Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Tristan
I walked into the bullpen at work, my hands laden down with to-go cups from Muffin Top. Harrison’s eyes brightened the second they landed on me.
He shot to his feet, arms outstretched. “Ah, you are a prince among men.”
His brows pulled together when I yanked my arm back before he could grab one of the cups. I tsked and shook my head. “That’ll be six dollars and fifty cents.”
“ What ?”
“I might be a prince among men, but I’m not made of money, asshole. You want your coffee, pay up.”
“Cheap bastard, can’t just do something nice for his buddy.” He grumbled a string of colorful curses at me from under his breath as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and began riffling through. “All I got is a ten.”
I extended the coffee his way and waited for him to take it so I had a free hand to pluck the bill from his fingers. “Consider the rest delivery fee and tip.”
“You aren’t Postmates, asshole,” he called as I moved to my desk and took a seat. “See if I get you a coffee next time.”
Harrison never stopped for coffee on the way into work, but wouldn’t hesitate to text me his order in the mornings on the off chance I planned on going. That was why I didn’t feel bad about taking his money.
I ignored my pouting partner and booted up my computer, ready to get to work.
“What’s gotten into you this morning?” Harrison asked, staring at me from across our desks like I’d grown a third eyeball in the center of my forehead.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re whistling . It’s eight in the morning. No one should be that goddamn cheerful.”
I chuckled and shook my head. Harrison and I had been partners long enough that I was used to him being a surly asshole in the mornings. The man didn’t people very well until he had at least one cup of coffee in his system.
“Nothing’s gotten into me. I’m in a good mood.” What I didn’t tell him was that my good mood was because of the hug Merritt had given me the night before. It might seem ridiculous to people on the outside that something as simple as a hug was enough to brighten my entire week. But those people didn’t know Merritt. They wouldn’t understand how major it was that she would initiate that type of contact.
Given everything she suffered through, it was understandable she’d shied away from touch when it came to me or other men. I’d been slowly testing my limits so I wouldn’t risk doing something that might trigger her. A brush of the hand here, a short, friendly touch there. But I kept the lines very, very clear, and did not cross them until she showed me she was comfortable. She’d loosened up a great deal around me, but I didn’t miss the way she’d subtly move off course in the grocery store aisle if a man was coming from the other direction, shifting closer to the shelves to make more space in the middle.
She did the same thing on sidewalks. She didn’t mind the closeness with Blythe, but when Rhodes had swung by the house the other day to drop off a ratty old dresser Merritt and my sister had picked up at an estate sale, I noticed she’d unwittingly backed up when he breeched that invisible line she kept around herself. He’d noticed as well, but instead of making a thing of it, he’d quietly respected her space and made sure to stay back as far as she needed.
That hug she’d given me the night before was proof I’d gotten through those shields she had up. She’d let me in, and that trust she had in me was continuing to grow. I’d meant it when I told her that was a gift, and I couldn’t put into words what it meant to me.
“I swear, you two bicker worse than an old married couple.”
I lifted my head from my computer and grinned. “Mornin’ Captain,” I greeted.
“Stop being so chipper,” Harrison groused. “It’s not natural, damn it.”
Hayes rolled his eyes at my partner’s surliness. “No coffee yet?” he asked me.
“He’s just started his first cup. Give him a few more minutes.”
“Have I ever told you how much I love it when you guys talk about me like I’m not here?” Harrison clipped sarcastically. “Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.”
Our boss cut his eyes my partner’s way and pointed at the paper cup. “Finish that before you say somethin’ that pisses me off.”
Harrison’s face pulled into a pout, but he did as ordered and took several gulps as Hayes turned back to me. “Got some news that should make your mood even better.”
“Oh?” I asked when he didn’t continue.
“Judge just signed off on that TRO for your girl this mornin’. How you want to handle this?”
I didn’t bother holding back my smile. “I think I’ll serve this one myself.”
“Thought you might say that,” Hayes grunted. “Just... make sure you don’t do anything that’ll get your ass suspended, would you? I can’t afford to be down a detective.”
“Don’t worry, boss. I’ve got it under control.”
And there was no way in hell I was going to miss the look on that asshole’s face when I informed him he wasn’t allowed anywhere within a hundred yards of Merritt.
Harrison studied me from the passenger seat as we pulled up to the building where Warren Bell worked. I looked at the clock and saw it was just before 9:00. I’d timed it perfectly so we’d be serving him in front of an audience. I wanted to make the situation as humiliating for him as possible.
