walking past came to her rescue.
“Hey.” He fished a badge from inside his jacket, overhead all-weather lights catching the gold shield. He flashed it to the tow guy. “Unhook this truck.”
Jade folded her arms beneath her breasts, closing her knee-length sweater coat over her dress, eyes doing a fast, startled sweep of her rescuer. He had one of those angular, strong faces too stern to be considered outright handsome, his nose thin, but prominent, cheeks lean and tight. His dark hair was clipped short on the sides and soft on top, gleaming under the parking deck lamps. He was tall – decidedly over six feet – and his suit fit well. He was older than her, probably a lot older, and that only fortified her impression; he was attractive .
The tow driver pushed his cap back and scratched at his hair, mouth pulled to the side in a grimace. “I got called to take this in, so I gotta take it in.”
“A patrol called you; I’m a detective, and I’m telling you to unhook it.” The command in his voice, the way he didn’t expect to be disobeyed…it was nothing like the posturing of boys her age; it had true authority behind it. He turned to her – as the tow driver, grumbling, starting taking the chains off her truck – eyes impossibly dark, and said, “I don’t normally condone blocking loading zones.” He smiled a feral, white, frightening smile. “But I figure since you’re about to agree to have dinner with me…”
Jade coughed a startled laugh. “Just like that? Does this white knight routine work for you often?”
His smile turned pleased; he liked her comeback. “Always.”
She smiled. “Hmm. Detectives lie all the time, though. If you even are a detective. How do I know that badge isn’t from Party City?”
He put it in her hand, still smiling; their fingers brushed, his warm and rough. The badge was solid smooth leather and cool metal. She traced a nail over the shield. Cobb County Police Department she read. She’d never seen one up close before, but this looked and felt like the real deal. She hadn’t really doubted him, but there was something reassuring about the way he’d given it to her. That automatic trust.
“I’m Jade,” she said when she glanced up, offering his badge back.
His hand lingered when he took it, sending little ripples of sensation moving beneath her skin. “Ben.”
Dangerous . The word woke her, echoing through her head like someone had whispered it right up close to her. But her room was empty. A wedge of blue from the hall nightlight cut across the carpet, touching the corner of the hope chest at the foot of her bed. Her reflection was a twitch of movement in the dressing table mirror across from her. For a long moment, she searched the familiar lumps and shadows of the room, pulse slowing, then she fired off a text and climbed out of bed.
It was just after five and though it had stopped raining, the sky was an inky black, the darkness heavy, the air soupy. The wet grass swished against her ankles and all around, the leaves dripped water with little splat s.
The horses were used to early wakeups, and they blinked against the onslaught as she flipped the lights on. There was a chill in the barn, a dampness that gave her the shivers. She nudged Fat Monty the cat off the lid of the sweet feed can and scooped up a handful for Atlas. Down the aisle, he was waiting for her, head hanging over his stall door, ears swiveling, nostrils quivering in a silent whicker as she reached through the bars and dropped his snack in his feeder.
“Hi, boy,” she greeted as she slid into his stall with his brushes. “You
“Hey.” He fished a badge from inside his jacket, overhead all-weather lights catching the gold shield. He flashed it to the tow guy. “Unhook this truck.”
Jade folded her arms beneath her breasts, closing her knee-length sweater coat over her dress, eyes doing a fast, startled sweep of her rescuer. He had one of those angular, strong faces too stern to be considered outright handsome, his nose thin, but prominent, cheeks lean and tight. His dark hair was clipped short on the sides and soft on top, gleaming under the parking deck lamps. He was tall – decidedly over six feet – and his suit fit well. He was older than her, probably a lot older, and that only fortified her impression; he was attractive .
The tow driver pushed his cap back and scratched at his hair, mouth pulled to the side in a grimace. “I got called to take this in, so I gotta take it in.”
“A patrol called you; I’m a detective, and I’m telling you to unhook it.” The command in his voice, the way he didn’t expect to be disobeyed…it was nothing like the posturing of boys her age; it had true authority behind it. He turned to her – as the tow driver, grumbling, starting taking the chains off her truck – eyes impossibly dark, and said, “I don’t normally condone blocking loading zones.” He smiled a feral, white, frightening smile. “But I figure since you’re about to agree to have dinner with me…”
Jade coughed a startled laugh. “Just like that? Does this white knight routine work for you often?”
His smile turned pleased; he liked her comeback. “Always.”
She smiled. “Hmm. Detectives lie all the time, though. If you even are a detective. How do I know that badge isn’t from Party City?”
He put it in her hand, still smiling; their fingers brushed, his warm and rough. The badge was solid smooth leather and cool metal. She traced a nail over the shield. Cobb County Police Department she read. She’d never seen one up close before, but this looked and felt like the real deal. She hadn’t really doubted him, but there was something reassuring about the way he’d given it to her. That automatic trust.
“I’m Jade,” she said when she glanced up, offering his badge back.
His hand lingered when he took it, sending little ripples of sensation moving beneath her skin. “Ben.”
Dangerous . The word woke her, echoing through her head like someone had whispered it right up close to her. But her room was empty. A wedge of blue from the hall nightlight cut across the carpet, touching the corner of the hope chest at the foot of her bed. Her reflection was a twitch of movement in the dressing table mirror across from her. For a long moment, she searched the familiar lumps and shadows of the room, pulse slowing, then she fired off a text and climbed out of bed.
It was just after five and though it had stopped raining, the sky was an inky black, the darkness heavy, the air soupy. The wet grass swished against her ankles and all around, the leaves dripped water with little splat s.
The horses were used to early wakeups, and they blinked against the onslaught as she flipped the lights on. There was a chill in the barn, a dampness that gave her the shivers. She nudged Fat Monty the cat off the lid of the sweet feed can and scooped up a handful for Atlas. Down the aisle, he was waiting for her, head hanging over his stall door, ears swiveling, nostrils quivering in a silent whicker as she reached through the bars and dropped his snack in his feeder.
“Hi, boy,” she greeted as she slid into his stall with his brushes. “You
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