Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
BANNER
She gets adorably flustered. I’ll admit, I take full advantage of that and usher her out to the van. When I see the state of the inside, I get pissed all over again. Each of her belongings is strewn across the floor. I take a few photos before helping her shove a few things into a bag.
I take her hand and pull her back into the kitchen. I lock the door to the garage before walking her through the house and back outside. I lock the front door and pocket the keys so she can’t get any funny ideas.
She huffs, which makes me grin and tighten my hand around her, and I lead her up the path to my place. I push the door open and usher her in, placing her bag near the door before locking it.
“You hungry?”
She nods as I walk up to her, put my hand on the small of her back, and push her toward the kitchen.
“Relax, Sorrow. It’s just food.”
She doesn’t relax, though. It’s almost as if she’s waiting for someone to jump out and punk her. Katy is already in the kitchen at the island, drinking a Diet Coke while she taps away on her cell phone.
“I’m going to make something to eat. You want anything?”
“No, I’m good. I’m going to meet some friends and grab a burger.
Mom’s been texting, so I’ll probably stop at home tonight to appease them.
But don’t be surprised if I’m back tomorrow,” she warns me before jumping up and downing the rest of her drink.
She leans over the island and kisses my cheek before giving Sorrow a one-armed hug. “I’ll catch you later?”
Sorrow nods and grins at her, waving as Katy skips out of the kitchen.
“Ah, to be seventeen again,” I joke, but curse when Sorrow looks stricken for a minute, reminding me that seventeen was not a good year for her. “Shit, I just keep putting my foot in it.”
She sighs and lets it go. But Christ, I need to do better, or she’ll think I’m throwing it in her face all the time.
“Sit. I’ll make something.” I open the fridge and rummage through it before grabbing a couple of eggs and holding them up. “I need to do a grocery run, so it’s looking like omelets or soup.”
She points to the eggs.
“Omelets it is. You wanna grate some cheese for me while I chop the veggies?”
She nods and takes the cheese and grater from me.
“Anything you don’t like?”
With a shake of her head, she steals a cherry tomato and pops it into her mouth before she starts on the cheese.
It doesn’t take long to cook, and once they’re ready, I plate them up and sit at the island before digging in. She moans in appreciation, making my dick twitch. This woman and her food noises are going to be the death of me.
I focus on my plate and finish just before she does.
“You want to watch a movie or, I don’t know, talk?”
She cocks her brow at me.
“Well, I’ll talk, and you can type.”
She shrugs but pulls out her cell phone.
What do you want to talk about?
“Damned if I know. Everything and nothing. Apart from the elephant in the room, we have a lot of history between us. And yet, I’m not sure I know you at all anymore.”
She cradles her cell phone to her chest and bites her lip as I place the dishes in the sink.
“If you want to stop at any time, you can.”
Her cheeks take on a pink hue, making me realize how that sounded.
I grin, enjoying how bashful she is. “Come on.” I half-drag her to the sitting room and lead her to the sofa. She sits down and takes off her sneakers before curling her feet up underneath her.
That’s when she looks down and realizes that she still has paint all over her.
She jumps up, but I grab her to stop her.
“It’s dry now, but you do have it on your face and in your hair.
So if you want to take a shower, you’re more than welcome.
You can borrow one of my shirts to sleep in.
” I frown at the shirt she’s currently wearing and run my fingers over it.
“Or maybe I should say, you can borrow another one?”
She makes a face.
“Let me guess, Katy? Don’t worry about it. I have dozens of shirts I never wear. I seem to get a new one every year for Christmas.”
I wrap my hand around hers and walk her upstairs to my bedroom, pushing the door open before leading her to my bathroom.
I don’t think about the reason I bring her in here instead of to Katy’s bathroom, where there are a dozen girly products already.
I guess I like the idea of her smelling like me just a little too much.
I leave her standing in the bathroom while I grab her some clean towels and a T-shirt for her to sleep in. “I’ll be downstairs. Come find me when you’re done.”
She nods and waits for me to leave before closing the door. I don’t linger because all I can think about is her naked, wet body. I’m not sure I’m strong enough with her this close to stay on the other side of the door.
Which is precisely why I leave the room like my ass is on fire.
I finish cleaning up the kitchen while she’s in the shower and then decide to make Sorrow a hot chocolate, remembering how much she used to like them. Thanks to Katy, I always have a stash, along with marshmallows.
I carry the mugs into the living room and search through Netflix for a movie to put on in the background so it doesn’t feel like I’m interrogating her.
A glance at my watch tells me she’s been gone for half an hour, so I sit down and wait for her to arrive.
When another ten minutes pass and she’s still not here, I head up and make sure she’s okay.
I knock on the bedroom door; in case she’s getting changed. When she doesn’t answer, I turn the handle and push the door, freezing because I’m an idiot.
“Of course, she didn’t answer,” I mutter to myself. Since the door is open, I push it wider, figuring it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. I’m halfway across the room before I notice her lying on the edge of my bed, with her hands tucked under the pillow.
She’s wearing the T-shirt I left out for her and has the towel wrapped around her wet hair.
I walk closer, taking in the bruises on her face and the look of exhaustion she wears even while she’s sleeping, and decide to leave her be.
There is nothing that needs to be said tonight that can’t wait until tomorrow.
Reaching over, I trail my fingers slowly over the slope of her nose and across the apple of her cheek. She doesn’t stir, not even when I bend down and press a kiss to her forehead.
Standing back up, I head downstairs to lock up and set the alarm. I pour out the hot chocolate and put both the mugs into the dishwasher.
I stretch out on the sofa and try to focus on the movie, but my mind drifts to the woman upstairs. For a long time, I dreamed about having her in my bed, but all my fantasies never ended with me sleeping on the sofa.
