
she’d ever seen it. If she’d had any doubts he was a government agent, they were dispelled in that moment.
Davis knocked on the glass, and both looked over, but it was Dean who stood, moving to the door. It was opened by a guard, and Dean stepped out, shutting it behind him.
His eyes landed on her for the barest of seconds before moving to Davis who stood behind her. Appearing formidable, he curtly dipped his chin. “Davis.”
“Conner,” Davis spoke over her head. “This is Sadie Pierce. She’s here to see her brother.”
“Oh, we—” she started to say, but Dean interrupted her.
He held out a hand. “Agent Conner. Nice to meet you, Miss Pierce. It is Miss, isn’t it?”
What was he playing at? And wait a minute, Conner? His last name was really Conner? “Yes.” She slipped her hand in his. “And the verdict’s still out on whether it’s nice meeting you, Agent Conner.”
She heard a chuckle that turned into an exaggerated cough from Davis, but she didn’t take her eyes off Dean.
He dropped her hand to place his on the doorknob. “I’m sure you’re anxious to see Ray.” He opened the door. “We’ll be out here when you’re done. The guard will let you out when you’re ready.”
Sadie stepped into the room, turning to look behind her when she heard the door click shut. Her eyes landed on a large mirror in the same spot as the window on the other side. One-way glass. Something else she’d only seen on TV and in movies.
She turned back to face her brother. He didn’t appear any worse for wear in the twelve-plus hours he’d been locked up. In fact, he looked as he usually did, minus the gray coveralls that’d been exchanged for his street clothes.
“Hey, sis.” His sheepish gaze followed her as she made her way to the empty chair.
“Hey.” She took a seat, folding her hands on the table. Noticing she’d mimicked Ray’s posture—except his wrists were encircled by cuffs—she quickly moved her hands to her lap, rubbing her palms over her jean-covered thighs. “How, um…” She cleared her throat. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good. All things considered.” He paused for a few beats before adding, “Thanks to Dean.”
Her gaze flew up to meet his. “Dean?”
“Yeah. I’d be in a world of hurt if it weren’t for him.” He sighed. “I don’t know how much you figured out, but I was in deep with some really bad people.”
“The ones who gave you the loan to open your business?”
“Loan?” Ray snorted. “More like life sentence. I would’ve never gotten out from under their thumb without turning up dead somewhere.”
“Don’t say things like that.”
“It’s true.” He leaned forward, putting more weight on his forearms. “Listen, I know we haven’t been close since I left the service, and that’s my fault. I didn’t want to get you and Ma mixed up in my mess. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all this, it’s the importance of friends and family. Dean threw me a lifeline. I’ll forever be grateful for that.”
“You still haven’t told me what he did.”
“He brought me into the fold. Got me a deal. Reduced sentence.” He shook his head. “I was looking at thirty years if I got caught. Dean knocked it back to two.”
“Two years?” Her mind swam. She realized it could’ve been a lot worse, but two years in prison seemed like a lifetime.
He opened his hands, palms up and shrugged as best he could. “It’s a shorter stint than when I served in the Corps. It’ll be over before we know it.”
When she didn’t comment, he continued. “Dean’s a good guy, Sadie. I know it was wrong for him to deceive you, but it’s not like he’s some lowlife asshole who lied for no good reason. He did it to protect you.” His eyes, looking more serious than she’d ever seen them, bore into hers. “To protect me.”
She bowed her head. “I know.” And she did. “It’s just hard to forgive him. Hell, I didn’t even know his real name until a few minutes ago.”
“A name doesn’t make the man, Sadie.”
She popped her head up. “You think I should forgive him?”
He smirked. “I think you need to give him hell for a little while and then forgive him.”
Sadie smiled for the first time since she entered the room. “Don’t think I’ll have too much trouble doing that.”
Big talk, she only hoped she could follow through.
Dean
Dean watched Sadie take a seat at the table before turning narrowed eyes on Davis. “She’s wet.”
Davis raised his brows. “Pardon?”
Dean wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much, other than the fact he wouldn’t have let it happen. “Her hair is wet.” Along with her tee shirt, which he noticed the guard’s eyes were trained on. His jaw hardened. He’d be having words with him, too.
Davis shrugged. “It started raining when we got here.”
