fast, and Cole snapped out orders. “Lockup for Rathbone. I’m charging him with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, assault and, battery to start. We’ll see what else comes up after he comes to.”
Finally, his work was done with the men, the boardwalk had cleared out, and he was alone with Julie.
“Still okay?” he said softly.
“Yes,” she responded evenly.
When he’d seen Julie hiding in the shadows, he’d wanted to break every bone in Don’s body, then wring her pretty little neck for putting herself in danger. His suppressed fury rose hot and fast. He tamped it down as well as he could before speaking. “Why’d he go after you?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Julie?” He stretched out his arm, pulling her away from his body, and let go. Bravely, she met his gaze.
“I can’t tell you. Doctor-patient confidentiality.”
“You’re treating Don for something?”
She pursed her lips together.
“Margo,” he guessed.
She looked out to the harbor.
“Does it have any bearing on the investigation?”
Her gaze was still trained on the water. “If you have to write something down for your report, just say his wife is my patient and he didn’t like what I’d prescribed. Things at their house are . . . not good. I think he’s using drugs and maybe hurting her. But I don’t have any proof.”
“God, Julie,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “You’ve gotten yourself in a fine mess.”
She turned back and glared at him. “What? What did I do wrong?” she demanded.
Let me count the ways . “You ran,” he said, focusing on the first concrete thing that popped into his mind.
“John told me to move, so I moved. Fast. Anyway, aren’t you supposed to run if someone’s trying to attack you?” She sounded exasperated and truly tired.
“Not if you’re running away from those who can help. You made your rescuers chase you, and that’s never a good thing. You were safer at the Nail.”
“How the hell was I supposed to know that?” she said. “It’s not like I’ve ever had this happen before!”
“You clearly don’t know how to take care of yourself.” Frowning, he crossed his arms over his chest. His need to keep her safe was primal, and the fact that she hadn’t confided in him about the Rathbones before now made him more than a little pissed off.
“You . . . I . . . what arrogance!” she breathed. Even in the low light, he could see a flush creeping up her neck and staining her cheeks red. “How dare you! One date and this is how you act?” Her eyes were bright with anger, her hair was slightly mussed, and it looked like every muscle in her body was straining as she kept herself in check. She looked gorgeous when she was furious. For a moment, he forgot that he was angry.
He forced himself to look at the situation rationally, the way he thought she would. “So you’re telling me that your reaction was intelligent?”
“There was no thought. He came at me. I ran. End of story.”
Cole shook his head. “No. Every situation has a best response scenario. Just like when you’re trying to save someone’s life, there’s protocol. Same here. We need to train you to think about your safety. Train your body to react even when your brain isn’t thinking. I can do a quick, down-and-dirty basics class for you, and then we can get you enrolled in a longer one so you can hone your skills.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said vehemently.
“I’m just doing my job here, Julie, just like you’re doing yours. And my job means keeping you safe. If you’d told me about your issues with the Rathbones earlier, I could have helped you. Instead, we’ve ended up here.” He swept out his arm over the boardwalk, as if to encompass the entire situation. “Don’s a troublemaker, all right.”
She laughed. “It’s weird to hear you call someone else a troublemaker.”
“Yeah, I know. No one lets me forget the old days, either. If I have to hear Babs Kincaide
Finally, his work was done with the men, the boardwalk had cleared out, and he was alone with Julie.
“Still okay?” he said softly.
“Yes,” she responded evenly.
When he’d seen Julie hiding in the shadows, he’d wanted to break every bone in Don’s body, then wring her pretty little neck for putting herself in danger. His suppressed fury rose hot and fast. He tamped it down as well as he could before speaking. “Why’d he go after you?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Julie?” He stretched out his arm, pulling her away from his body, and let go. Bravely, she met his gaze.
“I can’t tell you. Doctor-patient confidentiality.”
“You’re treating Don for something?”
She pursed her lips together.
“Margo,” he guessed.
She looked out to the harbor.
“Does it have any bearing on the investigation?”
Her gaze was still trained on the water. “If you have to write something down for your report, just say his wife is my patient and he didn’t like what I’d prescribed. Things at their house are . . . not good. I think he’s using drugs and maybe hurting her. But I don’t have any proof.”
“God, Julie,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “You’ve gotten yourself in a fine mess.”
She turned back and glared at him. “What? What did I do wrong?” she demanded.
Let me count the ways . “You ran,” he said, focusing on the first concrete thing that popped into his mind.
“John told me to move, so I moved. Fast. Anyway, aren’t you supposed to run if someone’s trying to attack you?” She sounded exasperated and truly tired.
“Not if you’re running away from those who can help. You made your rescuers chase you, and that’s never a good thing. You were safer at the Nail.”
“How the hell was I supposed to know that?” she said. “It’s not like I’ve ever had this happen before!”
“You clearly don’t know how to take care of yourself.” Frowning, he crossed his arms over his chest. His need to keep her safe was primal, and the fact that she hadn’t confided in him about the Rathbones before now made him more than a little pissed off.
“You . . . I . . . what arrogance!” she breathed. Even in the low light, he could see a flush creeping up her neck and staining her cheeks red. “How dare you! One date and this is how you act?” Her eyes were bright with anger, her hair was slightly mussed, and it looked like every muscle in her body was straining as she kept herself in check. She looked gorgeous when she was furious. For a moment, he forgot that he was angry.
He forced himself to look at the situation rationally, the way he thought she would. “So you’re telling me that your reaction was intelligent?”
“There was no thought. He came at me. I ran. End of story.”
Cole shook his head. “No. Every situation has a best response scenario. Just like when you’re trying to save someone’s life, there’s protocol. Same here. We need to train you to think about your safety. Train your body to react even when your brain isn’t thinking. I can do a quick, down-and-dirty basics class for you, and then we can get you enrolled in a longer one so you can hone your skills.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said vehemently.
“I’m just doing my job here, Julie, just like you’re doing yours. And my job means keeping you safe. If you’d told me about your issues with the Rathbones earlier, I could have helped you. Instead, we’ve ended up here.” He swept out his arm over the boardwalk, as if to encompass the entire situation. “Don’s a troublemaker, all right.”
She laughed. “It’s weird to hear you call someone else a troublemaker.”
“Yeah, I know. No one lets me forget the old days, either. If I have to hear Babs Kincaide
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