“Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the day brighter.”
When was the last time he’d thought about small pleasures or worried whether his day was bright? Hell, he wasn’t even sure what that meant. For him, a good day was making progress on a case and getting a solid workout. There was nothing else.
You know how to live, man.
Sasha looked worried now. “I can get a spoon if you want to take them out.”
“No. No, they’re good.” He took another sip.
She seemed to relax. “You’ve seen the Team in action now. What did you think?”
“Watching you all reminded me of seeing our SWAT team in action. It’s not the same thing, of course, but it’s not all that different, either.”
She tilted her head to the side, curiosity on her face. “How so?”
He took another sip. “You all have a high level of expertise. You have to work together like a well-oiled machine. You risk your safety for the greater good with no margin for error. Lives depend on your doing the job right.”
Her brow furrowed at those last words. “We do everything we can, but sometimes it isn’t enough.”
While Darius listened, Sasha told him about times the Team had returned with a body and not a living person, her gaze shifting to the world outside the window, her face shadowed by sadness.
“The worst one happened not long after I joined the Team. Some jerk had crossed a double yellow line to pass a slow driver and struck a mother and her kids in a little car. The car rolled into the creek and landed upside down, just like today. It was late May, so the water was running high. A little girl took off her seat belt and got washed out of the window.”
“Jesus.”
“Jesse Moretti broke all of the rules and jumped into the water before ropes were in place. He did his best to reach her, risking his own life, but the water was too fast. He tried to grab her arm, but he missed her by inches. We pulled her from the water miles downstream, but it was too late. Everyone was devastated. I still remember the terror on her little face as she washed away. I thought of her today.”
Darius rested his hand on her shoulder. “I can see why. But those kids today—they’re safe right now, and they still have a mother, thanks to the Team.”
She smiled—a sad smile—and nodded. “Megs tells us to focus on the lives we’ve saved and not the ones we couldn’t. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to do this—not for long, anyway. But you know more about that than I do, given your job.”
It was an invitation to talk about his work, but he let it go. That was the last thing on his mind at this moment.
“You’re amazing. You know that, right?”
She gave him a puzzled look, as if she didn’t understand.
“You’re beautiful. You’re kind. You’re a world-champion athlete who turned aside from other, more profitable options to save lives. That’s incredible.”
Nicole had told him as much on his first day in Scarlet, but he hadn’t believed her.
Sasha’s next words took him by surprise. “Have you ever been in love?”
God, how could he answer that? Why was she asking?
He didn’t want to open old wounds, but he didn’t want to lie to Sasha, either. She was so open and honest. And she was too … important to him.
He nodded. “I was once—a long time ago.”
“What happened?”
“She … was murdered.”
Sasha stared at Darius,saw the flicker of desolation in his eyes. “I’m so, so sorry, Darius. I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not my business.”
“It’s not something I talk about.”
“Right. That’s okay. I mean… I’m so sorry.”
