Chapter 14
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
It was never a good sign when Adele called Rowan to come in early.
She wasn’t even allowed to begin her rounds today before going to Adele’s office—something that seemed to be happening more and more often since Delilah had come to them.
And Rowan was certain this meeting was somehow Delilah’s doing too.
She wrung her hands anxiously, waiting outside the closed door and listening to the muffled voices filtering through, raised and angry.
When the door finally opened about five minutes later, Bronwin pushed her way past Rowan without so much as a good morning. Rowan frowned, watching Bronwin’s petite form storm off, before she entered Adele’s office with hesitation.
“Everything okay?” she asked, but Adele waved her off.
“Close the door.”
Rowan took a deep breath, doing as she was told and coming to stand beside the chair in front of Adele’s desk.
“You’re not in trouble,” Adele said, watching her. Rowan frowned.
“Did something happen over the weekend?”
Adele sighed, closing her eyes briefly. Rowan noted the slight bags underneath them, darkening her usually flawless light brown skin. “The officers responsible for guarding Delilah have been compromised.”
Rowan froze. The phone call. She should’ve realized that’s what it was.
“Nothing bad happened,” Adele assured her, leaving the unspoken this time to linger between them.
“Though, I am told that several patients reported seeing her on floor two before some of your other officers were able to get her back into her room. She wasn’t unsupervised, the two men that had been assigned to her over the weekend were with her.
“We don’t think anything happened. Like I said, the officers claimed that they were under the impression taking her out was more humane than leaving her in a cage all weekend.
” She sucked her teeth in irritation. “They’ve already been terminated, so you’ll have some paperwork to deal with and we’ll need to find replacements as soon as possible.
The local PD has offered a couple more rotating shifts for weekend pick up until the spots are filled. ”
“Why am I just now hearing about this?” Rowan asked, trying not to sound accusatory. She was the head of security. She should have been notified the second Delilah was spotted outside of her room.
Adele shook her head. Her whole body sagged as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
“I was only just told. It happened around 0500 this morning. The night shift officers got it handled, then with the transition to them clocking out and the day shift taking over… There’s been a frustrating amount of communication. I expect you to deal with it.”
“I’ll call a meeting,” Rowan growled, turning to leave the room so she could take her newfound anger out on someone other than her boss.
“Rowan, before you do that,” Adele called out, stopping her. “Delilah needs to be searched… Again.”
“Why?”
Adele leveled Rowan with a look as if asking if she was suddenly incompetent.
“Because the guards let her out of her room.” Rowan pursed her lips, feeling a bit petulant for that being the only reason, even though it technically was enough to warrant a search.
Adele sighed. “And she claims she’s acquired a weapon. ”
“What?” That sure as hell caught Rowan’s attention. “Why wasn’t she already searched?”
“Well, you are supposed to be the only one she interacts with aside from Eliza. We tried to send someone else, but the officers claim she won’t cooperate with anyone and is requesting you specifically. We’d like to make this as low-risk as possible, and since she’s dangerous and potentially armed…”
Rowan huffed. “Fine.”
This was her punishment then. The punishment she’d been wondering about all night.
Another search, a proclaimed weapon. She was irritated—at least, she told herself she was.
The actual feeling of irritation wasn’t hitting.
It was more of an anticipatory amusement.
A curiosity to see what Delilah would do next.
And a thrill that it was all to get Rowan’s attention.
It didn’t take long at all for her to make her way down the sterile, vacated hallway to Delilah’s room. She didn’t acknowledge the two new guards posted up outside before she slammed the slot on the door open with enough force that the shorter officer beside her jumped.
“Hands on the wall, Delilah,” she snapped, watching with sick satisfaction as Delilah’s eyes narrowed at the sound of her voice. When she was in position, Rowan ripped the door open, slamming it shut after slipping inside. “If you so much as twitch, I’ll tase the shit out of you.”
“God, I love it when you talk dirty to me,” Delilah moaned, letting Rowan roughly cuff her and attach the cuffs to the wall as she’d done every time thus far.
“Alright, where’s your weapon?” Rowan asked, stepping over to her desk and maneuvering stacks of paper out of the way. “And how the hell did you get it?”
“An admirer,” Delilah purred, twisting to watch Rowan as she moved onto the bed, feeling under the mattress. “They felt bad you left me, wanted to cheer me up.” Rowan rolled her eyes, yanking the sheets off Delilah’s bed and noting the muscle twitch in her jaw.
