“Fine, I’ll take the clothes…” He inhaled. “Shit. The unit.”
Rowan frowned as he rummaged through the contents, fished out a black device.
He shook his head, slashes of red creeping along his checks. “Damn it, I completely forgot I’d shoved this in my pocket after I clipped that guy.”
“You mean when you saved my ass?”
“I merely helped out. You saved all of our asses.”
“And you lost nearly two liters of blood. Were in hemorrhagic shock by the time we reached Providence. I’m surprised you made it into the chopper unaided. So, cut yourself some slack. Though, I’m curious as to what you think that is?”
“Unsure, but I’m hoping it’s a body cam or camera.”
Her heart sped up. “A body cam?”
“Possibly. It could be weapon related, but…” He held it up. “I’ll head to the office. Get it charging and see if I can break any encryption…”
She hooked his elbow when he went to walk past. “Easy, tiger. You need to rest.”
He smiled at the pet name before his lips curved into a scowl. “I need to uncover who the hell killed Price.”
She eased her grip. “You’re right. Seeing these bastards held accountable for that is paramount. And I promise, I won’t stop until we’ve accomplished that. But this isn’t a case we’re gonna solve in a day. Which means, tonight, we rest. Recharge. By all means, plug that baby in, but you can work your magic in the morning, assuming your leg’s better than it is right now because you’re a shit liar, and I know it’s killing you.”
“I can push through?—”
“This isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon.” She huffed when he simply stared at her, arms crossed, back rigid. “If you won’t take the night off for yourself, then do it for me. I’m exhausted, but if you insist on playing around with that thing. I’ll have to stay up with you.”
“I took the last forty-eight hours off. You didn’t.”
“Lying in a hospital bed, trying not to die isn’t taking time off.” She stepped in close, ignoring the way her pulse kicked up even faster. “In case you haven’t noticed, I have a bit of an obsessive personality. And I won’t be able to sleep if I know you’re in your office, possibly watching footage. So, do me a favor, and give me tonight. You can be hyper-focused on that unit all you want tomorrow. My files aren’t going anywhere.”
He sighed, then smiled. “So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh? Guilting me into submission?”
“If it works, then yeah.” She leaned even closer. “I’m not above begging or blackmailing, either.”
“Good to know.” He looked at the unit, then blew out a rough breath. “We’ll rest. Hit it hard in tomorrow.”
“Thank you. For letting me stay here, too.”
He closed the few inches separating them, jumping her heart rate, again. “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you, if the past few days are any indication of what we’re facing.”
He lingered for a few more moments, as if he knew the effect he had on her, then took off, limping down the hallway and up a set of stairs. He unlocked the door at the top — what looked like key codes and retinal scans — then waved her through to another hallway on the other side of an open kitchen and living area.
He walked all the way to the end, the tightness around his eyes and mouth the only indication that the journey had hurt. “That’s your room. There’re towels and extra blankets in the bathroom. And there should be food in the fridge if you get hungry.” He held up the unit. “I’ve got a charger in my room. Hopefully, it’ll be ready by morning. And I’ve got the place on lockdown. If anyone breathes on the perimeter, I’ll get a notification.”
“No snooping. Got ya.”
He laughed. “Anywhere upstairs is fine. If you need to go downstairs, just wake me.”
“Understood, though, I hope to be too busy sleeping to think about wandering.” She crossed into the guest room. “You sure your leg’s okay?”
“Nothing a handful of meds and a shot of whiskey won’t fix.”
“I’d suggest one or the other but…” She leaned against the door. “If you sleep with a weapon, do me a favor and look twice before you fire because I plan on checking up on you a few times in the night.”
“I’d never mistake you for a threat.”
“That almost sounds like a challenge.” She backed up. “Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
