by J. L. Drake
Natalie gave it another twenty minutes then picked her way through the crowd where Derek was charming a small group of five. She touched him lightly on the arm, feeling the sinewy muscle beneath her hand. She felt his strength—his power—and felt scared. It was such a stupid emotion, she thought. She had spent time with Matt Murphy over the past week and she had never felt threatened in his presence. She knew without a doubt he would die protecting her before he would lift a finger to her—and he carried a gun. Natalie was amazed at her certainty when it came to Matt but couldn’t fathom why her body never relaxed completely around Derek.
“I’m going to head home,” Natalie informed him.
Derek frowned, either from the interruption or the fact she was leaving. “Is everything all right?”
“I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”
A long week actually. Hallie’s case was an emotional rollercoaster that didn’t seem to stop. Yet, Natalie couldn’t seem to back down. She felt a connection with the teenager that made her continue to push herself beyond breaking point.
She would’ve much preferred to take a taxi home, but Derek had insisted and ushered her out the door. Ten minutes later, Natalie was in the passenger seat of his black Audi driving through the quiet, late night streets of Harbour Bay.
She couldn’t wait to get out of her dress and slip into bed. Natalie exhaled in relief when her house came into view. A sense of pride washed over her. It was hers. Who would’ve thought bricks, plaster, and glass could mean so much to her? She stepped out of his car before he had a chance to exit and she met him on the path that led to her front door.
“Thank you, Derek. I’m sorry to have pulled you away from your party.”
He shrugged. “You’re more important.” He leaned in to kiss her. She turned her head away.
Thankfully over the past few hours she’d had time to imagine several scenarios to tell him she no longer wanted to see him. She didn’t want to hurt him but neither did she want to continue their relationship, such as it was.
“Listen, Derek, these past few months have been nice but I think it best that after tonight we don’t see each other again.”
He shot her a look of disbelief. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. It’s just not working out.”
“You’re just scared of your feelings for me. Don’t let your fear take you away from me.”
Natalie blinked. Conceited jerk. She had known he spent a considerable amount of time on his appearance but she hadn’t thought him vain and narcissistic. Did he truly believe that every woman he met instantly fell in love with him and couldn’t possibly accept that she felt nothing?
“Don’t tell me how I feel, Derek. I know better than you.”
Derek frowned in the darkness surrounding them. The street light behind him their only source of light. She had not remembered to turn on her porch light before leaving earlier and regretted the oversight.
“You can’t deny you have feelings for me,” he stated as if a fact.
“I can and I do. I feel nothing for you, Derek. I wish I did but I don’t. Please understand.”
He took an aggressive step towards her which startled her. Natalie stepped back but he advanced so quickly she didn’t have time to put distance between them. He caught her about the waist and pulled her into his solid chest and before she had a chance to protest, his lips descended on hers. He took her mouth ruthlessly, forcing himself inside her mouth as he bruised her soft lips with his assault.
Natalie pushed him away. “Get off me.” She wiped at her aching lips in an effort to remove his taste from her mouth. She felt violated, his invasion sickening her.
Derek stumbled but quickly righted himself. He retaliated by striking her across the face, the sound of the slap carrying in the silent night. Her eyes widened in surprise and her skin stung where he had made contact and she raised her hand to her face and touched the bruised cheek.
Fear momentarily stunned her but she soon found her voice and her tone was cold and steady as she spoke.
“Get off my property right now.”
Derek’s face turned contrite and moved towards her, arms outstretched as if to comfort her. “I’m so sorry, babe. I don’t know what came over me.” She did. He wasn’t used to hearing the word no and obviously thought he could manipulate any situation. “You shouldn’t have made me so mad.”
Natalie froze and saw a red haze ebb at the corner of her vision. How dare he blame her for his loss of control? She saw him more clearly now then she ever had before. He had the sentiment of a typical abuser. It was always the victim’s fault. How had he been able to dupe her for so long? She’d pushed the right buttons and his real personality emerged.
“Leave right now, Derek, or I will call the cops.”
She produced her phone and punched the ‘zero’ button three times and poised her finger over the green ‘send’ button. Not that it would do any good if he chose to advance on her. She had felt his strength and knew she couldn’t defend herself against it. She would be either dead or badly beaten by the time help arrived.
“Natty, babe,” he said pleadingly, as if she would forgive him if he showed her he was remorseful. She wondered briefly how many women had fallen into that trap only to regret it later.
“Don’t call me Natty.” She threatened him with her eyes, which she was sure were a combination of anger and fear. “Get out of here, Derek. I won’t tell you again.”
Natty. She hated that name. Derek held up his hand in surrender.
“Okay I’m going. I’m sorry.”
He turned his back on her and she watched him go, refusing to relax until he was gone from her sight. He peeled out of her driveway with a squeal of tyres. Natalie let out a relieved breath and her knees went out from under her. She caught hold of the side of her house to keep from falling face first and held on for dear life, the cool brick wall strong and steady against the palm of her hand. Slowly, a foot at a time, she made it to the door, despite her brain screaming at her to get to safety but her wobbly legs just wouldn’t cooperate. She slammed the door behind her and secured the deadlock.
