Chapter 29
Athena watched the city go by through Travis’s Jeep window.
More people were trying to get out today, some making it, others slipping and getting stuck in ditches.
Two athletic lads shoveled around a middle-aged woman’s car, helping her out.
She was probably their mom, aunt, or favorite teacher.
Athena was especially struck by the solid fountain as they passed a park, its spray frozen into crystal arcs cascading in every direction.
Footpaths marred the snowy lawn, and a group of bundled-up children bounded through the white stuff, throwing snowballs and laughing with glee.
A snow-person family looked on, their stick arms raised as if cheering.
She suddenly recalled playing with her Peekapoo, Milly, in the snow one winter when she was a child.
The little dog didn’t know what to make of the frosty flakes and bounced around in wonder.
Losing Milly, especially because she blamed herself, had been the most traumatic experience of her life before her husband’s death.
Had she become numb to bad things, or just better at handling them?
She didn’t think she could ever give her heart to a pet again until Snuffles.
Thinking of the little furball made her smile.
“Sure looks like they’re having fun,” Travis commented. “This will be a winter those kids’ll never forget.”
“I think you’re right,” Athena agreed. He drove under the overpass, turned right, continued for a few blocks, then pulled up in front of the old warehouse-turned-microbrewery, with Flash’s loft on the fifth floor.
“Thanks, Agent Ice. Hopefully, this will all melt soon, and I can stop inconveniencing you.”
“It’s no inconvenience at all, ASAC Bouvier,” he answered with a smile. “Glad I can help.”
Athena opened the door to get out, then paused, turning back to Travis. “Does your home have power? You aren’t all alone, are you?”
The smile moved to his eyes, cerulean blue like the Gulf of Mexico. “Why, boss, do I detect a note of concern for my welfare?”
His tone was friendly, almost playful. Was he imitating Detective Bach, or had he kept his charming personality locked up at work? Maybe Athena had never bothered to notice, and that was on her. She shot him a cynical look. He laughed.
“My power is out, but my girlfriend invited me to stay at her place. Sound familiar?”
She quirked a brow. “I just don’t want any of my agents losing toes to frostbite—especially when they are providing me with four-wheel-drive taxi service.
I’ll see you in the morning, same time, same place.
” Athena eased out of the front seat, but, before closing the door, she added, “Thank you, Travis.”
The quirky building remodelers had left the elevator looking like a service elevator—an industrial iron cage with a floor of rough two-by-sixes.
It was rickety and noisy, but functional.
Flash said she always took the stairs, except when returning with a load of groceries.
Athena wasn’t up to five flights in heels.
She’d worn them almost every day since high school, after discovering their power, how they shaped the calves and drew men’s and women’s attention.
But the older she got, the more she appreciated sneakers and slippers for relaxing.
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, she thought. If the power’s still out, we’ll spend it here.
She’d bitten the bullet and ordered a two-person package from the Summit Zone.
They didn’t require a reservation, so she and Flash could go anytime.
Thinking about it made her feel vulnerable.
She wanted Flash to see her as strong and capable, not some uncoordinated, muscle-challenged woman, showing her age as she flailed, dangling from her safety rope.
But life was all about the challenge, wasn’t it?
Athena put her key in the lock, but the handle turned without it. Fear shot through her as she recalled Flash’s loft being broken into and ransacked after she witnessed the murder. She knew she’d locked it that morning.
Moistening her lips, Athena withdrew her gun and quietly eased the door open. “Arf!” Snuffles raced to meet her, tail swishing, ears perked, and a big grin on her doggy face. Athena relaxed and slipped her weapon back into the purse.
Flash lazed on the couch in red-checked flannel pajama pants and an X-Men T-shirt, playing on her phone with the Wicked soundtrack in the background. Snuffles danced on her hind legs in front of Athena, front paws waving, tongue lapping at the air.
“You’re home,” she said in surprise. She closed the door, then crouched to lift the pup into her arms.
Flash set down her phone and crossed the room to greet her, though not with the speed and eagerness she usually displayed. Instantly, Athena knew something was wrong.
“Yeah. Captain Jake sent me home ‘cause we aren’t getting enough sleep, and I probably have to cover for Lieutenant Fischer on C shift tomorrow.” She enfolded Athena and Snuffles in her arms, brushing a kiss against Athena’s cheek.
She smelled fresh, as if she’d just showered, her hair still damp.
Athena returned the kiss, sinking into the comfortable pleasure Flash’s kisses always brought.
“How was your day?” Flash asked, releasing her hug. “Did you catch your guy?”
“Not yet.” Athena ruffled the hair on Snuffles’ head, peered into her soulful eyes that sparkled with delight, and set her on the floor.
The dog scrambled for the nearest toy, a stuffed squirrel, and raced back with it, flinging it at Athena’s feet.
She sat like a princess before her, looking up with a happy, expectant face. Athena had to throw the squirrel.
Snuffles dashed after it like a greyhound at the races, snatched the toy, and shook it with gusto. “Grr, grr, grr.” The hapless squirrel went flying, and she chased after it again.
Athena turned her attention to Flash, who reached to help her out of her coat. She sensed more than fatigue in Flash’s mood. “What about your last two days? I’m sure you haven’t had a moment to rest.”
“Crazy busy.” Flash hung the coat on a hook by the door.
“Do you want me to leave so you can get some sleep?”
Flash shot a confused look at Athena. “No. I sleep better with you beside me. Why’d I want you to go? And what, you’d just shiver under four blankets in the dark at your apartment? Athena, whatever are you thinking? Come here.” Flash took her hand and led her to the couch, where they both sat.
