“What’s the story behind you shooting Tony?”

  I smirked. “He shot me first.”

  “The shotgun blast to your shoulder?”

  “Pretty close range so he wasn’t aiming to kill. Come to find out, Carmine ordered me to be off-limits. They could maim but not kill. Now, Tony has to tell any women he’s with why he was shot in the ass.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “He shot me in the shoulder. I peppered his backside. Still won’t forgive me for that, especially since I love telling the story.”

  He let out a heavy sigh and scrubbed his hands over his face. I could tell he needed some major sleep, but it wasn’t my place to tell him to take a nap. I wouldn’t let him order me to do that.

  “What do you want for dinner since we’re on our own?”

  “I’m not picky.”

  “You need a pill?” he asked.

  We’d stopped on the way to my house to pick up my prescriptions and the non-stick bandages for my shoulder. I’d get the stitches out in about a week.

  “Not right now, maybe after I eat.”

  “You’ll be taking my room. Donna is going to bunk in the guest room. I’ll take the couch.”

  “I can take the couch. I don’t sleep all that much anyway.”

  “I can tell. You always have a lot of baggage.” He crossed his left arm over his chest and stroked along the skin under my eye. He was gentle so as not to push on the bruises, and I made myself not frown at me allowing him to touch me. Other than Savvy or Amber, the kids at the Outreach, I avoided letting people into my personal space.

  “No wonder you’re single. Your flattery sucks.”

  “Probably. I had a lot of fun in my teens, and then I married. To the complete dismay of my kid and my ex, I haven’t really looked since the divorce.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know.” He dropped his hand to his thigh and looked away from me. I wondered what he was keeping from me. “I have a certain…there’s things I need in a relationship, and I just haven’t found them yet.”

  “If you need a Little, Doc, Remy, and even Vega could help. They go to Xanadu regularly.” After it was out, I didn’t like the thought of him there.

  He laughed loudly. “No, I’m not a Daddy or a Dominant. I don’t have the urge to be called Daddy or Sir, or any of that. Consenting adults are allowed to have whatever kink makes them happy, but it’s not my thing. What about you? I’ve heard you’re a regular at Xanadu.”

  “A regular is a big stretch. They drag me along.”

  “No girlfriend?”

  “No, or boyfriend for that matter. I just don’t…” I laid my head back on the cushion. “I just haven’t met anyone who makes me want to give up my solitary ways. Yet most people think I’m bi or gay by association, though. All my friends are.”

  “I’m Pansexual, everyone I’ve been with is a cis-woman, and then I was married for over twenty years, and I think I’m just not ready to start over with anyone.”

  “Being a cop and single dad can’t be good for the dating life.”

  “That’s an understatement. Last date I went on, I got called in the middle of dinner. They were not impressed with me.”

  “I think the right one will be.”

  “Maybe. Let me go see if I have anything to cook for dinner. Tonight, we relax, and then tomorrow it’s back to work.”

  “This is going to sound weird, but I’ve really missed work.”

  “I’m sure. I have all the files and drives. Someone’s going to bring whatever they found on your attack tomorrow.” He pushed up from the couch, but I didn’t lift my head.

  I closed my eyes for a few minutes and enjoyed the peacefulness of his apartment. Almost three days of being poked and prodded, I was in the mood to decompress. As much as I wanted to ask him to get me the files, my brain just wasn’t in it. Pain and the meds were making everything muddled, and my fascination with the way Marcel looked was a side effect of the stress I didn’t need.

  There were already too many changes in my life that I hadn’t planned or prepared myself for. I’d spent most of my life being alone except for the past few years. Before the Cold Case squad, I’d thought I was content, maybe not happy, but I was good with where my life was. Then I met Marcel, and I hated to admit it, but I loved fighting with him, and then he’d introduced me to his daughter.

  They made me question my choices and everything I was positive I understood about my life—about myself. I was too old to change. I didn’t want to, or at least I hadn’t thought so.