Natalie stared at her reflection in the mirror by the front door, noting her pale complexion and the fear in her eyes. She had never wanted to see that look again and as she brought her hand up to gingerly touch her cheek she noticed it shook. She had spent the past sixteen years avoiding that very situation. It frightened her that she had been so blind.
Natalie prided herself at reading people and yet Derek had her completely fooled. Had she allowed herself to become complacent? Was she so arrogant in her abilities to read another that Derek had been able to use it against her and wheedle his way into her life? She hoped not. She would need to be more careful. She had been lucky tonight and had been able to defuse the situation. Next time could be another story. She studied the bruise already forming and moved into the kitchen to retrieve the cold pack she knew to be in her freezer. She pushed aside her frozen meals until her fingertips located the hard block and after rolling the cold pack in a tea towel, Natalie pressed it to her cheek.
Hopefully it would help with the swelling.
Natalie shivered and not just from the cold pack. Derek had showed signs of having Borderline Personality Disorder. It worried her that she had not seen it before tonight. But then, she had spent little time in his company. A few hours here and there, as well as events such as the one tonight where they were never alone. Still, she thought a professional such as herself should’ve been able to see what lurked beneath. She would report him to the police in the morning. Her knowledge of BPD told Natalie she wouldn’t be the last. Years of experience told her this was just the start for him and he would soon escalate. His actions might even kill someone one day and she couldn’t let that be on her conscience.
Tears fell from her eyes as she admonished herself again and again for being so stupid. She removed a sheet of paper towel and wiped her nose before switching on th
e kettle. As she forced herself to go through the simple motions of making chamomile tea, her hand stopped shaking and she began relaxing. She was starting to feel calmer, more in control.
Her mobile rang and she jumped. Okay, so she wasn’t completely in control yet. She checked the caller ID just in case it was Derek, relieved to see Matt’s name on the display. She had programmed his details into her contact list earlier in the week and realised now she was glad for his call. Anything to get her mind off what had just happened.
She answered the phone and was surprised—and thankful—that her voice sounded so steady. She held the handset to her ear as she took a sip of the hot and soothing tea.
“Hey, it’s Matt. I was just wondering if you had a chance to view those police reports yet.”
Natalie remembered the stack of files she had brought home with her that she’d planned to review until Derek had called and she’d gone out with him instead. She instantly felt guilty. Hallie and Matt deserved her full attention on the case.
“Sorry, no. I’ll make a start on them now,” she promised.
It wasn’t as if she was going to get any sleep tonight. She tossed the cold pack back into her freezer, her cheek numb.
“It can wait until tomorrow. What time are you seeing Hallie?”
“Ten. Why?”
She didn’t bother asking him how he knew she planned to see her. Natalie had visited with Hallie every day for as long as her schedule would allow. He must have been advised by the hospital staff since Hallie was technically part of an on-going investigation.
Matt sighed. “I was thinking afterwards we could get together and go over them. You can give me your impressions and I can give you mine. Maybe by putting our heads together we can come up with some new leads. I could certainly use some about now.”
“Sure,” she said, making her way towards her stairs located in the centre of house. Moonlight gently spilled through the windows and casted tree branch shadows on her floor. She stepped carefully, afraid to spill her tea. “I take it no new developments have arisen?”
She heard the weariness in his voice as he answered. “No. It feels like I’m going around in circles and every time my phone rings I fear it’s someone telling me there’s been another murder, another woman I couldn’t save.”
“It wouldn’t be your fault, Matt. No one could blame you for not trying. You’ve practically worked yourself to the bone to catch him, and you will catch him. I have faith that you will.”
“I hope you’re right, Natalie.”
She shivered when he said her name. It sounded so intimate. She sat down on her bed and got comfortable, taking another sip of tea. Natalie imagined him on his own bed. Her mind had him on his back, staring up at the ceiling, maybe with his arm beneath his head. It had her wishing she could crawl up beside him and wondered what it would be like for him to hold her in his arms.
Natalie felt an ache in her heart that was almost painful. Longing. A need to reach out and connect with another human being. She was tired of silent houses and a cold bed. She hated feeling so hollow, so alone.
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Even the toughest elements can crack.”
“Are you saying you think I’m tough?” he asked, amusement in his tone.
“Yes. Tough. Kind. Courteous. Caring. All words I associate with you.”
There was a moment of silence at the other end, then, “I hope I don’t disappoint you.”
Natalie switched off the bed side lamp, casting the room into darkness before snuggling beneath the blankets. She imagined him beside her, his voice sending little sparks along her nerve endings.
“You could never disappoint me.”
“I’m a man. It’s completely possible. In fact, probable.”
She laughed and felt the last bit of tension from Derek’s transformation leave her. He did that. Matt Murphy. The man with the emerald eyes and kind heart that felt too much. She was surprised he didn’t buckle from the weight he carried on his shoulders.