With a sigh, I get to my feet and strip down to my boxers before pulling the throw from the back of the sofa over me.
As much as I’d love nothing more than to join her, it would be crossing a line without getting her consent first. With everyone trying to control her life lately, I’ll be damned if I join them.
I toss and turn for what feels like hours. When I finally do fall asleep, I’m woken moments later by the thundering of fists on the door. I jump up, alert, and grab my gun from the coffee table. I disable the alarm and unlock the door, swinging it open with my gun at my side.
I blink when I find nobody there, only to frown when I hear the angry knocking again. I look toward Sorrow’s place and notice a squad car in the driveway and a couple of beat cops on her doorstep.
“Can I help you, officers?” I call out, sliding the gun into the drawer of the hallway table.
They turn to look at me. I recognize them both.
The taller of the two is Chris James. A guy who was a year behind me in high school.
He left for a few years, got married and divorced twice before moving back.
Last I heard, he was on the cusp of becoming a detective, so I’m surprised to see him here in uniform.
The other cop is none other than Denny fucking Dickerson, the rookie who manhandled Sorrow. Seeing him makes my blood boil. I’m thankful I put the gun away because I might have just shot the fucker in the head to be done with it.
“This doesn’t concern you. We’re answering a noise complaint,” Denny mouths off.
I fold my arms over my chest, not missing the way Chris rolls his eyes at Denny.
“Just saying, after the abuse Miss Wells sustained at your hands the other day, Denny, I wouldn’t answer the door either.”
Chris looks between me and Denny, who fists his hands.
“I did nothing wrong. I was following orders. Miss Wells,” —he spits her name with so much venom that Chris takes a step away from him— “blew positive for alcohol. She was not happy to find herself in cuffs, and resisted—”
I step out, not giving a shit that I’m only wearing boxer shorts.
“Funny, because she blew negative for alcohol down at the station. What she did need, though, was stitches in her wrists from where the cuffs were so tight and ice for the bruising around her nose and eyes, where you pushed her into the squad car with enough force to knock her flying. And you just left her there like an asshole,” I snap.
“I don’t know what she told you—”
“She doesn’t speak, dick. She hasn’t told me shit. I saw everything on the footage I got from the coffee shop and her van.”
He swallows hard, looking uncomfortable now. Huh, I guess the chief didn’t share that part with him.
“My favorite part is where you told her she had a broken taillight to lure her outside, where you proceeded to smash the taillight with your nightstick. I guess now you can see why I’m surprised to see you here, of all places, because Sorrow’s legal team is already raring to tear strips off your hide. ”
When Denny says nothing, Chris shakes his head and steps forward.
“I don’t know about any of this. I came back from vacation yesterday.
The precinct is in chaos, and the chief is on the warpath, so I didn’t ask any questions and just got to work.
Nobody is talking, though it’s obvious something went down while I was gone.
Just saying, though, Banner, we really are here because a noise complaint was made. ”
“By who?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.”
“But it was definitely Sorrow’s house?”
“That’s the address listed.”
“Interesting.”
“Oh yeah? You think interfering in an investigation is interesting?” Denny fumes.
“Enough!” Chris barks at him.
“I find it interesting that after Sorrow had her house raided earlier today, then spent hours at the hospital getting more stitches—thanks to another rough cop—and even more hours at the police station, you think she’d come back and throw a party?
You don’t think she’s fucking sick of you guys yet? ”
Denny steps closer. “I think she—”
“I think she’s asleep in my bed. I picked her up from the station, and with the exception of ten minutes when I took her home to pack a bag, she has been at my place all night.
Tell me, Denny, is this still you following orders?
Because it’s beginning to look a lot like harassment to me.
” I swing my arm around to indicate the quiet street.
“Somehow, I find it hard to believe anyone here called in a noise complaint, mostly because of the absence of fucking noise.”
“We still need to speak to Miss Wells,” Denny pushes. “I can’t very well just take your word for it now, can I?” He glances down at my naked chest, his implication clear. And yeah, I get it. My saying she was in my bed led him to that conclusion but fuck him.
“I slept on the sofa, asshole, not that it’s any of your fucking business. And I resent the fact that you, of all people, are implying that I’m lying. Did you forget who I am?”
He snarls at me. “I didn’t forget, but I think you did. I’m sure Mommy and Daddy will be real interested to know what’s going on here.”
“Shut the fuck up, Denny,” Chris yells at him before turning to me. “I’m sorry. I do need to talk to Miss Wells, though, just briefly, to clear this up,” Chris apologizes.
“She’s exhausted, but you guys don’t care about that now, do you? Fine, whatever. You keep Denny the fuck away from her, though.”
I spin on my heels and head back inside, snagging my cell phone on the way upstairs. I dial Wade’s number and wait for him to pick up.
“What the fuck, Banner? It’s 3 am.”
“I know. Tell that to the fucking rookie and Chris, who turned up ten minutes ago with a noise complaint for Sorrow.”
“Tell me you’re joking.”
“I sound like I’m laughing to you?”
“I’m on my way.”
“Don’t bother. I didn’t call to put you in the middle of this. I called for Olivia. I figured she could FaceTime Sorrow and act as her counsel that way. I’m just about to wake her up.”
“Wait, she’s at your place?”
“Yeah, dead asleep, so I’m pissed as hell I’m about to wake her up with this bullshit again.”
“Fuck this. I’m on my way. Olivia will stay on the line with you.”
“Wade—”
“Don’t bother arguing with him. He’s coming so Denny doesn’t push you into doing something you’ll regret.”
“I wouldn’t regret it.”
“No, but you’d leave Sorrow exposed, and that might be exactly what this asshole is hoping for.”