Benz stopped and gave him the once over. Her lips curled into a smirk. “It’s okay. You can admit that he’s rubbing off on you.”
Alvin let out a bark of laughter.
“Besides,” Benz continued, “if you keep eating things like that”—she pointed toward the pastry in his hand—“you’ll be trying to tone your arms and legs too, like Emmet.”
Alvin laughed again.
Rebecca couldn’t help it; she was amused as well. She smiled and shook her head at their exchange.
Mark pointed toward the box on Rebecca’s desk. “Chocolate croissants. Rebecca brought ’em. You want one?”
Lieutenant Benz moved toward him. “Oh hell yes. I do. I really do.”
“Take two,” Rebecca encouraged.
Benz glanced her way and raised a brow. “I see you, Detective Wells.” She bared her teeth in that weird smile of hers. “Keep working the room.” She scooped up two croissants and walked toward her office like she had all the time in the world.
“Interestin’ lady,” Rebecca whispered.
“Huh?” Mark shoved more pastry into his mouth.
“Nothin’.”
He swallowed and licked his fingers. “Good. So you with me today?”
“Yeah, I’m in.”
Mark leaned toward her and dipped his head. The fluorescent light hit his bald spot, making it look shiny. “It’s okay. I know you like me best. It’ll be our lil secret.” He smirked, and his eyes twinkled with amusement.
She had paired herself with him every day last week and had started off this week with more of the same. Rebecca found that his temperament fit hers. He was a straight shooter, right down the center, and so far, Alvin had been a little too much to one side of that same target, and Emmet too much to the other. Not that they weren’t good cops. Their closure rates spoke for themselves, but Rebecca had made the decision last week that she’d dabble with them and stick with Mark a majority of the time if she couldn’t handle a case alone. “No comment.”
He chuckled.
Emmet walked around them and sat down at his desk. “Ugh, I can’t eat that.” He reached for one anyway and shoved almost half of it in his mouth. Leaning back in his chair, Emmet moaned. “You’re gonna make me fat.”
Rebecca dropped her eyes down to his pot belly.
His eyes widened as he gave her a horrified look. “What? I work out.”
“Arms and chest?” Mark’s tone was gleefully teasing.
“Well…” Emmet sputtered. “Legs too! I work out. For real!” He devoured the rest of the croissant and reached for another one.
“How long have we worked together, Em?” Mark tilted his head and stared at him.
“I do! You’re not with me twenty-four-seven. There’re things about me you don’t know.”
“Sure, you’re right.” Mark turned away.
Rebecca sat at her desk across from Emmet, who continued to grumble even as he reached for a third pastry. Good thing she’d scarfed down one when they were still warm and gooey. She raised a brow at Emmet and he looked back sheepishly as he wiped his mouth.
“Thanks for breakfast.”
“You’re welcome.” Pastries, donuts, and biscuits weren’t much by any stretch of the imagination, but it was Rebecca’s way of settling in and forming rapport with her team. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t done before, but she had to do better than she did in Savannah, getting past common courtesy and superficial niceties. Rebecca was home now. She planned on staying and putting down roots.
“Okay, Pete, have someone escort her up.” Mark hung up his phone, and Rebecca turned to look at him.
“We got somethin’?”
“Yeah, saddle up. A scared mother in tears. They had a hard time understanding everything, but they got the gist. Told them to send her straight to us. We can pull the uniforms in if need be.”
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. It wasn’t exactly procedure, but so far no one had gotten on their backs about it. Rebecca nodded. She’d been sifting through active cases, hoping that fresh eyes would shed some light on them. She’d been totally focused the first hour, but then her mind had started to wander to Dani. There was no competition after that point.
Rebecca wanted many things from her, and she’d recently added one more thing to the pile. When they were together, animosity ran rampant, at least on Dani’s part, but there was an undercurrent that sizzled as well. Rebecca wasn’t ashamed to admit that she wanted it to grow, despite it all. Maybe she was a sucker for pain as long as it had a pleasurable edge to it. She stood and refocused herself. She had to.
