There were times she drove through the gates toward home that she felt euphoric. Times she felt exhausted. Tonight, she felt a tangle of both at once.
When she parked, got out of the car, she stood a moment looking at the trees, the grass, the flowers in the softening light of a summer evening. She needed this world right now, and everything waiting inside the house.
Then she walked in, saw Summerset.
Maybe not everything.
Not in the mood to swipe snipes, she thought, and headed straight for the stairs with the cat jogging behind her.
“Lieutenant.”
“Not today, Satan.”
“Lieutenant,” he said again, and annoyed, she turned.
“What?” And something on his face shook her. “Roarke. Is Roarke all right?”
“Yes, he’s upstairs. And he’s fine. I saw Nadine’s report.”
“Jesus.” She’d really wanted those ten years of her life he’d just scared out of her. “Fine, good.”
“Lieutenant,” he said a third time. “All those young girls, right here in New York. And no one knew.”
“Some knew, and the ones who did are going to do a whole hell of a lot of cage time. Listen—”
“I had a daughter.”
Her annoyance dropped. That’s what she saw on his face, she realized. A kind of grief. “I know.”
“She was innocent, and she was loved, as those girls were.”
She started to say not all were loved, but let it go.
“They hurt her, and they raped her, and they killed her. My child. I think they wouldn’t have been able to do so if there had been a cop like you, in that place and time. But there wasn’t, not then, not there. For the families who have their daughters back, I’m grateful to you.”
“I didn’t do it alone. It takes—”
“Leadership,” he interrupted. “The tone is set at the top. You should get some rest.”
“Going to.” She started up, stopped. “The one most responsible for all this, he inherited his money, and exploited it, used it to cause pain and suffering. I’m not getting into how Roarke built the foundation for his, but I know what he does with it. The shelter, the school, and all the rest he does. The tone’s set from the top there, too. You gave him the chance to set it.”
She continued up, with the cat rushing ahead. She went to the bedroom first, and for the first time in what felt like days, took off her weapon.
She’d check in with Roarke, take a shower. God, a real shower. Then—
He walked in.
“I saw Nadine’s very extensive report.”
“Yeah, I gave her the whole deal when Feeney said they’d cracked right through the auction data. Various LEOs and agencies are busy picking up perverts, rescuing girls and women. We won’t get them all, you never get them all but … You know that kid who gave me such grief during the raid?”
“I do, yes.”
“Lottie Crug—she was on my board. She wouldn’t leave Carrie until Carrie’s parents got there. And they wouldn’t leave Lottie. They got emergency custody, and said they’re going to apply for permanent. Some people don’t suck.”
“Some people don’t,” he agreed, and crossed over to wrap his arms around her.
“Thanks for the assist with Callendar—and with the auction deal after. Had to cut into your time even more.”
“I have more time. And right now, all I want is time with you.”
“Handy, because I want the same with you. It started with Mina Cabot, and I ended it with her killer. Cracked like an egg. That’s something that’s going around today. I needed that. I know it was personal, I guess all of this was personal. But it’s done.”
She held on tight to everything she needed now.
“I was going to take a shower. How about we spend some of this time in there, all naked and wet?”
“I definitely have time for that.” He lifted both of her hands, kissed them.
“Oh, just one more thing.” She kept her hands in his as she walked backward toward the bathroom. “I sort of invited pretty much everybody to that cookout deal you talked about. On Sunday. Like this Sunday.”
He paused, angled his head. “Did you take a blow to the head after I left Central?”
“I wondered the same, but I got caught up or something. It’s a lot of people. A lot. Then I come home and end up having a conversation with Summerset. I mean, a conversation.”
“I need to get you naked, take a close and thorough look to make absolutely certain you’re Eve Dallas and not an impostor.”
“Good idea. Let me know.”
It didn’t take him long, not long at all, to confirm he had the real deal.