It was a sight that always made Regina’s heart twinge just a little. Birdie with her boys. Now all grown men, but no less her boys.
Birdie walked out with Virginia wrapping a comforting arm around her slight shoulders.
Regina swayed, and her own shoulders slumped forward. Strong, comforting arms surrounded her from behind, and a gentle mouth found the top of her head.
“It’s time to take you home, Reggie darling.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and curled both hands around Cam’s arm.
“Regina, I hate to interrupt, especially as I know how badly you need to go home, but the chief called and specifically asked you to wait for him. He’s on his way in now,” Greta called from her desk.
She sagged against Cam’s chest. She knew what was coming. Understanding it didn’t make it any easier. Her job was something uniquely hers. An achievement she was proud of. For so long she’d existed under the shadow of her father, ignored and only brought out when it was opportune for Peter Fallon to play the family man for the media.
And now she was going to be asked to stand down from that job for an indefinite period of time.
“We’ll be here with you, Reggie,” Cam said against her ear.
“Thanks, Cam,” she said as she straightened in his embrace.
Hutch walked forward and took both her hands. He pulled her toward one of the chairs.
“At least sit down while you wait, before you fall over.”
She stared at Hutch, and damn if her eyes didn’t go all watery again. But when she looked at him, all she saw was the blood on the walls of his bedroom. The malice behind the destruction. And the fact that this maniac could well target him or one of the others.
She couldn’t lose them.
“Hey,” he said softly. He rubbed his thumb underneath her eye. “What’s that for?”
She sucked in a breath and sat down in the chair. Sawyer took the seat beside her and Hutch knelt down in front of her. Cam stood behind Hutch, a frown on his face.
It pissed her off that she was showing such weakness in front of them, but she couldn’t seem to stop the tears from leaking down her cheeks.
Hutch picked her hand up and brought it to his lips. He brushed a kiss across her knuckles while he rubbed his other hand over her injured wrist.
“It’s nothing,” she lied. “Just reaction I guess.”
Sawyer reached over and pulled her against his side.
“Quit the brave front shit, Reggie,” he growled. “You were almost blown to hell. I’d say that’s worth being upset over.”
As much as she wanted to burrow into Sawyer’s arms and stay there for a year, this wasn’t the place to do it. Her chief would be in anytime, and she didn’t want him seeing her cuddled up with three men in the police station. Her father? He could go to hell. But the chief she respected.
She slowly straightened then pushed forward out of her seat. “I need to go to the bathroom,” she said.
Sawyer and Hutch both reached for her to help her up. As she walked by Greta’s desk, the dispatcher gave her a sympathetic look.
“Why don’t you go wait in the chief’s office,” she offered. “It would sure be a lot more comfortable than sitting out here in these hard chairs.”
Regina smiled. “Thanks, Greta. I’ll do that.” She glanced up at the guys. “You’ll wait?”
Sawyer frowned darkly. “Of course. We’re not going anywhere.”
She turned and went into the bathroom, more to compose herself than to use the facilities. At the sink she splashed cold water on her face and tried to wash some of the dried blood from her forehead.
She looked like someone’s battering ram.
After drying her hands and her face, she slipped back into the hall and walked into the chief’s office to wait. As she settled into the plush leather chair, she closed her eyes in sheer weariness. She was nearly asleep when the door opened.