“Mrs. Dorset, let me make sure I understand you. Right now, Shane is with a sitter?” Mark asked. His expression was for the most part flat, but his eyes were kind as he talked to Shane’s mother.
“Yes, I know it sounds crazy.”
“No, we just wanna make sure we have a clear picture of what’s goin’ on,” Rebecca said. “Your ex-husband has threatened to take him. Is that correct?”
Mrs. Dorset closed her eyes and sighed. The sound was heavy with exasperation. She opened her eyes again and stared right at Rebecca. “Many times. I’ve even caught him trying to pick him up from school last week. Now, I’ve been getting there extra early just in case. The school wasn’t even going to call me because he has joint custody, if you want to call it that. He has every other weekend, but I’ve stopped that after he said it wasn’t enough anymore and made threats. I know I’m violating the court order, but what else am I supposed to do? They don’t know him. When he wants something, he goes after it until he gets it.” Her tone was pleading as she continued to look at Rebecca.
Rebecca reached out to her, touching her arm in hopes that the connection was soothing. “You’re scared, and you’re tryin’ to be proactive.”
Nodding, Mrs. Dorset also started to cry again. “Yes, I’m not making this up. I know him. So please…”
After giving Mrs. Dorset’s arm a supportive squeeze, Rebecca peered up and caught Mark’s gaze. He shook his head.
“Mrs. Dorset—” Rebecca decided to be the one to break the news.
“No, no! Don’t fucking tell me there’s nothing you can do!”
Rebecca’s stomach tightened in sympathy.
Mark added, “I’m sorry, Mrs.—”
“You don’t get to sit here and tell me that I have to wait until he’s kidnapped my son to do anything!” Mrs. Dorset jumped up. Her hands were fisted, and Rebecca couldn’t blame her one bit for the impulse to use them. The tension in the room was thick and chewy, making it a little harder to deal with, but a kernel of an idea took root in Rebecca’s head.
“You violatin’ the custody agreement might totally negate this, but do you personally feel threatened or harassed by him?”
Mrs. Dorset laughed, but she wasn’t smiling. “The last six months of our marriage and every day since.”
“You’ve pretty much outlined a pattern of behavior, especially if it’s hinted at in the divorce or custody proceedings,” Mark chimed in. “It could be enough to charge him with stalking, and with a good lawyer, it may be enough to get a restraining order. That’s not much, but it’s something.” He sounded relieved.
“It was brought up during the custody hearing. That’s why he got so little time with Shane. He had to get counseling, do some anger management, and in a year there’s a possibility of him getting more visitation.” Mrs. Dorset sat back down.
God, that was sad to hear. Rebecca wondered what went through some judges’ heads sometimes. The truth of the matter was that even if Mrs. Dorset had come to report an actual kidnapping, nine times out of ten it would be looked at as a family issue.
“My lawyer was pathetic. Do you know somebody? I don’t have a lot of money…” Mrs. Dorset looked from Mark to Rebecca and back again.
Mark no
dded. “Yeah, I might. Let me go get his card. I’ll be right back.”
The air in the room changed, becoming lighter and breathable.
“Shane was the only good thing to come out of our marriage. A big part of me hates Phillip, but the rest of me can’t because he helped to make our son.”
Rebecca listened quietly. It wasn’t unusual for a parent to tell their life story in this kind of situation.
“That’s the main reason I didn’t report this right away, but I figured it out. This isn’t about me. It’s so much bigger than that.”
Mrs. Dorset’s eyes were watery, but they were also full of hope and relief. Dangerous emotions in this kind of situation, but Rebecca understood. “Nothin’ wrong with tryin’ to get a handle on all this.”
The door to the interrogation room opened. “Sorry it took so long. I gave him a buzz.” Mark handed Mrs. Dorset a card. “He’s expecting your call.”
