For the first time in hours, Chris took a worry-free breath. His eyes stung and he dropped his head back blinking.Thanks for not being a dick,Murphy.
* * *
Denise rushedthrough the automatic Emergency Department sliding doors, turning sideways to squeeze through before they were wide enough forher.
“Ma’am, unless that dog is a service animal it can’t be in here.” A guard stepped in front of her, a handoutstretched.
She skidded to a stop. “What?” She looked down at Sprocket and realized she’d forgotten her vest and lead in hercar.
“Shit.” She looked back at the guard. “She is. I swear.” She held out her keys. “Look, here’re my keys. Her vest is in the passengerseat.”
The guard held his hands up. “Ma’am—”
“Please. My niece and nephew were brought in.” She didn’t have time to go back for the vest. Sprocket lay down and rested her hands on herpaws.
“Denise.”
She whipped around and strode to meetChris.
He flashed his badge at the guard. “I’ll escort herback.”
The guard nodded and backed away fromthem.
Chris took her arm and led her through reception and a set of doubledoors.
“How are they?” sheasked.
“They’re fine. They’re still a little nervous. Kaden bit an orderly when they tried to separate him and Kimber, so I convinced the nurses to examine them in the sameroom.”
“But they’re okay?Physically?”
“I promise, Denise. They’refine.”
Relief sucker-punched her and her knees buckled. She clutched his arms and he pulled her into his embrace, tucking her head into his neck as tears poured down herface.
“I’ve gotyou.”
For the first time in longer than she could remember, she didn’t hold it in. Didn’t lock it down and hide it. The hurt, the pain, the fear. It flowed out of her. She couldn’t have stopped it, even if she wanted to. For once, she could not be the strong one. She needed someone to take the weight from her shoulders and she let Chris doit.
He surrounded her and held her tight. One arm wrapped tightly around her, the palm of his hand cradling the back of her head. His lips warm and firm at her temple and he repeated, “They’reokay.”
Finally, she nodded and pulled back enough to wipe her palms under hereyes.
“Does she always do that?” Chrisasked.
Denise looked up at him, but he was looking down. She followed his gaze and found Sprocket wedged between their legs, lying on their feet. She hadn’t evennoticed.
A small laugh escaped and she wiped under her nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “Yeah. When I’m not doing okay, she sits on myfeet.”
“There is one thing.” He took a deep breath. “Eddie is dead. He pulled a gun and was shottwice.”
Another wave of relief washed through her and she dropped her forehead to his chest. That respite was followed quickly by shame at being glad for the death of another person, no matter how horrible they were, and sorrow for Kaden and Kimber. They’d lost both their parents. Not that Eddie was ever much of a parent, but her heart still broke forthem.
She snapped her head up. “Didyou…?”
He shook his head. “It wasn’tme.”
It shouldn’t matter. For fuck’s sake, she’d tortured a guy for information, but she was glad Chris hadn’t been the one to killEddie.