  “Baby, did you fall asleep?” The softly whispered question made me open my eyes to find Marcel smiling down at me.

  “No, just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “Nothing important.”

  “Is Chinese good for dinner? I really need to go shopping. My fridge and freezer are pretty empty.”

  “That’s fine. Like I said, I’m not picky.” He handed me a menu.

  “Pick what you want while I call Savannah and see if she wants anything. She’s constantly hungry, and she’ll eat cold leftovers for breakfast. I’m an excellent dad just in case you’re questioning my competency.”

  “I wasn’t.” I focused on the menu as he went back to the kitchen. I could survive this. Everything would be back to normal soon, and all the stupid shit in my head would disappear—like Marcel was an attractive man, and my heart was sure I loved Savvy like she was my own. I couldn’t have any of that, and I’d do well to remember that. None of this was permanent. Once I was healed it was back to my place and we’d work the case. Everything would be back to normal just the way I needed it.

  20

  DOUGLAS

  I leaned my shoulder against the doorframe of my bedroom as I watched Simon sleep. His nightly dose of painkillers had knocked him out. I should’ve fallen asleep hours ago, but all I’d done was lie on the couch and think about him in my bed. I’d pictured him there for months. Although, in my dreams, I’d curled around him and held him close.

  How did I fall in love with him and not know it until I’d thought I’d lost him and Savannah? I hadn’t imagined he’d be the one to make me want to change my life. The front door opening drew my attention, and I reached for my weapon I’d clipped back on my hip when I got up. I released the grip of my gun when Donna appeared at the entrance of the hall.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.” She approached with a smile. She hadn’t changed since I’d seen her last, maybe a bit happier, but exhausted from her trip.

  “I thought I was coming to pick you up.”

  “I got in earlier than I thought and didn’t want to wake you or Savannah. Is that him?” she asked as she leaned the front of her shoulder on the jamb and stared into the room.

  “Yeah.”

  “Pretty.”

  I chuckled at her. “Please don’t tell him he’s pretty. I don’t think he’d appreciate it.”

  “Doesn’t change the fact he is. That’s what you get for falling for a man gorgeous enough to be a damn model.”

  “Who said I’ve fallen for him?”

  She snorted at me to show me what she thought of my question. That’s one thing about Donna. She knew me better than anyone else. We’d been husband and wife, best friends, and if we hadn’t decided on the divorce for our own happiness, I could see us still married. Same routine, but neither of us could continue like we’d done for over twenty years. We both deserved a present partner.

  “I know you, Marcel. We spent two decades together. You’re in love whether you want to be or not. And who’s the bouncer at the door checking IDs?”

  “That’s Tony. He’s the head of our daughter’s security detail.”

  “He’s very enthusiastic. I was waiting for a pat-down. He’s hot enough I may have let him.”

  I snarled my nose and fervently shook my head. “Please, no mob enforcer boyfriends.”

  “Mob enforcer? What?”

  “He works for Carmine Bianchi, a local ex-ish mob boss. Simon trusted him to come in for the rescue, and she’s been under his protection since.”

  “What the hell happened? You didn’t tell me everything.”

  “Come on to the kitchen. We’ll have a beer.”

  “God, I could use one.”

  I led her to the kitchen. This had been her apartment, and I’d just taken it over when she moved. I opened the fridge and pulled out the last two beers, and reminded myself I needed to make a grocery run. Opening both, I handed her one and leaned back against the counter. She hoisted herself onto the counter beside me.

  “Simon took Savvy—” I stopped as she snorted. “Simon’s nickname for her and she loves it. As I was saying, he took her to drop off food and non-perishable items to an underground homeless community. When they left, he heard footsteps and got suspicious. As they reached the opening of the alley, shots were fired. He found her a place to hide, gave her his weapon, and led an unknown number of men away from her without a weapon or vest.”

  “Did you have a talk with him about that?”

