The Chance (Thunder Point #4)(33)

“Whoa,” he said, breathless.

“Do you have any idea how tired I get of proving myself to the boys?” she asked. And she was not smiling.

“In the FBI?”

“No. They know I can take care of myself. We have defensive training courses all the time. Sadly, I haven’t learned how to stop a bullet, but I’m relatively smart and competent in other areas.”

Relatively, my ass, he thought.

“Remember, I have a twin brother and he’s big, six feet. Pax now knows size isn’t the key factor so we’ve reached a mutual peace. And I have a father who thinks I’ve lowered my standards to do what I do. I didn’t. It’s hard to do what I do.”

He nodded. “If I had to, I could fight you,” he said.

“Don’t,” she advised. “Stay out of fights. And please, can we be done with this conversation?”

“How’d it turn out? Your assignment?”

“I got them out,” she said. “Only one wouldn’t leave and it was a sad, tragic decision for her. I’m very unhappy about that—I wanted them all out. And Jacob got himself shot in a standoff with police. But the other women and children are all safe.”

“You got them out,” he said. He smiled at her. “Damn.”

“Don’t tell the town what you know.”

“I won’t,” he promised. “I think they’re figuring it out, though. And someone else might tell.” He sighed. “I have to go back to work. Can I come over tonight?”

“Can you behave?”

“I totally had this coming,” he admitted. “You only look five-foot-four. You’re really very big and scary.” He smiled up at her. “I’m losing the feeling in my hands.”

She slid her knees off his arms. His arms went around her and rolled with her until he was on top, but he didn’t let all his weight fall on her. It was obvious by the way her hands rested lightly on his shoulders that she acquiesced.

“Feel better?” she asked.

He nodded. “Were you scared?”

“A couple of times I was terrified, but not so much for myself. I was afraid of not getting them out. I worried about one or more of the kids getting hurt, especially the littlest ones. Scared me to death.”

“That’s when you got shot, isn’t it?”

“Yep. I never saw him with a gun before. The men who worked for him, yes, and they never threatened anyone with guns. Their guns were for their movement of drugs, not to use against the women. That night he picked it right up off his desk and fired.” She moved her shoulder. “I’m good now.”

“You must be proud of yourself. I’m proud of you. Scared of you,” he said, smiling, “but proud.”

“It’s funny about that. I never quite get there—proud. Even though it was ultimately successful, it was too close. And I lost one. I lost one—that eats at me. I keep going over in my mind how I could have played it smarter, done better. Then I tell myself there’s no point, but I slip back into that old loop—if I’d just done this and not that...”

“I can relate. So can everyone. It’s hard to get to the point of accepting the past as is and remind yourself that everything going forward now counts.”

“And are we going forward?” she asked, her fingertips running through the dark auburn hair over his ears.

“I want to,” Eric said. “If I can get up, that is.”

“Pain?”

“I don’t think you broke anything,” he said, smiling at her.

He hoisted himself up and immediately grabbed the small of his back. Then he grinned into her shocked face and held out a hand to help her to her feet. “I lock up at around eleven. I’ll grab a shower and come over after.”

“I have a shower,” she said. “I’ll be up.”

* * *

Laine texted her brother. If you’re still awake, can you talk?

An hour later, 9:00 p.m. her time, her cell rang. It was midnight in Boston.

“Are you in trouble?” was his first question.

“Get serious. Why would I text you if I was in trouble? I’d call the police.”

“This kind of text—I don’t get this from you. Where are you?”

“I’m home! How come you’re up?”

“I had surgery and I’m hanging close to this kid for another couple of hours, so if I hang up on you...”

“I have a question for you. How did you know you were in love with Genevieve?”

He laughed. “She told me I was.”

“Seriously.”

“Are you high?” he asked. “I’ve been married for nine years!”

“Still married, you should say. So—how? Why?”

“Laine, you don’t even like her that much! What’s up with this?”

“Don’t be ridiculous—I love her. We’re not close. We have nothing in common. We’re not alike, but I...”

“All right, let me take another angle. You don’t care why I love my wife. You’re a wonderful sister, a spectacular aunt, a good and faithful friend, but I think if you had your way, you’d find me a different wife.”

“Have I been that bad?” she asked, suddenly ashamed of her behavior toward her sister-in-law. She’d never been cruel but no one knew better than Laine how to create emotional distance. Besides, Genevieve didn’t need her. She had her own sisters. But still, Laine had kept her at arm’s length.