David inhaled through his nose and kept his eyes on me. “Do you trust me?”
“Do you trust yourself?” I said back, echoing his earlier words.
He didn’t. Not around me. He’d made that clear, and the right thing to do here was keep the promise to each other that we wouldn’t make this any harder than it already was.
David’s expression eased. “Yes, I do,” he said. “I’m not leaving your side until I know you’re a hundred-percent safe. Even if that means sleeping outside your door tonight.”
My cheeks warmed at the bold declaration, and at the irritatingly thrilling thought of David guarding me all night. He would absolutely do it, too.
I sighed. “I don’t want to put you out, Detective. I’ll go with David.”
“Are you sure?” Cooper rubbed his jaw. “It’s no problem at all.”
David nodded dismissively. “You heard her.”
“All right.” Cooper’s shoulders slumped back into their default position. “If you need anything else, you call me,” he insisted. He slapped David lightly on the shoulder. “I’ll be in touch tomorrow, Fish.”
Cooper walked over to where David and Mark had tussled and squatted with the remaining officer, who was putting Mark’s knife into a plastic bag.
“Come,” David said, nodding for me to follow him to my office. As we approached, I stopped in the doorway. At some point, we’d overturned a chair. And my little white blouse buttons dotted the carpet.
My throat thickened. If David hadn’t come back . . .
I shook the thought away. I couldn’t go down that path, especially not with David’s curious eyes on me, looking as if he could read my mind clearly. I had to be strong.
I stooped to pick up a couple buttons, but either the motion or the act of witnessing what could’ve been made my stomach churn. When I stood, I met David’s broad, hard chest inches away.
He pulled me into his arms. I knew I should protest, but I didn’t have the energy to resist the only thing that felt right in that moment—his warmth, his strength, his stability. In his all-encompassing embrace, safety surrounded me, even when danger had nipped at my heels.
“Let go,” he murmured. “You can’t pretend this didn’t happen or that it’s not a big deal.” His muscular arms wrapped around me so firmly, I could barely move. “Try to relax.”
I thought I alreadyhadrelaxed, but now, my shoulders loosened, and my cheek rested against his hard chest.
“Oh.” I pulled away reluctantly. “I don’t want to get blood on you.”
He ghosted his thumb over my cheek, but I still flinched. David shut his eyes, sighed heavily, and opened them again. He was so close, the brackish musk of fresh sweat lingered.
“I should havefuckingshot him,” he said with complete conviction.
“If you had, you could be in the back of that police car.”
“Self-defense,” David said.
“It’s not a guarantee,” I said. “I’ve seen that defense collapse in some of Bill’s cases. Usually, there’s gray area.”
“I’m taking you to the hospital,” he said, ignoring me. Or ignoring the mention of my husband? “No,” I insisted. “No, I’m fine.”
“Fine?” he repeated. “You’re shaking.”
I hadn’t realized, but while in his arms, I’d begun to tremble. “I’m really fine,” I said, trying to even my tone. “Just a little frightened.”
He pulled me close again, running his hand slowly over my back. After a beat, he gathered the hair from my neck, sweeping it into a loose ponytail. He pulled lightly to get me to look up. With his other hand, he lifted my chin higher to inspect the cut. My head was almost vertical, and I focused on the ceiling.
“It’s not deep enough for stitches,” he said, licking his thumb and wiping away some blood. “But it’s probably a good idea to stop by Northwestern.”
“No,” I said. Panic entered my voice. If David made up his mind to take me to the hospital, I wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise, and I didn’t do hospitals. Sterile, cold rooms, doctors and nurses pricking me with needles, stitching me up. “I don’t need to go. Please,” I begged him. “I’ve had a rough night. I just want to go to sleep.”
“Okay, shh,” he said, rubbing my arms. “I just think it would be wise to check your head. What if you hit it—”
