Page 29 of Blood and Sand

I wasn’t sure he’d even send a team from Atlanta, but I was sure the FBI field office in Louisiana would be involved. Any help would be good.

Chapter ten

Detective Rey LaCroix

TheonlytimeIremembered experiencing fear like this was when I realized Dana had really left me and that she wasn’t coming back. Now, once again, the fear of losing her overwhelmed me. I had lived three years without her while she lived her life in Atlanta, and it had crippled me. I still had trouble with her being gone. Now, the thought that she might be taken away from me by a crazy killer sent absolute dread through me.

I paced the length of the living room while the Feds from the Atlanta field office fit Dana with a wire. My hair was now unruly from constantly running my hands through it due to the fear that gripped me in a tight hold. According to their tech guy, the wire was untraceable, so there was no way the killer would be able to spot it. I wasn’t so sure, but I had to trust they’d keep her safe, and trusting anybody other than myself for that job wasn’t an easy thing to do.

“She’s the best at what she does.” A deep male’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

Agent Aaron Hart. Her lover.

Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose as anger barreled through me. “I don’t need you telling me a goddamn thing aboutmywife.”

Although I had no right to be angry with Agent Hart, it was impossible not to be. Days, nights, and achievements, as well as her disappointments that should have been shared with me, were shared with him. It wasn’t his fault. I had been an asshole. The fault was all mine, but he was a reminder of what I’d given up. A reminder I certainly didn’t want when the love of my life was walking into the fucking hands of a murderer.

“Ex-wife.” He said it with such confidence, it caused me to snap.

My head snapped to him, and all the rage for him and their relationship surged forward. To know he’d experienced just a little bit of what I had with her caused my blood to boil.

“Fuck you!”

When my fist connected with his jaw, all hell broke loose. He gave just as good as he got. We broke furniture, smashed vases, and crushed my glass coffee table, but none of it mattered. Agent Hart represented what I’d given up, and I wanted to end him.

Hands grabbed at him and me as we were pulled apart.

“What the hell is wrong with you two?” Dana screamed, pushing against our chests as she stood between us.

Agent Hart shook out of the other agent’s hold and wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand, smearing blood across his cheek as he glared at me. I wiped the blood from my mouth with the pad of my thumb.

“My friend is in the hands of a killer, and you two want to have a pissing contest!” She looked between the two of us like we weren’t shit. And we weren’t. I’d let my anger get the best of me.

“DeeDee…”

“Dana…”

We called out to her in unison.

“Save it!” She threw her hands up at the both of us. “I don’t want to hear shit from either of you.” She stormed out of the living room to our bedroom, the door slamming behind her.

My hands went to my hips, and I sighed. I caught sight of Agent Hart being led outside by one of the other agents who’d arrived from the Atlanta Field Office.

After I calmed myself down, I made my way to our bedroom. Cautiously, I opened the door. Dana was sitting on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands, and my heart ached. I’d caused her so much pain over the years, and it looked like I couldn’t stop myself from doing it again.

“I’m sorry, DeeDee.”

She looked up at me with bloodshot eyes, and my heart squeezed inside my chest.

“What did you expect when I left, Rey? Did you expect me to put my life on pause? Or did you expect me to come back saying I made a mistake by leaving you?”

I sat beside her on the bed and planted my forearms on my knees. “Honestly, I didn’t expect to have to fight for you, DeeDee.” I blew out a breath. “When you left, I always expected you to come back.”

“Of course you did. You arrogant ass. Our relationship was always about what you wanted, never about me. In the beginning, instead of you offering to upend your life and move to North Carolina, you expected me to run to you. And I did. Everything in my life, I’ve done for you, but when it came to me and my career, you expected me to give all of it up for you.”

“You’re right, and I’m sorry.”

“Sorry.” She scoffed. “Do you think sorry fixes this?”

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