Open Wounds (14 page)

Chapter 23

Amelia slammed the stack of papers, held together with an alligator clip, down hard on the café table. The cool salty breeze blew in from the nearby sea and the sides of the oversized fabric umbrella shading them from the harsh morning sunshine flapped loudly. Megan Bailey jerked up from the magazine she was reading to stare at her.

“Sorry,” Amelia said.

“Rough night?” Megan inquired, concern in her voice.

Amelia fought back her irritation. It was not Megan’s fault she’d been up all night, thoughts of Kellie, Coleani and their case rolling around her head. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. The case would come together and as for Kellie, it was all in the past, and should be kept there. Now she just had to figure out where they went from here. Now that she knew why Kel had left, she should be able move on. Unfortunately her emotions were rarely rational.

She didn’t know Megan all that well, but it wasn’t for lack of trying on Meg’s part. The tenacious woman didn’t give up easily and continuously invited Amelia for coffee catch-ups every month and expected her at every birthday and annual holiday get-together she hosted. Amelia felt she simply ignored any attempt on her part to keep some distance between them.

Amelia liked her, as far as females went. She didn’t whine to Amelia about broken relationships or half of the other bullshit most women seemed to complain about to their friends. She had known from the start that she was very sensible, which Amelia respected.

Megan always wanted the bottom line and wanted it from the start. She often reminded Amelia of herself, which explained why she allowed herself to accept Megan’s invitations, although lately they were becoming demands rather than offers. Just another facet of her personality. If she wanted something, she generally got it, and for some reason she had decided she wanted Amelia’s friendship and wasn’t the least put off by her prickly thorns.

Amelia wasn’t even sure what she had to offer in a friendship or any kind of personal relationship. Her social skills had always been lacking and she definitely didn’t have anything remotely resembling tact. Most people took offence to her no-nonsense personality, except for Kellie and Megan. It was almost they were like magnets, all gravitating towards each other as they recognised something in the other that they appreciated.

She’d met Meg when the other woman had called the LAC for research on her first novel. Through a twist of fate, her phone call had come to Amelia and she’d been intrigued with the storyline and the writer’s enthusiasm. She agreed to take a look at the manuscript and comment on the police procedures in her fictional world.

The book had become a bestseller, and Amelia had just finished proofreading the second novel in the series, which was even better than the first. She wasn’t one for giving praise unless it was well deserved, but she had to admit Megan’s stories captivated her until the very end.

Amelia flopped down into the nearest chair. The promenade was busy as always, even early in the day, and seagulls squawked above as they circled looking for leftovers. She rolled her shoulders. “Terrible night.”

“I’m sorry. Want to talk about it?”

“No. Thanks,” she added, hearing the harshness of her answer. “Here’s your manuscript. I’ve marked down some suggestions in the margins.”

Megan nodded and took a sip from the straw sticking out of her iced tea, making no effort to reach for the stack of papers.

“Well, I’m here if you change your mind. Sometimes talking about the problem can help.”

“What good would that do except piss me off more? There’s no point.”

Megan shrugged her delicate shoulders, her mahogany hair flowing around her head in soft waves as it fell over her shoulders. She was a gorgeous woman at five-foot-six, with a figure most women would kill for. Her small pert nose held a light sprinkle of freckles that was often covered up with a dusting of foundation.

“You have the world on your shoulders, Don,” she said, using the nickname she had bestowed upon her. “Maybe it’s time to spread the load a little. You can’t fix everything that’s wrong. You’re just one person and it would be suicide to try.”

Amelia let out a deep breath, feeling the tension inside her and knowing she needed to get laid. However, she had no viable candidate, so she would have to make do with the gym and something with a lot of sugar and calories in it.

“Yeah, well, someone’s got to do it.” She couldn’t explain her issues surrounding her best friend’s rape and how her actions had led a hurting Kellie to walk away. Shame filled her at how angry she’d been at Kellie all these years now knowing the things she hadn't been able to say at the time.

“You’re good at what you do.” Meg knew enough about her to be able to make the distinction, and often scolded her for working too hard.

“Enough about me.” Amelia’s thoughts were growing bleak and the last thing she wanted right now was a bout of depression. “How are things going with your cousin?”

Simply sitting and chatting was something she’d once done with Kellie, but after the
event
she had felt less inclined to do so. She missed it.

“Good. Stacey and I are getting along fine,” Megan replied, and took another sip of tea. “I know what you’re doing, you know. Remember, I write detective stories. Deflecting isn't it called?”

Amelia frowned. “I guess I could benefit from a few of those classes about dealing with people. What are they called? How to make friends and influence people?”

Megan scrunched up her nose. “I hate those and I doubt you’d be able to survive one. You’d probably end up shooting the instructor.” She smiled, obviously finding the imagery amusing. “Besides, I think you’re pretty good on your own. So what if you’re short? Some people like that. I like that about you, Don. Short and to the point. Your abilities lie elsewhere and they’re even more valuable than social pleasantries. It’s not as if you’ll be charming the criminals you deal with to confess.”

Amelia knew she meant every word; she never said anything just to soothe a bruised ego, and she had to admit the words were definitely a balm against her wound. It was nice to be appreciated for one’s own worth.

“Thank you,” she said stiffly, unaccustomed to such compliments and feeling slightly self-conscious. “Things are tense at the moment. I’m having a few things thrown at me and my new case isn’t going the way I’d like it to.” Amelia blinked, surprised she had spilled so many personal details.

