Page 84 of Hesi-Dating
Joley slid beside me and took my hand. When I turned to look at her, she went on tiptoe to put a kiss on my lips. My body jolted.
"Have I told you how gorgeous you are in a tux?" She faced Sara. "He's incredible, isn't he? I don't think we've met. I'm Joley."
I wrapped Joley's waist to pull her into me and laid a kiss on her cheek. The citrusy scent of her hair reminded me how much I'd missed her.
"I'm Sara Vaughn." The mayor's lips pressed into a thin line.
Joley took her hand and shook it. "It's such an honor to meet you. Wait a second. Sara…" She looked up at me. "Is she the handcuffs lady?"
I worked to suppress the smile. No reason to add fuel to Sara's hate.
"Oh, my." Joley faced Sara without fear. "He was so embarrassed. His dog ate something that didn't agree with his stomach. I'm sorry it happened to you. Someone had to rescue him since he was trapped and thank God it was me. It's been happily ever after since I freed him. Thank you.”
Sara's mouth open and shut. She flicked her eyes upward, turned, and stalked away with stiff shoulders. This incident was going to bite me in the ass later, not that I cared. Joley was here. And she had kissed me.
"Come," I led her out the banquet hall's side door into the quiet hallway. Nerves bounced around my stomach, twisting and churning. I'd dreamt of her eyes, of seeing her again and what I'd say. It was never in a situation like this. Memories of us, good and bad, filtered through my head. Once the door clicked shut to block out the sounds of the event I asked, "Why did you refuse to see me at the hospital? Why did you block me from your life?"
"I don't get athank youfor rescuing you from the mayor?"
"Thank you." I hoped that sounded sincere. I meant it.
"What's this about the hospital?" She folded her arms across her chest. "You didn't show up."
"You refused to see me. I watched you get shot. You bled everywhere, which just about killed me. I wanted to go with you in the ambulance, but then that shooter incident called me away. I got to you as fast as I could, but you blocked me from visiting."
"You never came. I wanted you there. They told me you never showed up. That active shooter incident…I figured you were wrapped up in that, but then I never heard from you the next day or any of the days after. Isiah wouldn't tell me jack shit about why you set that up to trap Nosh. Said it was police business, not his."
"You could've texted me or called or let me see you in the hospital," he said. "Your phone number changed when I tried to contact you."
"I didn't get anything from you. I assumed you got what you needed from me by catching Nosh and decided that was it for us."
"I was there, Joley. I was there at the fucking hospital. They told me you never wanted to see me again. That you wanted me out of your life. That you decided my career was dangerous since you were held at gunpoint twice after I met you. So, that's what I did. I got out of it."
"No." She shook her head. "You're lying. Who did you speak to? I got it from everyone you didn't show up."
"Ask your brother. Bruno. He's the one who told me to fuck off."
"I never asked him to block you. Amber said you never came. I can't remember if I asked Bruno if he saw you. I was drugged on pain medication, but I waited for you. I wanted to see you." She waved a hand as if to move beyond that. "You set me up. You put Junior at risk, and I almost died so you could catch Nosh. How was anything about trying to corner Nosh not going to end up with someone dead?"
"I never intended for that crazy asshole to get you alone. Never thought he'd pull a gun or hurt you."
"It's not the first time he pulled a gun on me."
I tugged at the back of my neck. "You wouldn't let me in, Joley. How was I to know he was unpredictable or that he'd already threatened you that way? We were going to grab him the second that he approached you at the pavilion."
"Your people didn't get him. Seemed pretty easy for him to get me away from there."
"Someone in the department tipped him off. He bribed an officer. I didn't believe it would happen since I'd already purged the department weeks earlier of people who were influenced by gangs."
"That's how gangs like the Red Crips work. You're the sheriff for fuck's sake. You know shit like that, don't you? They keep police on the payroll or intimidate them into compliance. That's why they sent some guy to your house when I was there that night. Nosh had been tracking me. Did you confirm he was there to find me?"
"He had been. You were right. In my department it doesn't go like that. It's what triggered me to purge those under gang influence. At least, those who were on a gang payroll." Her not calling from the hospital or after was a two-way street. She could've called at any time. "This was always the problem with us. You wouldn't let me in. You wouldn't tell me what was going on or let me help you."
"I did what had to be done to protect you."
"You did what you needed to protect yourself," I snapped. "I could've handled Nosh and his whole group. We could've done it together, but you didn't give me a chance to be a part of it. You made a decision to run from me and avoid us becoming anything."
"I couldn't handle it if you'd been hurt by him. He was vicious. He killed someone to prove what he'd do if I didn't stay away from you. If you had died…if I had to live the rest of my life knowing it happened because of me…I couldn't."
