Page 51 of Sinful Deception

“And if not that, then something like, ‘Chase is in good spirits and still smiling. Everything is as okay as it can be.’ Check in on the rest of your crew, too. Because this is a fear every medical professional carries, and now someone they know has been hit. Their hands are probably shaking, too.”

“Will do. I’ve already brought everyone in for ahow are you doing? chat. But I’ll keep on it and pull them off the floor if I think it needs to happen. D.B.s will stay dead and wait for us to get to them. There’s no rush.”

“Exactly.” I turn and glance up at the clock on my wall, still on the wrong time. But I speak fluentwrong time. “I’ll be heading to bed in probably another hour, but you can call anytime. I won’t be mad.”

She chokes out a nervous laugh. “I’d rather not.”

“I insist, and as your chief, I have rank. If you need to call, call.”

“Fine.” Accepting her fate, even if she doesn’t particularly like it, she starts walking, thetap-tap-tapof her shoes on tile echoing through the line. “I’m gonna push on and get everyone through our shift. I’ll make contact if and when I need to.”

“Good. I’ll talk to you later.” I bring the phone away from my ear and set it down when the screen goes black. Then I hold the edge of the counter and stretch my arms until I groan. “That was a sucky call. A really, really sucky call.”

“HIV exposure?” Archer comes around the counter, just like I knew he would, and stands behind me. His cock touches my ass, but it’s not sexual this time. His hands come to my hips, and even then, his touch is about comfort. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I straighten and allow him to hold me. The back of my head on his chest and his lips hovering by my ear. “We work so damn hard to make sure we’re safe. We treateverybody as though it’s HIV positive. Our PPE keeps us covered and the air filtration systems ensure we’re breathing clean air. But my tech slipped, I guess, and split his glove. One tiny mistake, and his entire life may have changed.”

“They can’t test yet, right?” Cato backs up to lean against the couch. “I remember in health class, they said it takes like two weeks for something to show up in your blood.”

“Basically. For now, it’s all about slamming the PEP down his throat, which should cut his risk by about ninety percent. But it’s that last ten percent that’s gonna keep him awake for the next little while. We can’t test for a couple more weeks, and then again at a month, then three months. I’m hopeful they’re clear, especially considering how quick he’ll have the prophylaxis in his system.”

“So that’s that, then.” Archer slides the hair off my shoulder and strokes my neck with his fingertips. “Now you wait?”

“Yep. And it’s not like calling the hospital, or anyone, really, can make this go faster or easier. Science has to do its thing, and that takes time no matter how frustrating it can be.” Stepping forward, my heart flutters as Archer’s hands fall away and his lips fall into a pout, but then I twist and plaster my chest to his. So, of course, he wraps me up close and nestles his lips in the top of my hair. “Fletch’s life is on fire,” I mumble, “but all we can do is wait for Friday and hope his sanity remains intact. Now Doctor Chase’s life is the same. And just like with Fletch, we wait and hope. That’s all there is to do.”

“Sounds like we’re going to bed, then.” He slips his hand between us and pinches my chin until I lean back and look into his eyes. Then he grins and kisses the deep line of frustration cutting between my brows. “Eat something, since we didn’t do dinner yet. Then sleep. You’ll have time to suit up and head to the office in the morning to talk to your staff. I’ll go to Fletch and make sure all the last-minute things have been ironed out. Tomorrow night, we can expect the onslaught of Malone on Copeland City.”

“Oh God.” Exhausted, I close my eyes and laugh. “I thought we rid our city of that mess?”

“I love it when we’re all together.” Cato noisily flops back on the couch, flipping until he faces the television. Then the volume goes up and some late-night newscast hammers acrossthe apartment until I have no choice but to face the fact Jada’s death has hit the news.

Not because she was a woman beat to death by a violent drug dealer. But because she was once married to a cop, and that cop has handled one-too-many high-profile cases in the past.

“Police say they’re investigating,”Miranda London drones.“But there have been no arrests so far.”

“Turn it off.” I rest against Archer’s chest and grumble. “She’s trash, and watching her tells the network we want to see more of her face. Turn the channel and eventually, she’ll be out of a job.”

ARCHER

Ihead up Fletch’s stairs the next day around two in the afternoon and pause by his door when the sounds of cartoons echo through the thin walls.

Which means Mia’s here.

So I paste on my most convincing smile, twist the knob, and let myself into their apartment, only to stop again when Mia pops up from the couch, meerkat style, with wild hair and a messy face. Her eyes are large and a little too energetic, but she looks me up and down while Bluey plays over her shoulder. Something about a balloon. Parenting classes.

“Hey Moo.” I should have brought her a treat. A new toy. Probably nothing sugary, if her current appearance is anything to go by. But I came empty-handed, so I close the door and glance around the disorganized room. “How are you, cutie? Where’s Daddy?”

“In the bedroom,” Fletch calls out, easing the worry that was slowly, painfully sliding in to wrap around my heart. “I’ll be out in a sec.”

So I look at Mia again and make a face. “He’s in the bedroom. What’d you have for lunch?”

“Chicken nuggies.” She spins and plops back to the couch, so I wander around and lower to sit beside her. “And a chocolate ice-cream sundae.”

“That must explain the crud on your face, huh?” I throw my arms open in surprise when she bounds across the couch and kamikazes into my lap. Her hair tickles my face. But she smells fresh and sugary and pleasant, so despite her rough appearance right now, it’s not aJada’s gone on a bender and neglected her childrough. It’s a simple case ofMom’s dead, Dad’s doing his best, and ice-cream was had. “What’d you get up to today, then? Lots of Bluey?”

“Little.” She makes herself comfortable, nuzzling in and tucking her head beneath my chin. “Me and Daddy went to the hospital this morning, ‘cause he had to sign papers. And then we went and saw Mommy.”

Curious, I cast my eyes to the hallway again. “You saw Mommy?”Busted and bruised.“Yousawher?”

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