Protector's Instinct. Janie Crouch

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      “The rapist was right under my nose the whole time.” Zane pushed his plate away, no longer interested in his last bites of food. “I shook the man’s hand multiple times.”

      “Dr. Trumpold fooled us all,” the captain reminded him. “Including that Omega Sector agent who came here to help us.”

      Zane just shrugged. “Jon Hatton did everything he could.” But in this case, being part of an elite law enforcement agency like Omega hadn’t been enough, either.

      “And,” the captain continued, “if I recall correctly, if you hadn’t followed your instincts and gone after Hatton and Sherry Mitchell, Trumpold would’ve killed them both. That it was your bullet that put a stop to him.”

      Yes, Zane had stopped Trumpold. And hadn’t lost a bit of sleep when he’d died in prison a year ago.

      But that still didn’t change one simple fact: Caroline Gill had opened the door to a rapist because she’d thought the knock on her door was Zane. Because Zane was supposed to be with her that night.

      But he’d changed his mind at the last minute, wanting for once to have the upper hand in their tumultuous relationship. Stayed away as part of the head games the two of them played with each other all the time.

      He would regret that decision for the rest of his life.

      “If it had happened to someone else, you wouldn’t blame them, Zane,” Captain Harris continued. “Why are you holding yourself to a different standard?”

      “It’s not about standards. It’s about my instincts. I can’t trust mine anymore. And I won’t put anybody else at risk.”

      “Zane, you need to—”

      Harris stopped talking as the door to the bar opened and they both—engrained law enforcement instincts kicking in—looked toward it.

      Caroline.

      Zane hadn’t seen her in a few months. They’d run into each other at a restaurant, a totally awkward exchange where they’d both been on dates, and their dates had both known Zane and Caroline used to be together. They’d said uncomfortable hellos and then spent the rest of the night trying not to notice each other.

      Now Zane stared at her from where he sat, as always almost physically incapable of not looking at her. Taking in her long brown hair, pulled back in a braid like it so often was. The curve of her trim body filling out the jeans and fitted sweater she wore. His body responded, as it always had, wholly aware of her anytime she was around, in a completely carnal way.

      What sort of pervert did that make him? Looking at Caroline—a rape survivor—with blatant sexuality all but coursing through him?

      Just reinforced his decision to get out of law enforcement altogether. His instincts weren’t to be trusted.

      He knew the exact second she saw him, the slight hesitation in her step, but her gaze didn’t falter. She didn’t smile at him, but then again, he didn’t expect her to.

      Of course, he had to admit, even before the attack she hadn’t always smiled at him. That was how their relationship had been: fire or ice. Never anything in between.

      A friend called out to Caroline and she broke eye contact with him and headed in the caller’s direction. Zane felt oddly bereft without the connection with Caroline.

      He should’ve never come here in the first place.

      He was about to ask for and pay the bill when Wade and Raymond came back over to sit with him and Captain Harris again. Raymond ordered them all another round before Zane could stop him.

      “What happened to your lady friends?” Captain Harris asked.

      “Married,” Wade and Raymond both said at the same time, crestfallen.

      “I might go talk to Kimmie.” Raymond took a sip of the beer the bartender handed him.

      Wade rolled his eyes. “Hasn’t she shut you down enough times already?”

      “Yeah, but she looks happier now. Especially since Caroline’s here.” Both men looked over at Zane as if they’d said something wrong.

      “I wasn’t going to hit on Caroline, man,” Raymond was quick to announce.

      He damn well better not.

      Of course, Zane had no say over who Caroline dated. Although she better not go out with a horndog like Raymond Stone.

      Zane shrugged. “Caroline can go out with whoever she wants.” He forced his jaw not to lock up as he said it and carefully kept his fists unclenched. “Does she come in here a lot?”

      Damn it. Zane wished he could cut off his own tongue. Why was he asking about her? But no one seemed to make anything of his interest.

      “Not as much as we would like,” Wade said. “I know Kimmie, her partner, invites her all the time.”

      “Kimmie’s her partner? How long?”

      “Awhile now,” Captain Harris answered this time. “I talked it over with the hospital staff and we thought Kimmie would be a good professional fit for Caroline.”

      “What sort of professional fit?” Maybe Kimmie had some sort of specialized training Caroline didn’t have. But she looked awfully young for that to be the case.

      Harris fidgeted just a little in his seat before looking away.

      “What?” Zane asked. “Did Caroline need help? This Kimmie have training or something Caroline doesn’t?”

      Captain Harris shook his head. “No. Kimmie was pretty much brand-new. Anything she’s learned outside schooling, Caroline has taught her.”

      That didn’t surprise Zane. Caroline was stellar at her job as a paramedic. Could spot potential problems or injuries others would miss. Kept her head in a crisis. Had a way about her that kept people calm.

      “So what was it about Kimmie that was a good fit for Caroline?”

      Wade and Raymond glanced over at the captain, who was looking away. Then it hit Zane.

      “Oh, Kimmie’s a woman. That’s why she was a good fit for Caroline. I guess nobody could blame her for asking for a female partner.”

      Now all three men refused to look at Zane.

      Not all his detective skills had left him. “But she didn’t ask for a female partner, did she? You just assigned her one.”

      Captain Harris pointed toward where Caroline and Kimmie sat, obviously easy and friendly with each other. “I’ve known Caro since she was born. Her parents are some of my best friends. So I did what I thought was right for her. She and Kimmie are a good team. It wasn’t the wrong choice.”

      But it hadn’t been Caroline’s choice. And he would bet she hadn’t liked it, no matter how chummy she and her new partner looked now. If Zane had been there, he would definitely have spoken СКАЧАТЬ