“If I know anything, it’s that you always get your man. I’m sure this time won’t be any different. I only wish I could help you. You’ve done so much for me and it’s not as if I have a lot of friends. I’m just as much a social pariah as you are, Don. All I have is you, Riley, and Stacey.”

Riley O’Neill was a red-headed spitfire, Megan’s editor at the publishing house that printed her books.

“If there is anything I can do for you, anything at all, let me know.”

“I appreciate that, Meg.”

“I mean it. After all, you did help make Cole Lilac into the detective he is,” she reminded her, speaking of the character in her books. “So what are you having for breakfast? I’m in the mood for pancakes with maple syrup.”

Amelia left Megan not long after, having indulged in an equally unhealthy breakfast. She was amazed at Meg’s confidence in her. It was unsettling. When someone believed you could do just about anything, it only made the fall that much harder.

***

Darryl stepped into the Pig Pen and headed towards his desk.

“Hill, there you are. You’re late,” Amelia said.

He’d dressed in black slacks and a crisp white linen shirt, and hadn’t bothered shaving, thinking how wonderful it would be to rub against Kellie’s soft skin and leave his mark.

“Sorry,” he muttered, avoiding her stare as he sat down in his chair. He removed his weapon holster and placed it inside the drawer of his desk under the watchful scrutiny of his partner.

A beam of sunlight streaked across the grey carpet from the large windows nearby and he wanted nothing more than to be back in Kellie’s bed making love to her until they were both exhausted. Then, after that, he envisioned taking her down to the promenade for dinner or a walk on the beach. He didn’t care which, so long as he was with her. Near enough to continue touching her.

“What’s with you?” Amelia demanded, getting up from her desk and towering over him. Her dark gaze regarded him.

His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve never been late. Not once. You’re always here hours before your shift starts, sometimes even beating me here. Today you seem different.” She looked him up and down, scrutinising him. Her eyes narrowed. Then she gasped. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”

He launched from his seat and took her by the arm, pulling her a few steps away from their desks. “Keep your voice down.”

Her face turned to stone, making her look even more formidable. She jerked her arm away. “You did, didn’t you?” she accused, her voice softer this time.

“That’s none of your business.”

“Actually, it is my business because she’s my friend. I won’t have you using her to scratch an itch. Kellie is vulnerable.” She checked the room, ensuring no one could overhear before continuing. “There are things about her that you don’t know.”

Darryl turned away from her. He had no plans to talk about what happened between him and Kellie. That was for them only as he continued reeling from the experience. They may have only just met but everything between them felt so natural, and he’d be damned if he’d share that with his partner. Besides, he wasn’t interested in her warning.

“Relax, Donovan, she told me and that’s the end of this conversation. I don’t want to hear about this again,” he said, a thread of steel in his tone.

“I’ll make that decision, Hill. Told you what?”

Darryl stared into her eyes, his own gaze hard and unrelenting. “That she was raped.”

For once Amelia was speechless, and Darryl savoured the moment. The look on her face was priceless. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“What else did she tell you?”

The air surrounding them turned cold and he sought to diffuse the situation. He knew sleeping with Kellie would open something they weren’t ready to get into. But he didn’t want to cause a rift between his partner and himself. They depended on each other in the field and trust was very important. The moment they decided to write each other off was the day they had to be reassigned.

And as much as Donovan was a moody, hard-hearted, temperamental, sometime rule-breaking bitch, she was also one hell of a cop who he respected the hell out of. There were few people he trusted enough to put his life in their hands, and she was one of them.

He held up his hands in surrender. “That’s all. Look, I know she’s your friend and I promise you I’m not out to hurt her.”

Hell, he could be the one that got hurt. Kellie had her demons and if he wasn’t careful she might slip through his fingers. He had no intention of allowing that to happen. Barely an hour since he’d last seen her and he already missed her like crazy. He ran a hand over his whiskered face. It was sad when a man couldn’t stop thinking about a woman for five minutes. His bachelor days were over and he couldn’t even muster up an ounce of regret.

Kellie had better get used to him being around because there was not a damn thing she could do to keep him away. Whatever issues she had, they’d work them out together. He would be there for her through the good and the bad because that’s what people do when they love each other.

He was in love.

Crazy. Stupid. Love.

And he couldn’t say he was sorry.

He’d always known that it would be a special woman to catch and hold his attention and Kellie was everything he wanted and more. He only had to convince her to give them a chance. Despite what he’d said last night, he knew she didn’t believe him. She had baggage but it wouldn’t scare him away. He liked a challenge and getting Kellie to trust in him
without constantly having one foot out the door would certainly be that and more.

“Good,” Amelia said. “Because she has been through enough to last three life times. If you hurt her, I swear I will hunt you down and make you pay in pain. Is that understood?”

He raised his eyebrow. “It’s clear.”

They glared at each other for a long while until two sets of footsteps sounded out, moving toward them. They turned in unison as Nick escorted Kellie into the Pig Pen. Darryl’s eyes narrowed as he watched her, dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a white blouse, laugh at something Nick said.

His body tensed. Jealously hit him hard in the chest as he took in Kellie’s expression and Nick’s close proximity to her. The other man’s shoulder brushed hers as they walked and he could see
—
feel
—
the easy friendship there. Darryl may have loved her body all night long, but he and Kellie didn’t share a history like she and Nick did. Darryl’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest as he remembered the morning the day before. Kellie had come looking for Nick and had found him instead. Had his colleague and Kellie slept together? It was common knowledge that Nick didn’t screw around with women he worked with but he wasn’t impervious. Had one of their heated training sessions spilled over into bed? Images of Nick and Kellie naked, their bodies entwined, danced through his head.