“I,” Athena started, then shook her head. “I don’t know. There’s nowhere I’d rather be. I’m glad you’re all right, but you seem kind of down.”
“Yeah, well.” Flash rubbed her forehead and brushed her hand over the stick-up ridge of her short hair.
She let out a sigh, slipped her arm around Athena’s shoulders, and lifted her chin to meet her gaze.
“This being in charge stuff is harder than I thought it’d be. Why’d I let you talk me into it?”
“Me?” Athena blinked. “I just said you’re a natural leader, and you’d be good at it.”
“Great, if I recall.” Flash smiled and winked before gloom reclaimed her features.
“I didn’t think I’d be second-guessing every move, stopping to take stock when I used to just rush in.
Yes, I know what I’m doing and have exceptional instincts, mostly—except for the roof incident with Woods I told you about. ”
“Sure, but you aren’t accustomed to operating under these freakish winter conditions. There’s no shame in that.”
Flash slumped, fingering the edge of Athena’s blouse. Her gaze tracked to Snuffles, who’d stopped attacking the stuffed squirrel to go get a drink of water. “I lost someone today.”
“Not one of your crew members?” Athena’s heart raced. She sat forward, half turning to study Flash’s face.
“No. I read the signs, could tell the roof was about to come down, and I ordered them out in time. Waylon resisted, wanted to press forward the same way I would have, but he listened. Looking at things from the other side, I can see how annoying I must have been to those in charge of me.”
“Then, because you pulled your team out and saved their lives, a civilian died?” Athena’s heart broke for Flash. She could tell this hurt her.
“Something like that. Anyway, everyone said I made the right call, so …”
“Sweetie, I’m so sorry.” Athena cupped Flash’s cheeks, gently turned her head, and kissed her lips.
“It’s hard. Being the one in charge doesn’t mean you always make the right call, and it doesn’t mean you can save everyone.
But at the end of the day, you kept your people safe and did the best you could. That’s all anyone can do.”
“I think it’s things piling up,” Flash admitted.
She reached out and pulled Athena’s hair free from its clip, letting it spill over her shoulders.
“Finding the victim at the warehouse, learning Velasquez was on the take, making mistakes, then losing a victim. The Bayou Bistro owner said his manager went inside to check on the smoke, and no one knew where she was when we arrived. We called out and searched, but we had to stop the fire before it spread to the neighboring building. There was no reason for her to be in the upstairs office where we found her afterward.”
“I’ll ask Detective Bach to have someone look into it,” Athena said. She stroked Flash’s arms soothingly. “You protected your team, put the fire out, and located the victim.”
“Yeah, I did my job,” Flash muttered. “But I could have sent someone upstairs first.”
“Was there a reason to?”
“Not that I could determine at the time. The fire was in the kitchen. It hadn’t spread to the rest of the building yet.
We needed to knock it out and were more worried about the victim being in there, where the fire was.
I don’t know what happened. Maybe she went up to the office to get something important, slipped, hit her head, and breathed in smoke while unconscious.
I don’t know.” Flash shook her head. “The office shared a wall with the kitchen and suffered damage.”
“If Captain Jake said you made the right calls, then you did,” Athena declared. “How did you know the roof was about to collapse?”
Flash explained to her about the smoke, the sounds, and her gut feelings.
One thing had become increasingly clear to Athena over the past several months: Flash truly knew what she was doing and how to stay safe in dangerous situations.
It wasn’t bluster—it was confidence based on knowledge, experience, and intuition.
It eased Athena’s fears about Flash being hurt or killed on the job.
Unfortunately, firefighting wasn’t what worried her most.
Athena hadn’t been in a serious relationship since she became an FBI agent more than twenty years ago, so how could she know how her job might affect Flash or put her in danger? She wrestled with herself over bringing up the subject.
“Yeah, I know,” Flash admitted and forced a smile. “It still sucks.” She trailed her fingers through Athena’s hair and along her neck. “That’s why I needed to hear Unlimited, to keep faith and hope alive. Did you ever wish you could fly?”
Athena laughed, sliding her hands to Flash’s waist. “All the time.”
“Me too.” Flash pulled her into a kiss. “The thing is, I believe one day I might really do it.”
“If anyone can defy gravity, Flash, it’ll be you.”
A brush of the lips deepened into a languid kiss, arousing Athena to her core. She forgot about halting relationships for her partner’s safety and leaned into how much she wanted this … before she got too old … before it was too late.
“Arf!” Snuffles began to whine and paw at Flash’s leg. They eased apart, laughing, and Flash acknowledged her.
“What did I say about interrupting smooches?” Flash gave her a stern look and held up a finger.
Snuffles yawned big and flicked her tongue before easing all four paws back to the floor. Relenting, Flash patted her, giving her lots of love.
“How about I throw something together for us to eat, and then we can watch Wonder Woman or a movie with a flying superheroine?” Athena suggested.
A mischievous grin played over Flash’s lips while her eyes danced like candlelight. “Do you know what’s coming up in a couple of days? I’ll give you a hint—hearts and chocolates and declarations of love.”
Athena smirked. “I got you a present, and I’m not telling what it is.”
“I’m working on a plan,” Flash confessed, “though I don’t have every detail in place. It will be epic … or an epic fail. Either way, memorable. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Athena traced Flash’s jawline and chin, soaking in her teasing gaze.
She jerked her fingers away just in time as Flash opened her mouth to chomp on one.
Flash laughed. That’s all it took to flood Athena with joy.
“I love you, Flash Cash. Now, before you start gnawing on my fingers, let me see what’s in the kitchen to eat.
” Snuffles trotted after her, ever hopeful a morsel would land on the floor where she could claim it.