Chapter Four

 

Leaning back in the chair, Mack kicked his feet up onto the railing of his balcony. A beer bottle appeared over his shoulder. Taking it, he tipped his head up to look at Denise and smiled. “Thanks.”

She tipped her head to him and settled into the other chair. After wiggling around a little she stuck her toes under his ass. The move made his cock leap, just like it did every time she looked at him, smiled his direction, or touched him. Hell, if he thought about her he fucking got hard.

He watched her take a drink, her eyes closing in pleasure at the cold brew, before her head fell back onto the seat. Swallowing hard, Mack took a long pull on his own beer. He had to stop fantasizing about her, she didn’t like him that way and he had to accept it and fucking move on. Yeah, easier said than done.

He felt her toes wiggle and shot her a glance.

“What’s up with that look,” she asked.

Confused, he shook his head. “What look?”

“You looked down all of a sudden. Didn’t you have a good day?”

He thought about their day. She’d taken him out for horseback riding, something that they both enjoyed and that had relaxed him immensely. They’d done dinner at a mom and pop cafe with artery clogging food to die for. Then they’d returned to his place to have a couple of beers.

“Of course I did. You were right. It was fun.” Tipping his bottle toward her, he smiled when she tapped hers to it. With a shake of his head, he took a drink before resting the bottle on his thigh.

“So, explain the look, Mack.”

“It’s nothing.” He knew that wouldn’t make her let it go though, so he figured he’d give her something more. “I’m thinking about my chief and what I should do, is all.”

She didn’t look like she believed him, but she gave a nod to indicate she was letting it go. He didn’t believe it would be for long. Which meant he’d have to watch himself with her. Denise was way too perceptive.

He took another drink, settling the bottle back on his leg. “You want me to drive you home tonight? Or are you going to stay over?”

“I’ll crash here. It’s Sunday tomorrow, so it’s not like I have anything major planned. Maybe some laundry, but nothing more exciting than that.”

Looking over, he found her staring into the bottle. There was something in her expression worried him. Reaching out he rubbed her leg gently. “What’s up?”

With a shake of her head, she shot him a grin. “Tired, I think. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a horse. I’m feeling it.”

“Don’t remind me,” he muttered. “I’m going to be feeling a few aches in the morning.”

“You’ll feel it more than that,” she said. “It’s been longer for you since you were up on horseback. You’ll be lucky if you’re not hobbling around like an old man come morning.”

He caught the smirk on her face and shook his head. “Thanks,” he muttered. “You couldn’t have picked something less painful for an activity?”

“You had fun, so shut it.”

He chuckled softly. “I admit, it was fun. Thanks for dragging my sorry ass out there.”

“You’re welcome.”

Rubbing his hand over her leg again, he let his head fall back onto the chair so he was staring up at the sky. He couldn’t seem to stop touching her, which could end badly. Mack didn’t want to fuck up what they had between them. It didn’t mean he didn’t want more. He did. But he had no clue what she wanted. And yeah, he was too much of a chicken-shit to actually ask her.

One last rub to her leg and he forced himself to move his hand. One last swig of his beer and he got up from his seat. “Come on, let’s get you something to sleep in. I need a hot shower before I get to bed.”

Denise let him pull her up from the chair. A bad move on his part. It put them way too close to one another. Her lips were slightly parted and all he wanted to do, all he’d dreamed of doing since that first time, was to kiss her.

Taking a step back he let her hand go, turned and went inside. It was the safer move. It was the cowardly move, but definitely safer. He needed to get his ass into his own bed, far from where she’d be sleeping. And fast.

****

A pounding woke him up. Groaning at his aching muscles, he pushed up from the bed. The pounding came again. What the fuck? Crawling out of bed, he grabbed a shirt and tugged it over his head as he left his room.

“What the fuck is that?” Denise asked. She sounded groggy and looked tussled standing there in the hall squinting at him.

“Fuck if I know, but I think someone’s at the door.” Mack squinted out the peep hole. What the fuck? “It’s the police,” he said to her.

Denise screwed up her face at him and shook her head. “Why are they pounding on your door at this hour? Geez, Mack, it’s just after midnight.”

“Fuck if I know.” Taking another look, he sighed. Unlocking the door, he pulled it open to take in the two uniformed officers and the one in a suit. “Uh, can I help you?”

“Are you Doctor Mackenzie Vaughn?” the one in the suit asked.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Mack said. He was really confused.

“I have a warrant for your arrest here, sir.”

Taking the paper automatically from the suit Mack stared at him, absolutely stunned.

“For what?” Denise demanded. She snatched the paper from his numb fingers and unfolded it. “Murder? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I need to ask you to come with me, sir,” the suit said.

Denise grabbed his arm and tugged. “Mack, look at me.”

Turning slowly, he looked down at her.

“Go with them, say nothing until I get there. Okay?” she asked. She was staring at him in concern so he nodded. “Good. Grab some shoes.”

Still in a fog, Mack did as she told him, slipping his feet into a pair of runners by the door.

The suit reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Where will he be?” Denise still had a grip on his other arm. It was like a bit of a tug of war between her and the cop.

“He’ll be at the Mission station, 630 Valencia Street.”

“And your name?” she demanded.

“Gordon, Adam Gordon,” the suit said.

With a nod, Denise squeezed his arm and leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you there,” she told him. She let his arm go and the suit pulled him out into the hall.

****

Watching the cops pull Mackenzie away, Denise felt her heart clench. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle the sob trying to tear free. Once they were in the elevator, she slammed the door and scrambled for the spare room she’d been sleeping in. She needed her phone.

“Shawn?” she whispered into the phone. “I know it’s late, I’m sorry, but I need help.”

Her boss seemed to never sleep so he was alert even at this time of night. “Denise, what’s wrong?”

“Cops, they were just here to arrest Mack. They are taking him in on murder charges Shawn. I know this is too much to ask…”

He cut her right off. “Where are they going? Who arrested him?”

“Uh, Mission Station. Adam Gordon was the arresting officer. I think he was a detective but he didn’t really say.”

“Okay, get over there and meet me. I’ll get the lawyers up. Denise, when you get there, find out where he is but don’t push any of their buttons. We don’t know what’s going on so play it cool, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah I can do that,” she whispered.

There was a long pause on the other end. “I know it’s none of my business, but what is Mack to you?”

“Everything. He’s absolutely everything to me. He doesn’t know though. God, I never told him,” she muttered.

“You’ll have plenty of time. Get dressed and get down there,” Shawn ordered her.

After hanging up she sat there for a long time. She couldn’t move, not yet. Pressing a hand to her mouth she let out a sob. Damn it all to hell and back. She didn’t know why she was an emotional wreck but she had to pull it together. For Mack.