“And instead of pulling up to the door to let her out, you made her walk through it?”
“Jesus Christ, man, she’s not the Wicked Witch of the West. She won’t melt from a drop of water.”
Dean set his jaw and trained his eyes forward. He reminded himself that Davis had done him a favor by bringing Sadie there and let the subject drop. Instead, he focused on his girl.
She relaxed in stages—her shoulders loosened, and her fidgeting lessened until she stopped adjusting herself in her seat altogether. He couldn’t hear what was being said, so he concentrated on her face, watching for any signs of distress, ready to step in if need be.
“I’m gonna grab a cup of coffee. You want one?”
Dean didn’t pull his gaze from Sadie. “I’m good.”
He heard Davis shuffle off, and a few minutes later, Sadie stood. He tracked her as she moved across the room and said something to the guard. A moment later, the door opened, and Sadie stepped out.
She paused in the doorway when seeing him, and fuck him, he couldn’t tell if her hesitation was good or bad. He did know he was the cause of it, regardless.
Finally, she moved, and he met her halfway. “Get everything squared away?”
“Yeah. Thanks for arranging that.”
He wanted to reach out and touch her. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets. But he did look his fill—from the bright green of her eyes to the fullness of her lips. He even counted the dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose to make sure she hadn’t gained any new ones since the last time he’d checked.
“You’re staring.”
A small smile twisted his lips. “Working up the nerve to ask you out.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve never known you to lack confidence.”
“When the answer is so important, I do.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she jutted her chin out. “If you do ask, why should I agree?”
He took a tiny step closer. Just close enough for the material of his suit jacket to brush her arm. Goosebumps appeared on her skin. Her reaction made him bolder. “Because I’d be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
“Or you might be my biggest mistake.”
As a shot, it hit its mark, straight to the center of his chest. He had to touch her. Cupping the side of her neck, he used his thumb to put pressure under her chin and tilted her head back. He dropped his until their faces were a breath apart. “Let me take you to dinner, Sadie.”
Her pulse quickened under his fingers, and her tongue peeked out to lick her bottom lip before her teeth grazed it. She was thinking too hard. He needed to do something to distract her.
Skimming his cheek alongside hers, he brought his lips to her ear. “Say yes, baby.”
He waited for what felt like forever and right when he thought she wouldn’t respond, he heard a quiet, “Okay.”
His eyes fell shut, and the breath he’d been holding escaped in a soft rush. He raised his head and swiped his thumb along her jaw. “You won’t regret it.”
<
br /> She didn’t get a chance to respond to his bold statement because Davis chose that moment to make a reappearance. “You ready, Ms. Pierce?”
Sadie took a hasty step away, dislodging his hand. “Y… Yes.” Sidestepping a few more times, she planted herself firmly in the middle of the hall and well out of his reach.
Dean waited until she was walking away with Davis before calling, “Miss Pierce?”
She stopped, looking behind her.
“I’ll pick you up at your place. Six o’clock.”
She hesitated so long, he thought she would change her mind. His gut clenched and he scrambled, trying to come up with something else to convince her. But then he saw it, the barest of smiles curved her lips.
“You don’t know where I live.”
Relief washed through him and he smiled back. “I’ll figure it out.”
Chapter Fourteen
Dean
Dean knocked on Sadie’s door at five fifty-nine. He’d thought about waiting until her next day off to ask her out so he could recreate their first date but didn’t for two reasons. One, as fantastic as their first date had gone, he was starting fresh, and that meant he wanted a new set of memories. And second, he was impatient. Waiting for her day off would take too fucking long even if it was only the next day.
The door opened, and Maggie, Sadie’s roommate, shot him a glare. “She’ll be out in a minute. And no, I’m not going to ask you in.”
The door slammed in his face.
Dean smirked while settling back against the wall and crossing his arms to wait. Guess she was still mad from their last encounter.
Sadie didn’t keep him waiting long, the door opening a minute later. She was beautiful. Not that she wasn’t always, but she’d put in a little extra effort—curling her hair so it fell in waves down her back and wearing red lipstick instead of the plain gloss she usually wore. He hoped that effort was for and not in spite of him.
“Sorry about Maggie.” Sadie’s expression turned sheepish, and he could imagine the conversation they’d had.