  “Not yet. He made a call to Carmine to pick up a package and make sure it didn’t have a mark on it. When they caught up to him miles away, they asked where Douglas’s brat was, and he told them to shoot him because they weren’t getting her.”

  “He told them that?”

  “Yes, another thing to have a talk with him about.”

  “Have you figured out why they wanted her?”

  “Probably a warning. Maybe they think I’m getting too close? We really don’t have anything. Hate to say it, we need another body.”

  “Is our daughter okay?”

  “She’s good. She’s ordering around a mob boss and his enforcer, the enforcer that she shot.”

  She laughed. “That’s our girl.”

  “He said something similar. His first thought when he woke up in pain, and he only wanted to know she was okay. He would’ve died for our daughter and I…” Every time I thought about it, that panic hit me in the center of my chest.

  “You’re thinking what-ifs, Marcel. He’s alive.” She leaned her chin on my shoulder.

  “But he was willing to sacrifice himself.”

  “And he would’ve done it for our daughter, and if he hadn’t, we’d have lost them both.”

  “We got a…oh, hi.”

  Donna and I jerked our gazes to the door to find Simon in the doorway in low-slung pajama pants. His thick black pubes peeking over the waistband. Shit.

  “Damn,” she whispered.

  “No.”

  “If you’re not, I definitely am.” I nudged her with my elbow.

  “What do we have?”

  “Another body, near Seamus’s bar. Doc says the same missing teeth and burned fingertips.”

  “Torture?” Donna asked.

  “Yeah, from what Doc said, this is the worst one yet. He already sent pictures off to Vega to run facial recognition but they’re not holding out much hope. I got the address.”

  “Get dressed.” He nodded and turned to head back to my bedroom.

  “Marcel, my oldest friend and former husband, if you don’t get him, I’m making him mine.”

  “Back off. Give me a chance at least.”

  “He’s going to need help with doing up his jeans, I’m going to offer…” I barred her from jumping off the counter.

  “Stay right where you are.” I handed her my beer I hadn’t even had a chance to take a sip of and went to find Simon. When I stopped outside my door, I heard his curses. He’d gotten his jeans up, but he wasn’t having any luck zipping them and securing the button. “Need help?”

  “Yes.” He hissed. “I’m not going to the crime scene in sweats. Especially not around Seamus.”

  “I finally get to meet the infamous Seamus.”

  “Don’t get too excited.”

  He kept his eyes on me as I crossed the room, I tugged the jeans higher onto his hips, and he held his breath as I slipped the button through the hole, and then zipped up his fly. I was careful not to touch him any more than necessary, but his thick, treasure trail teased the backs of my fingers. I’d never wanted to pet a man so much in my life.

  “Need help with your shirt?”

  “No, I think I can get that one on my own. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Was that Donna?”

  “Yeah, she’s a few days early. Let’s get going.” I went to my dresser and pulled out jeans and a t-shirt. I dropped my sweats, pulled on my own clothes without turning around.

  I glanced over my shoulder to see him slipping his feet into his boots and then bending over to pull up the zippers on the inside. He was grunting and groaning as his body protested.

  “You sure you want to come along?”

  “I’m fine, Marcel. Keep Seamus away from my ass. I might shoot him if he even thinks about spanking me.” He grumped as he clipped his holster and shield to his waistband.

  “What is it with you and mob bosses?”

  “Let’s face it, even at my advanced age, I’m still pretty.”

  “Advanced? Try being almost fifty.”

  “Um, you’re not pretty, Marcel. You’re delusional.”

  “Ouch, get your ass in gear, pretty man.” I chuckled as he left the bedroom.

  “Marcel, I require caffeine,” he called out, and I shook my head.

  What the hell had I gotten myself into? I was going to be trapped in the apartment with my daughter, ex-wife, and the man I wanted, not to mention the psycho cat. That was four against one, and I wasn’t liking those odds. I put on my own boots and walked out of my bedroom, and took a minute to write a note for Savannah.

