End of story.
Chapter 13
Jase
This shit just got way too deep for me. I was at the door watching Charlie get into Carter's car and the lieutenant was pulling me back in. Carter will make sure she doesn't disappear on me again. He's got my back.
"I want you off this case. Take vacation time. Go somewhere. We'll put her up in a safe house if you really think your perp is going to hurt her."
I'm shaking from my lieutenant’s words. "I can't let anyone hurt her, Lu. You know she was telling the truth. She has no idea what Bren does."
The clicking of Brooke's high heels came rounding the corner and a wad of paper got shoved into my chest. "Just got her history. They ran her name and she's clean. Not even a parking ticket."
The lieutenant nodded and leveled his eyes on me. "Have Carter take her to her family. Somewhere she feels safe. If he feels like she needs an unmarked car in front of the house, then he could come back and file the paperwork." I wondered if her mother still lived in the same place and what kind of relationship they had now.
"I want that cocksucker in jail. I want him away from her for good."
He glanced down at his watch. "What time is it? six a.m.…okay. Go home; get some sleep." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll have the team make a tact plan, and you set up a meeting with him to exchange words for money. You pick him up, and we'll set up a cam in the car tonight."
"Yeah sure. Sounds good," I said, nodding my head.
"I don't want you to take her home, Delaney. Have Carter do it. You need a clear head."
"Yeah. Got it," I said, walking to my desk to gather my things.
Brooke was a step behind me "You still have feelings for her?"
"You're talking shit, Brooke. You sound like you're jealous."
"I am, actually," she hissed.
I looked up at Brooke and stopped what I was doing.
"Delaney. Stop and look at how you reacted in the club. You could have gotten us all killed. But all you saw was her."
All I could do was give her a small, dry chuckle. "Drop it, Brooke. I'm not having this conversation with you. Or any conversation for that matter." I walked away from her. I needed a long vacation after this was all settled. Away from everyone and everything.
Outside, the sun was too bright, the sky too blue.
Charlie was slumped against the door of one of the unmarked cars in the lot. Her eyes were closed, but she didn't look peaceful. Not at all.
My chest tightened. Fists clenched.
It was like the minute I looked at her I had to remember I should hate her. Like some little punk, I wanted to say things that hurt her.
I yanked open the door and climbed in. She still smelled like watermelon lotion and I hated her for it.
Her eyes peeked up at me. They seemed empty, sitting next to me in this car, emotionless, while my life was a hurricane around me.
"I'm taking you somewhere safe," I said in a low voice.
"Hey," Carter's voice was instantly at my window, his hands banging at the top of the roof. "What's going on?"
I nodded up to him. "Get some rest. We're going after Doc tonight. Lu's setting it up now."
Carter's eyes narrowed into slits.Shit.
"Yeah. Okay, bro. So, why don't you let me drive her somewhere and we'll meet up later?"