“You won’t find it there,” Delilah said, her tone pure sex as she leaned against the wall, her eyes roving over Rowan’s body. “You’ll have to search a little… closer.”
Rowan glared at her, eyes narrowing as she scanned Delilah’s body, looking for any abnormalities in her outfit.
“You’re definitely not gonna find it by staring,” Delilah said, biting her lip and suppressing a smile. She was enjoying this too much.
“At least tell me what I’m looking for,” Rowan growled, stalking over to her until they were just a foot apart.
“That’s not the game,” Delilah whispered.
Rowan slammed her hand against the wall next to Delilah’s head, bringing them even closer together. Delilah didn’t so much as flinch. The heat coursing between them was powerful but Rowan was determined not to let it distract her.
“We’re not playing a game, Delilah. Tell me what I’m looking for.”
Delilah let out a small moan that absolutely did not shoot straight to Rowan’s core. “A knife,” Delilah breathed, pushing out her chest and leaning forward, a wicked smile playing on her full lips. “About the size of two fingers.”
Rowan held her gaze. She didn’t ask for permission when she started running her hands down Delilah’s sides, underneath and in between her breasts, over her back. When she got to the elastic band on Delilah’s scrubs, she stopped, hesitating as Delilah’s lips quirked up and her head tipped back.
“You’re getting closer,” she sighed, watching Rowan with expectant eyes.
“You aren’t serious,” Rowan grumbled, more to herself than anything, though what else did she expect when Delilah described the size like that? What else did she think would happen knowing that Delilah wanted her to suffer?
“Is there somewhere more private we can go for this?” Delilah asked, looking pointedly at the camera.
“No.”
“Legally,” Delilah started as Rowan slid her hands down Delilah’s inner thighs. “You have to give me privacy for a search if I request it.” She leaned in, lowering her voice to whisper. “And I am requesting it. But know that it’s not me who will want it.”
Rowan swallowed, fighting back a shiver. “Where did you hide the knife, Delilah?” She demanded, her voice low, calm, her tone a warning that made Delilah’s eyes widen with delight.
“Privacy first.”
Glaring, Rowan stalked over to Delilah’s desk and took everything off her belt that might be able to be used as a weapon because, unfortunately, the only blind spot was the bathroom and there were no hooks on the walls in there.
Which meant that Rowan was not going to let her taser be within Delilah’s reach.
Physically, she could overpower Delilah with no trouble.
But bring 20,000 volts of electricity, courtesy of a standard-issue stun gun into the mix, and Delilah might stand a fighting chance.
She also moved her radio to hook into her belt at the back instead of her side.
Then she returned to Delilah, her heart racing as she unhooked her from the wall and practically dragged her into the bathroom.
She shoved her against the wall of the shower that was not meant for two and closed the curtain—unnecessary, but it was the most private spot and the spot with the most space in the tiny bathroom.
“Cozy,” Delilah murmured, her hands wandering too close to Rowan’s belt buckle.
“Turn around. Hands on the wall.”
Delilah smiled and bit her lip. “Wrong end.”
Oh for fuck’s sake.
“You gonna go by feel or sight?” Delilah asked, clearly loving having Rowan in this situation, the excitement evident in her eyes. “I think you should feel for it,” she whispered, leaning in until Rowan shoved her back by her shoulders.
“Do you consent to a strip search, Delilah?” Rowan asked, prolonging the inevitable. She didn’t actually have to ask since Delilah was potentially a danger to herself or others, but dragging this out… It seemed like a good idea.
“I’d love a strip search from you.”
Rowan tried not to roll her eyes. Tried to ignore the implications, and the fact that she knew, without a doubt, that her fingers were about to be inside of Delilah.
That she was about to feel the heat she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.
Rowan searched her own pocket for the nitrile gloves she’d brought, somehow having known that Delilah was going to take it too far.
When she wriggled on the first glove, Delilah’s enjoyment immediately faded.
She grabbed Rowan’s wrist, an angry glint in her eyes.
“No gloves. I want you to feel me.”
Rowan raised an eyebrow, using her free hand to yank the chain between Delilah’s cuffs until she was forced to let go, then put the other glove on without a word.
“I revoke my consent,” Delilah said haughtily as Rowan slid her thumbs under the waistband of her scrubs.
“No, you don’t.”