  I never left while she was sleeping without leaving a note to at least say I loved her. Our jobs were dangerous. We wanted her to always know we loved her. Before I left her room, I leaned down to brush a kiss to her forehead and tucked the blankets tighter around her.

  “When did you get a house goblin?” Donna asked as I entered the kitchen to find Moriarty seated in the center of the table.

  “That’s not mine. That’s Simon’s. I am not claiming that one.”

  Simon tossed a few cat treats onto the table from a safe distance. “He roams at night.”

  “Of course, he does. No wonder I couldn’t sleep.” I snarked, and he rolled his eyes. “Donna, meet Simon and Moriarty, Simon, meet Donna. Are you two being polite?”

  “Why wouldn’t we be polite? I have so many stories to share.”

  “She promised to tell me all your embarrassing ones.”

  “I’ll pay for you to stay in a hotel, Donna.”

  “Not a chance. He seems nice, Marcel. You’ve been calling him a pain in the ass for months. I think half-ass cop a few times.”

  “Oh, is that right, Douglas?” He left the kitchen glaring at me the entire way.

  “Did you really have to do that?”

  “Oh, yes, yes, I did. I’m getting you a boyfriend before I leave again, and Simon is going to be said boyfriend.”

  “You’re aiming too high there. He’s in no way attracted to me.”

  “We’ll see. Get to work.”

  Ten minutes later, after telling Tony what was going on, he just nodded and settled into the chair he’d set up beside the door, and we were headed off to the crime scene. Carmine and now Seamus, what the hell was going on?

  21

  GRAVES

  On the way to the crime scene, I tipped my head back and took a quick nap. Those damn painkillers were kicking my ass. I hated medicine of any kind. For the first time in four years, I’d had a dreamless sleep with no tossing and turning, that was until the phone rang. When the SUV lurched to a stop, I lifted my head and opened my eyes as we parked outside Seamus’s pub. I tried to avoid this area as much as possible.

  “Do you need to stay in here?”

  “No, Marcel, I’ll be fine. I need to get back to work.”

  “I know you do, but you’re hurting.”

  “I know my limits. Let me do this.” I pulled the handle and got out without looking at him again. I slipped under the crime scene tape and spotted Doc with his clipboard. Stevenson was nowhere to be seen, but I knew he was around. That man wouldn’t let Doc out of his sight

  “Look at you, practicing for the eventual downfall of society where Zombies take over.” Doc batted his silver lashes at hyper-speed, and I flipped him off.

  “Your Daddy needs to stop letting you watch horror movies.”

  “Daddy likes how I cuddle during those horror movies.”

  “You two behave. What do you have for us, Doc?” Marcel asked as he crouched down beside the body.

  From what I could see, the beating was much more severe. His face was swollen and was almost unrecognizable, so Vega has her work cut out for her. I checked the crowd for any familiar faces, saw several, but no one who was going to talk. Even with our free passes, a lot of people didn’t want to be seen talking to the cops.

  “Looks to be the same, I’ll need to compare tool marks, but the type of torture was kept out of the press. I’ll open him up once I get him back to the office. He looks to be about mid-thirties. Physically fit. What I can see of the nails and cuticles, they’re clean and manicured, but he has some thick callouses. I checked and there’s blood inside the clothes.”

  “Seamus recognize him?” I asked.

  “Seamus isn’t talking. The uniforms are getting nothing. He was told the assigned detectives were on their way.”

  “I’m not going in there,” I said as I backed away.

  “If I have to go, you’re going. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get one hand on your ass.”

  “I don’t trust you.” Suspicious of his amusement, he’d probably let Seamus smack my ass just to be able to laugh at me.

  “Aw, come on, baby.”

  “Well, this is a new development.” Doc giggled.

  “You’re learning bad habits from Stevenson,” I said accusingly.

  “And I enjoy every one of those bad habits. I’ll call you when I start the autopsy.”