Dani lifted her hand to knock on Jacob’s open door, but seeing his bed empty stopped her. She stepped inside, and the sounds of violent regurgitation pulled her toward the bathroom.
“Uhhh, Ma, I can’t stop.”
Sheri murmured something, but it was hard to understand. She was on her knees beside Jacob stroking his back.
Though it was an unavoidable byproduct of treatment, Dani’s heart went out to both patient and mother. It must be killing Sheri to see Jacob like this. A moment of indecision stopped her cold. She wasn’t sure if she should leave or push forward. The moment passed as fast as it came. Dani rapped her knuckles against the bathroom door.
Sheri looked up quickly, and for a second, Dani was privy to her worry and fear. Then it was gone. Her eyes hardened. “The trashcan and that little pan they gave me was full. I had to carry him in here.” She spat the words out, making them sound accusatory. “The medicine you prescribed for his stomach stopped working.”
Jacob groaned weakly as his mother sat on the floor completely. Sheri scooted back against the wall and pulled him into her arms.
Nausea and vomiting, even with an antiemetic, wasn’t unusual, but to say that aloud would sound flippant. “I’m sorry.”
Sheri’s gaze softened by a few degrees, and she sighed heavily. “No, I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”
Her words seeped in, leaving some residual emotions behind that felt a lot like relief. It was good to know that Dani was on steadier ground with Sheri. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, I got this. I’ll take care of the hands-on stuff, but is there something else you can give him to help with the puking?”
Dani nodded. “There is. I’ll prescribe dexamethasone. It’s a steroid which should help with the nausea and keep his appetite stimulated.”
“Okay, I hope that works.”
“Doc D?” Jacob croaked.
“I’m here.” Dani kneeled, lowering herself to his eye level.
“Why I gotta get so sick to get…well?” Jacob’s eyes started to droop.
“Why don’t you ask her about that later? Let’s get you back to bed,” his mother said, softly.
It took some doing, but they were able to get him back under the covers.
“I’ll put him on some fluids too. I don’t want him dehydrated.”
Sheri sighed long and heavy. “When they first found the tumor, I was hoping he could do his chemo treatments at home with a nurse. But he needs to be here. Despite everything that hap…” She shook her head and pressed her lips together. “He needs to be here,” Sheri whispered again a few seconds later.
Dani was almost afraid to move as if doing so would negate the major breakthrough that had just occurred. Little by little, Sheri was starting to trust her and be more open. The death of her husband was a tragedy. The fear and reluctance to believe in and deal with hospitals or doctors were normal after effects. Dani couldn’t imagine the strength it took to overcome it all. She wanted to commend her for it. She wanted to promise that Jacob would be okay, but they both sounded like the beginnings of empty platitudes that Sheri wouldn’t react well to.
Instead, Dani nodded and said, “Let me get those orders in so you both can get some rest.”
Sheri barely acknowledged the statement. Her eyes were on her son. Dani backed away. She was reluctant to leave. While Jacob’s case was pretty straightforward, his mother was the one with layers. Once she got past the initial intensity, there was more underneath lined with a fierceness and she wasn’t sure what else. In that way, Sheri reminded Dani of Becca.
A hollow feeling invaded her chest, but it didn’t last long as warmth filled her instead as her mind eased toward Becca. Dani backed away slowly and turned toward the door, running from the invasion of emotion. She had other patients to see.
Rebecca rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her desk chair.
“Workin’ late, Wells?”
Rebecca opened her eyes to see Alvin walking by. “No, I was about to go. What about you?”
“I got a few things to wrap up,” Alvin said. “Gonna be here for a while.”
“Need some help?” The question shot out of Rebecca’s mouth before she could stop it.
He huffed out a laugh. “I thought we kept things between us real?”
“We do. I was just tryin’ to be nice. Knee-jerk reaction.”
“I hate those.”
