She’d felt herself a hair’s breath away from totally losing it. Like a pressure cooker about to explode.
So she’d left the department. Without a word to anyone. Let Hollywood Houdini pick up the pieces for a change, she’d thought. She had needed time to think, sort out facts from feelings. Steady herself. Her black and white world had been shattered. She wanted it back. The security and comfort it had provided.
Fake security. A giant lie.
Something was out there, with the ability to take a life without marking the body. If she chose to believe her partner, a man who had proved himself to be both a poor cop and a skilled liar.
Not a whack-job, she thought. Not a fraud. In one week, she had seen too much to totally write him off.
Believe the lie? Cling to the security of it? Or face the truth, as outrageous as it might be?
“What do you think, Hank?” she asked. “What would you do?”
A tap on the driver’s side window startled her out of her thoughts. Jacqui at the window, smiling. Teeth startlingly white against her ebony skin. The concerned expression in her eyes belied her smile.
Dammit, her friend knew her too well.
“What’s up?” she asked as Micki opened the door. “You were talking to yourself.”
“Was I?” Micki stepped out, gave her friend a quick hug, then motioned toward the car’s back seat. “I come bearing gifts.”
Jacqui peered through the window, then frowned. “Groceries, Mick? I told you before, you don’t need to do this anymore. As much as I appreciate it, Alexander and I are making it just fine.”
Micki opened the rear door and started handing the other woman bags. “I want to, okay? It makes me happy. Besides, it might be the one thing that keeps me from going straight to hell.”
“Give yourself some credit, Mick.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She grinned. “There isn’t anything big enough to get me through those pearly gates.”
Jacqui shook her head. “I know we’ll be up there sipping Starbucks together and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind.”
They started for the building, both loaded down with bags. “Where’s Alexander?”
“Napping. He had a playdate today. Swimming, picnic, then more swimming.”
“All tuckered out.”
“You’ve got that right.” Jacqui had left the door cracked and nudged it the rest of the way open with her hip. She held a finger to her lips and listened intently. Satisfied her little man was still asleep, they headed for the small, serviceable kitchen.
She started unpacking the bags. “Saw this strange car parked in front of my place, couldn’t believe it was you. What’s with the crappy wheels?”
“Department loaner. The Nova’s in the shop. Wounded in the line of duty.”
“Want to talk about it?” She opened the bag of cookies, snagged one, then slid it across the counter to Micki.
“Not so much.” Micki helped herself to one of the sandwich cookies, knowing she sounded as glum as she felt.
“Did it have anything to do with your pretty boy with powers?”
Micki almost choked on her bite of cookie. “What did you say?”
“Pretty boy. With powers.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“From you.” She crossed to the refrigerator, then began placing the cold foods inside. “The other day, when I called.”
Then Micki remembered. She had muttered those words at Major Nichols’ comment about Zach being easy on the eyes. How could she have been so foolish?
“Forget I said that, Jax. I was just being stupid.”
Jacqui cocked an eyebrow and started stowing the non-perishables. “He’s not pretty?”
“No.”
“What about his powers?”
“The only power he has is his ability to drive me crazy.” She paused. Looked at her friend. “Forget what you heard, okay? It’s important.”
“If that’s what you need me to do.”
“It is.”
Groceries stored, Jacqui carried the cookies to the small, round table. “Have a seat. Water?”
“Yes, thanks.”
A moment later, Jacqui sat across from her. “The guy, who is he?”
“My new partner.”
“What!” This time it was Jacqui who nearly choked. “But Carmine—”
“Has been promoted.”
Jacqui reached for a cookie. “When did all this happen?”
“You called in the middle of it.”
“Shoot, Mick. Did you have any warning it was going to—”
“Happen?” she finished for her. “Nope. We were both blindsided.”
“That sucks.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Micki muttered and picked up her glass. The ice clinked as she tipped it to drink.
“Well?” Jacqui prodded.
“What?”
“How is he? Besides pretty.”
She wished she could tell her the whole truth. It trembled there on her tongue; it would feel so good to let it fall off. But, dammit, orders were orders. “He’s from outside the NOPD.”
“Practically the devil himself,” Jacqui said lightly.
She frowned. “Make jokes, but he’s a major pain in the ass.” She paused. “One of those cowboy types.”