“You sure you got this locked down?” Harrison asked, pulling my focus from the front of the building where a steady stream of people trickled in. “Guys like him are good at getting under a person’s skin. You can’t react to anything he might say.”
“Don’t worry, man. I’m good. Promise.”
We got out of the car and walked toward the building. The receptionist looked up, the instant smile she probably greeted everyone with slowly slipping as she caught sight of our expressions and badges. “Uh, good morning. H-how can I help you?”
I grinned, hoping to put her at ease. After all, it wasn’t like we were here for her. “Good morning. Detectives Fanning and O’Neil here to see Warren Bell. Could you please call him out here?”
“Sure this,” she chirped nervously.
I moved back to Harrison, who was scanning the lobby. He let out a low whistle when I reached his side. “Swanky digs he’s got here.” He kept his voice low so no one else could hear. “What’d you say this asshole does again?”
“Something in consulting,” I answered. “So you know what that means.”
“Bullshitter,” we both said at the same time. Most of the time, when someone said they were in “consulting” it was because they couldn’t give a definitive answer for what they did. I’d done some digging into Warren, but I hadn’t been able to find out exactly what he “consulted” on, but he brought home a pretty nice paycheck doing it.
A few minutes later, the interior office door opened and the man in question stepped through. He gave the receptionist a smile that rivaled those of most car salesmen. “Thanks so much, Stephanie.” Then he turned to us. “Good morning, officers. How can I help you?”
“Detective,” I said in response, a grin that matched his own tilting my lips. He meant it as a slight, using the wrong title, and he most likely didn’t think we were smart enough to catch it. That was how dickheads like him operated. But my expression told him I knew what he’d done. “But we wouldn’t expect you to understand the difference.”
I got an immense sense of satisfaction at the way his jaw ticked. That’s right, you shithead, I can dish it out just as well as you can.
“And we’re here for this.” I extended the letter-sized manilla envelope his way. As soon as his fingers closed around it, I added, “Warren Bell, you’ve been served.”
His head jerked up. “Excuse me?”
“This is a restraining order stating you’re not to come within one hundred yards of your estranged wife, Merritt Bell.”
The receptionist let out a squeak, and from the way she ducked her head and snatched her phone up, I was sure the office grapevine had officially gone into effect. No doubt news of this would be all over the building by lunch.
Warren’s face began to turn a splotchy red as he fought to maintain his composure. “This has to be some sort of mistake. Gentlemen, I can assure you, this is completely unnecessary.” He turned up the charm, but it didn’t hide the fact the mask he kept in place was beginning to slip. The laugh he let out sounded more manic than humorous. “My wife has these... spells. You see, sometimes her mind gets a little muddled. I’m sure we can all work this out.”
I pulled in a deep calming breath. I was not going to lose my cool and do something to give the prick the upper hand. “And I can’t assure you , this absolutely is necessary. At least according to the judge who saw the pictures of the bruises that covered a large portion of Ms. Bell’s upper torso.”
You can bet your ass I said that loud enough for the Snoopy Stephanie back there to hear.
Warren began to bluster. “How dare you! You have no right coming into my place of work and spreading filthy lies. I’ll have your badge for this. You mark my words!”
“Consider them marked.” I started to turn, but stopped myself. “Oh, and as for your estranged wife and these so-called spells? Well, she’s been living with me for almost three weeks now, and if you ask me, she’s sharp as a tack.”
“You fucking son of a?—”
He attempted to lunge in my direction, but Harrison stepped in and got between us, blocking his path and stopping him with a hand to the chest. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Not unless you want us to cuff you here in front of the lovely Stephanie”—he shot the woman a wink that made her blush, the fucking flirt—“and take you in for assaulting a police officer. Your morning’s started off pretty rough already. If I were you, I’d quit while I was ahead.”
My partner gave the man a beat to see if he’d heed the warning, and when it was clear there was no longer a risk, we turned and headed out the door.
“Christ, man. You had to mash that button, didn’t you?” he grunted once we were out of the building and heading toward our car.
I couldn’t stop the shit-eating grin that stretched across my face. “You know I did. Especially after all that shit he’d said about her.”
He blew out a sigh as I beeped the locks, rounding the car and pulling open his door. “Can’t say I blamed you. That was seriously fucked up.” He turned to me and arched a brow. “That make you feel good?”
I let out a laugh. “Hell yeah it did.”
Harrison smirked. “Good enough to stop off at Muffin Top for a couple coffees on the way back?”
I threw the car into gear without answering but ended up stopping off anyway, because the answer was, yes , I did feel that good.