Page 45 of Mine To Break
“So he’s going to be okay?” Mal asked, pleased her voice didn’t shake.
“It’s early, but I’m sure he’ll have a very good prognosis.”
Her knees weakened and she sat down quickly before she embarrassed herself. “Thank you, doctor.”
“Might as well get comfortable,” Victor said. “It’s going to be a long night. Mal, can I get you some coffee?”
She nodded, suddenly too tired to even speak. She allowed the back of her head to touch the wall.
Vicki sat beside her and took her hand in hers. “You heard the doctor. Colby’s going to be okay.”
“I know.” But the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach didn’t go away. In fact, it grew, a cold ball of lead that would crush the life out of her. This was a cop’s life. Every time he went out the door, he might be shot at, stabbed, killed in a car chase. She’d known he had a dangerous job from the beginning. But the reality…
Sucked. Big time.
Because she didn’t want him to be in danger. She wanted him safe. Happy. Whole. Not unable to sleep or eat, killing himself with guilt and responsibility for her, his partner, everybody in the entire fucking city.
“How do you do this?” She asked Vicki softly, hoping that Elias wouldn’t hear. She didn’t want to appear weak, or make him think she’d try and force Colby to quit with an ultimatum. Even though that was exactly what she wanted to do.
“I don’t,” Vicki whispered back, squeezing her hand. “I’m terrified. All. The. Time. Once, when we had a fight, he wouldn’t pick up when I called him. Then we heard on the news that a cop had been gunned down. I swear, I lost at least ten years off my life until we got him on the phone and knew he was all right.”
“Did you kick his ass?”
Vicki snorted. “More or less. He promised he’d never do that again. If I called, he’d answer. Period. That way I knew when he was in danger, even if he was pissed at me. He promised that once he gets promoted that he’ll ask for a transfer to a less dangerous division. With my luck, he’ll probably end up on some super secret intelligence squad and he won’t be able to tell me anything about where he is or what he’s doing.”
“Someone offered Colby a job today.”
“Oh?” Elias overheard that bit and went on full alert. “Who?”
“I don’t know. Some Special Agent.”
“Humph. I bet it was someone in the DEA. That’d be a good fit for him.”
“He turned her down.”
“Interesting.” Elias gave her a look that she couldn’t decipher. “He hasn’t said what he plans to do next?”
“Nope.”
“And you haven’t put the screws to him, trying to make him quit?”
She gave him a look of disdain that he’d have no difficulty deciphering. “Oh, I’ve put screws to him, but I haven’t said a single word about trying to get him to quit.”
“You don’t like this.”
“Well, fuck, no, I don’t, Detective Reyes.” She stood slowly, narrowing her eyes and focusing her will on him. He bristled, jaw jutting out, showing his alpha dog side. “But that doesn’t mean I’d try and make him quit his job if that’s what he wants to do.”
Jesse, of all people, stepped closer to Elias and put a hand on his shoulder, whispering something to him. Jesse might be one of the most submissive men Mal had ever seen, but he had no fear approaching his Domme’s other lover, even when Elias was starting to show teeth. In fact, Elias immediately acquiesced. He even fucking apologized.
“I’m sorry, Mal. I’ve got no right to question you. I’m worried about him and snapping at you won’t help anybody, least of all him.”
“I want him to quit, yeah” she replied quietly. “But I’ll never ask it of him. If he chooses to walk away, it’s on him and him alone.”
“And you’ll fucking celebrate if he chooses to leave,” Vicki said in a firm, no nonsense voice that made Jesse soften and Elias stiffen, though he nodded. “We’ll all celebrate. Because he’s alive and happy and doing what he wants.”
“Damn right,” Mal said.Please, let it be soon. Let him be all right.
A few moments went by and the tension in the room settled a bit. Everyone breathed easier, knowing that Colby was likely going to be okay. But Mal noticed that Jesse still had a hand on Elias’s shoulder, and even more interesting, the cop didn’t seem to mind. She glanced at Vicki, noting the soft look of overwhelming affection in her eyes. “Colby asked me to the Policeman’s Ball.”