Rebecca chuckled and stood. “They do get people in trouble sometimes.”
“Sure do. Now, get the hell out. I like havin’ the place to myself. Helps me think.”
“Don’t hurt yourself.”
“C’mon, Wells. You can do better than that.”
“I got a lot on my mind. In the mornin’, I’ll look up how to call you an asshole in Chinese.”
Alvin laughed. “That was a little better.” He paused. “I gotta tell you, havin’ that attitude of yours around makes shit in this little room a lot more interestin’.” He looked down at the computer keyboard and started typing.
Rebecca stared at him. His words were compliment adjacent, which was probably as close as she was going to get from him.
“Stop lookin’ at me. I’m just keepin’ it real. Now, go bother somebody else.” Alvin didn’t so much as glance up.
“I’m bringin’ biscuits tomorrow.”
“See if they have packets of apple jelly this time,” he requested.
“Okay, good night.”
“Uh-huh.”
Following Alvin’s encouragement to go bother someone else, Rebecca entered Rick and Dani’s apartment building with determination, but as she got off the elevator onto their floor, she faltered. Everything with Dani was stagnant and in some kind of weird holding pattern. The past week and a half, they’d barely said two words to each other, which was helped by the fact that when Rebecca came over to see Rick, Dani made herself scarce any way she could.
The animosity was still there, but Rebecca hadn’t had the chance to stir the pot or even try to empty it completely. As she walked slowly down the hallway, Rebecca decided that taking some initiative really was the best course of action. Hopefully, it worked for Mrs. Dorset and it could work for her as well.
Each step Rebecca took bolstered her. By the time she made it to Dani’s door, she had a full head of steam. Without pausing in her momentum, Rebecca knocked.
A few seconds later, Dani opened the door. Initially, her forehead scrunched in irritation, but then her eyes widened in surprise. “Uh, Rick’s not—”
“I know he’s not here. I saw your car, so I came up. I was wonderin’ if we could talk?”
Dani blinked. She opened and closed her mouth several times. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and still damp from an obvious shower. She brought a shaking hand up to her throat, and that’s when Rebecca noticed that the dampness extended to her chest as well. There were even distinct wet patches on her T-shirt, making
it cling to her skin. Dani’s nipples stood at attention, and for a moment, Rebecca’s mind went blank. “You, um, showered.”
“I try to every day.” Dani narrowed her eyes.
An uncomfortable quiet lapsed between them, but for whatever reason Dani wasn’t displaying her usual belligerence.
Rebecca took that as a good sign. “Can we?” She held her breath as she waited for an answer. This could still go either way.
Dani dropped her hand to her side.
Rebecca followed the progression, but then she got lost at Dani’s neck, staring at her rapidly beating pulse. She sucked in a breath as her heart started to do the same.
“I don’t think that’s a—”
“Please?” Rebecca interrupted with a whispered plea. She held Dani’s gaze. “I let you in. Remember?”
“So have I.”
Rebecca shook her head. “No, Rick let me in. There’s a difference.”
Dani sighed and looked away. Then she stepped aside, giving Rebecca plenty of space to get through, as if she didn’t want them to touch.
Rebecca was surprised and relieved at the same time. “Thank you.” She headed straight for the couch and sat down.
“You must have caught me at a weak moment.”
“There’s nothin’ weak about you.” The words were out of Rebecca’s mouth before she could think and reel them back in.
Their gazes met, and Dani’s mouth parted slightly. She cleared her throat and remained standing. “What do you want?”
Rebecca’s brain scattered. She really didn’t think she would get this chance, so she said the first thing to come to mind. “This is your last year of residency.”
“I’m aware of that.” Dani crossed her arms over her chest.
“You were always so determined and driven, and you have such a big heart. That sucked me in, I used to hope some of it would rub off on me. I guess it did in a way. You know…after I left.”
Dani’s face hardened. She pressed her lips together and exhaled. “What do you want from me?”
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