Chapter 36
CHAPTER 36
L evi
I don’t recognise the smart car that pulls up outside Marina’s house a couple of days after the last time I see Mac. I’ve been doing my best to continue as normal, but it’s hard. I know it’s not for long, but I’ve waited long enough for a chance of something good, so I can wait a while longer.
I keep watch out of my bedroom window as an elegantly dressed woman gets out of the car and walks up the path.
“Levi?” Marina’s voice comes through the bedroom door a few minutes later and I open it to find her looking confused.
“You have a visitor,” she says in a loud whisper, and I follow her downstairs. She points to the lounge before disappearing into the kitchen, and I take a deep breath and swallow round the apprehension as I open the door. The lady looks very official, and in my experience all forms of officialdom usually precede bad news.
She’s standing by the fireplace and her smile is kind as I enter the room.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Levi,” she says as I hover in the doorway, wondering who she is and what she wants.
“Forgive me, I’m Wren Thorpe Vale.”
That answers the first question.
“I’m a friend of Detective Mackinley West.”
Fuck!
Is she here because of us? Mac said no one knew. I square my shoulders and lift my chin, refusing to be intimidated by her.
“What do you want, ma’am?”
She sits in one of the armchairs, elegantly crossing her ankles. She gestures to the couch and I sit. She gives me a shrewd smile.
“I want to see the guy who one of the best detectives we have on the force is willing to give up his career for.”
For me? I’m glad I’m sitting down. But I recover quickly. No, I don't believe it.
“Mac would never do that for anyone,” I blurt out and she raises an eyebrow. I realise my familiarity has betrayed me, so I’m not going to try and recover myself. She’s already holding all the aces. People like her don’t start conversations like this unless they know what the outcome will be.
“I thought not too, but yesterday he was nearly suspended.”
“Suspended? Because of me?” The words are out before I can stop them.
“Nearly suspended, and no, not because of you, but because he refused to tell me about you.”
My heart starts hammering in my chest at the thought of Mac being suspended after he’s worked so hard. He told me the risks, he put it plainly on Christmas Day, but I wanted him too much to take any notice. It’s all my fault. But I don’t have to tell her anything.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I say. “There’s nothing going on between us.”
“Which is why he isn’t currently suspended.”
That’s a relief, but it still seems like a tenuous situation.
“Please don’t suspend him. It was all my fault, every bit of it.”
“Levi, I’ve known Mac since he started in the force. He’s perfectly capable of making his own mistakes.”
I don’t like her tone.
“Am I a mistake?”
“That’s what I’m here to decide.”
The air feels sharp, a brittle thing that can be broken into a thousand shards, each one capable of inflicting a deadly wound.
I stare at her. How dare she. I’m sick of people making judgements about me. I don’t need her good opinion. All I care about is what Mac thinks, and he’s already shown me. I touch my fingers to the mark on my shoulder, the tingle on my skin an echo of his words, “You’re mine.”
“Don’t you think that’s Mac’s decision?”
She stares at me for a heartbeat and then smiles broadly, and the tension dissipates in a flash. The air is so clear I might have imagined it all.
“I can see why Mac likes you so much.”
Just then Marina sticks her head round the door.
“Can I get anyone a cup of tea?”
Once Marina has distributed the tea she retreats once again to the kitchen, no doubt baking if the delicious smells wafting through are any indication.
Wren takes a sip of her tea and puts the cup on the small side table next to her chair.
“What Mac has done has given me a dilemma. I’d be well within my rights to report this, force him to disclose his involvement with you.”
I go to speak but she holds up her hand.
“But it’s not in anyone’s best interest for that to happen. We’re so close to the trial that we can’t risk a postponement, or even worse. So I’m going to tell you what I told Mac. I assume no one else knows about you two?”
I nod and she continues.
“I will not suspend Mac, provided you agree to have absolutely no contact with each other and you speak to no one else about it. No one, not even a hint.”
Again I nod.
“Mac will continue to be the officer in charge, and I’ll arrange for someone from the victim support witness service to call you, to go through what to expect during the trial and what support they can offer.”
Mac had already said this, and I’d agreed, but I guess she wants to hear it from me.
“Okay, I can do that.”
“Good.” She finishes up her tea and rises to leave.
“What about after the trial?” I ask.
“Once we have Winstanton locked away you can do whatever you want. With my blessing. I’ve wanted to see Mac happy for a long time.”
When she’s gone I lie on my bed, my head spinning with her words. He would’ve given up his career, the one thing he lives and breathes for, to protect me? My fingers instinctively reach out to the bite mark, my only link to Mac and in a few days it’ll be gone. I rise and grab my car keys. I’m going to make an appointment with an old acquaintance. I need something more permanent.