Natalie wanted nothing more than to reach out and help carry the load. That was when she vowed to help him wherever and with whatever she could. Natalie wasn’t sure when the conversation shifted to music, books, and personal preferences but when she yawned she realised they’d been on the phone for over an hour. She enjoyed talking to him and if her eyes weren’t so heavy and threatening to close on her she would’ve continued long into the night. They said their goodbyes and reluctantly she hung up.
Natalie fell asleep almost immediately and dreamed of the gorgeous detective.
Chapter 10
Detective Senior Sergeant Dean Matthews couldn’t wait to finish his shift. His arse was dragging against the ground so hard he had carpet burn. The entire Detective Unit was working the Butcher case, hard. The Boss, Superintendent Alec Harris, was hell bent on bringing in the man. Who could blame him? Everyone in the LAC wanted him behind bars.
He had spent the first half of his shift tracing down useless leads that had led nowhere and during his most frustrating moment, a call had come in about a service station robbery. Since he and Donovan were the only detectives on call, they had hauled arse down to the servo and had examined the crime scene. It hadn’t taken them long to track down the robbers. The idiots hadn’t noticed or maybe hadn’t cared about the CCTV cameras all over the property, capturing not only the robbery but also the license plate on the getaway car.
They hadn’t even tried to hide, returning home to count their brief winnings. It had taken less than an hour for him and Donovan to locate the address and rock up at the house. Now back at his desk, he rubbed his face, trying to draw out the tiredness he was experiencing. He gulped his lukewarm coffee, a drop missing his lips and landing on his lemon-meringue coloured shirt. He grabbed a tissue and wiped at the splash.
“Yep, there’s the end of that shirt, Matthews. No getting coffee stains out of that,” Donovan said cheerfully as she placed her sunglasses down over her eyes. “The glare is bad enough alone without it being worn by a man, even a good-looking one at that.”
Dean grinned. “Good-looking, huh? Why don’t we discuss that further over drinks?”
The scowl he got back made had him widening his grin.
“Just try it, Matthews, and I’ll make sure you can’t have kids ever.”
And she would too, he knew, which made her even more scary and entertaining. The entire LAC were always laying their shit on her just to watch her get her back up. But they had learned fast that if they dished it out they had better be prepared to get it back tenfold. Amelia Donovan was no wall-flower.
They all knew she’d had a hard childhood, growing up in the rough part of town—Dick Coleani’s side of town. He was a big crime boss in Harbour Bay and while not in the scope of the mob or even the Morans, he had quite the empire and was involved in every shady deal going down.
While Donovan had escaped the life of a druggie or stripper like most in that neighbourhood grew up to be, she still sported the attitude of someone who had to work harder than the rest to get where she was and let everyone know she was determined to do great things. Which of course she would and they all knew one day they would be calling her Boss.
She was the unofficial ‘wife’ of all the detectives, laying out orders and expecting them to be followed—and now, not yesterday, not tomorrow or a week from Sunday, now. The moment she moved in they had all felt the iron fist circling them and cutting off any freedom and pleasure they had left.
He smiled. How could he not? She was so fresh, so real it was hard not to like her. Sure he knew there were some out there, crooks mainly who would like to see the back of Detective Inspector Amelia Donovan but he was looking forward to seeing her in management. She wasn’t going to be an arse-kissing bureaucrat, but instead tell them how it was going to be.
“You know you love me, Donovan. Besides, I thought you and me were going to be making babies together. I can’t give you a Dean Junior if you take away the family jewels.�
��
She sent him a stony look and he waited for it. After a second she cracked a smile before scolding him.
“You wish you could get some of me. But sorry, I only save myself for the best.”
“What, the ones that last more than thirty seconds? You’re setting your sights too high.”
She pitched her well-used stress ball at him and he caught it easily. Her dark hair was still pulled back neatly in a ponytail and he wondered how she kept it so tidy. His dishwater blond hair looked like he had stood under a Boeing 747 during take-off.
Dean thought back to earlier in the evening and the incident that had made his night. It had been when one of the robbers had tried to escape. Amelia had chased him barely five feet before she’d tackled him to the ground and cuffed him, shoving his head into the loose gravel beneath him. When she had jerked him to his feet a few small pieces had dropped back to the ground from his face and Dean had hid a smirk. As Amelia approached him with her catch, he had spoken up, his hip resting casually against the car as he waited patiently with his own moron for her.
“Tackled by a girl.” He shook his head and clucked his tongue before Amelia stuffed her catch into the backseat of their car. As he climbed in and turned the key he continued. “That’s got to be embarrassing. I wouldn’t know about that, but you do. So tell me pal, was it embarrassing?” he taunted.
“Kiss my arse, man,” the punk sneered.
“Oh, you’ll have plenty of offers for that where you’re going,” Dean told him and beside him Amelia chuckled.
Out of the five detectives who worked the Harbour Bay Detective Unit, he liked being partnered with Donovan the most, although he usually got saddled with Nick Doyle, the consummate joker. He appreciated Donovan’s approach and they worked well together.
While Amelia wasn’t tall by his and the other male detectives standards, she was strong and could tackle any one of them easy. What she lacked in size she made up with brawn. As they say, dynamite comes in small packages.