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Mark
Darby’s eyes lit on fire.
It didn’t matter. She could be spitting mad at him, but he’d be damned if he let her stay anywhere but somewhere he could keep an eye on her.
He wasn’t going to go through the kidnapping-induced panic again. He just flat out couldn’t do it.
The more he thought about it, the more certain he was this break-in was not mere chance. All the evidence pointed in that direction, even in this early stage.
“What about a safe house?” she suggested. “I could stay there alone.”
He shook his head. “No. The department doesn’t have many at our disposal.”
Genova stepped in before Darby had a chance to respond. “Detective Herman, a word?”
“Sure.” To his partner, he said, “Stay here until I’m done. We’ll go back up together after I get our camera and seal up.”
She nodded, but her jaw was clenched tightly.
He was past the point of caring.
He followed the lawyer outside and stood in the shade of the building.
“What’s up, Genova?”
“What the hell is up with your attitude?” she demanded, arms folded over her chest, much like Darby had been moments earlier.
His scowl deepened. “It’s my job to watch her back.”
“By demanding she stay with you?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“There’s no flippin’ reason she can’t stay with me or her dad or one of the other detectives in your unit.”
“Let’s think about this for a minute,” he said. “What they did in there was meant to strike fear, to leave her broken. Why else would they rip all her pictures from their frames, tear apart her furniture, try to destroy her weapons, and rip the head off the stuffed bear she got from me and Caleb the day her mother was murdered?”
“Fine. It’s a shitty mess. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get to choose where or with whom she stays.”
“By God it does. She’s my partner.”
“Yeah, one you’ve been trying to get into the pants of for a while now.”
Mark grit his teeth. “This has nothing to do with that.”
“Oh, really? I know what happened this morning. She told me. And yeah, I agree, she needs to stay somewhere safe. But that doesn’t mean you get to take advantage of her!”
He stared at her for a moment, then dropped his voice. “You think that’s what this is about? That I’d put moves on her because she’s staying with me? Jeez, Genova! Jealous much?”
She clenched her jaw. “I’m. Not. Jealous. But I know you.”
“Like hell you do. Just because we spent one night together doesn’t mean you know everything about me.”
“I know more than you think.” She folded her arms. “And I know how smooth a talker you are when you want something.”
“I didn’t—!” He started to yell, then clenched a fist against his leg and lowered his voice again. “I didn’t go to your house intending to sleep with you.”
“And you don’t intend to have her at your place to do the same thing?” She rolled her eyes. “Come on, Mark. I don’t know everything that’s going on between the two of you, but I know enough. And when the time comes, you both have my blessing, but I can’t give it to you now. Let her stay with me.”
“Did you see what they did in there? Do you really want to see that level of destruction at your own place?”
She shook her head. “I don’t care about that, not as long as she’s safe.”
Mark licked his lips. “Look, just because we made a mistake a few weeks ago doesn’t mean I don’t care what happens to you, Genova. I don’t want her to put you in danger. She and I both have badges and have the ability to defend ourselves. You don’t.”
“Can you honestly tell me she can defend herself against you?”
Mark threw his head back and laughed. When he got control of himself finally, he noted that Genova hadn’t joined in his amusement.
“I may outweigh her two to one,” he said, “and have over a foot of height on her, but I can honestly say that I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of her wrath.”
Genova sniffed. “Be that as it may, you shouldn’t take away her right to choose. If you do, you’re no better than the DSHA.”
That one stung, as it was meant to. And it sobered him back up. “There’s a big difference between me and the DSHA. I have Darby’s best interest at heart. They don’t.”
“Are you so sure about that?”
Before he could reply, Genova turned on her heel and stalked off, leaving him to wonder if maybe she was right.