the
riot act for that, right after he got her and Chase safe and sound at home
where they belonged.
“Ben, put the gun
down. Travis is trying to make amends, and I need him to help slow the bleeding
while I get this cleaned up and stitched.” Kelly gave him a brief smile. “Chase
is going to be just fine. It’s just a shallow cut along his shoulder. It’s
bleeding a lot, but it’s nothing serious.”
“And when were you
going to mention the fact you’re bleeding?” Ben snarled, lowering his gun.
“”Uh…” Kelly
blinked at him, looking guilty.
“Busted,” Travis
whispered, but he was looking at Kelly with concern. “You got hurt? When? I
didn’t know they was planning on hurting you, doc.”
“I got cut with
the same knife that got Chase. Your friend didn’t like me moving so slowing
walking over here.”
“He ain’t my
friend. Not no more. I told ‘em I didn’t want no one getting hurt. I just needed the money. I’m sorry.”
“Why did you need
the money, Travis?”
“My grandma got
sick. Her medicine is real expensive. Those others said I could make money real
quick if I helped them. I didn’t think anyone would get hurt.”
“Okay, you can let
go of Chase now. Give him a pat and then go wash your hands. You’re going to
have to go talk to the police, but maybe, if you help them out, you and I can
talk about another way for you to earn some money. After you’ve answered for
what happened here tonight.”
Ben caught her
expression and inwardly sighed. He knew that look. It meant Kelly was in rescue
mode, and Travis was her new project. He almost felt sorry for the kid. Almost.
“Wilde,
everything good in here?” Chapman asked as he
stepped up behind Ben.
“Apparently.”
Kelly glanced up
from her work to smile at Chapman. “Hello again. Travis here is going to cooperate any way he can with your investigation. Do
you think you could make sure the judge knows that he’s sorry? You know, when
the time comes.”
Ben groaned and
Chapman made a soft sound of surprise. “Uh, yeah. I
guess…”
“Wonderful. Travis,
this is Officer Chapman. He’s going to talk to you and help you, if you’ll let
him. You’re in a lot of trouble, but if you listen to him, he’ll help you make
some better choices.”
Danny scratched
the back of his neck and cleared his throat. “Right. Uh, okay. You need to come with me now Travis.”
Ben’s lips
twitched as he heard Chapman’s confusion. It was the first time either of them
had ever had a victim befriend the suspect before an arrest was even made. As
Travis left, he turned and looked up at Ben.
“I’m real sorry
about your dog, sir. And ‘bout your old lady getting hurt. It won’t happen
again.”
“It better not,”
Ben growled at him, pleased when the kid blanched and swallowed as he darted
for the door.
Once they were
alone, Kelly glowered at him. “Did you have to scare him like that? He isn’t a
bad kid. Not like those other two.”
“You have got to
be fucking kidding me! Baby, he was part of a gang who grabbed you out of a
parking lot and tried to rob you! Yes, I had to scare him. If I had my way, I’d
tear the three of them apart for what they did to you.”
He closed the distance
between them between heartbeats, hauling her into his arms and burying his face
in her sweet scented hair. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. Do you hear me? Never again. If something happened to you…” The thought made his chest ache and his throat
close over, cutting off his next words.
“When it got bad,
I didn’t panic. Do you know why?” Kelly wrapped her arms around his waist, her
head pressed to his chest, right over his heart.
“Because
you’re crazy?”
She laughed, a
soft, fluttering sound that soothed his fears more than any words she could
have spoken. “Maybe I am. But I knew you’d come for me.”
“Always.” In that moment the truth dawned on Ben. He would always be there
for her, no matter what the
riot act for that, right after he got her and Chase safe and sound at home
where they belonged.
“Ben, put the gun
down. Travis is trying to make amends, and I need him to help slow the bleeding
while I get this cleaned up and stitched.” Kelly gave him a brief smile. “Chase
is going to be just fine. It’s just a shallow cut along his shoulder. It’s
bleeding a lot, but it’s nothing serious.”
“And when were you
going to mention the fact you’re bleeding?” Ben snarled, lowering his gun.
“”Uh…” Kelly
blinked at him, looking guilty.
“Busted,” Travis
whispered, but he was looking at Kelly with concern. “You got hurt? When? I
didn’t know they was planning on hurting you, doc.”
“I got cut with
the same knife that got Chase. Your friend didn’t like me moving so slowing
walking over here.”
“He ain’t my
friend. Not no more. I told ‘em I didn’t want no one getting hurt. I just needed the money. I’m sorry.”
“Why did you need
the money, Travis?”
“My grandma got
sick. Her medicine is real expensive. Those others said I could make money real
quick if I helped them. I didn’t think anyone would get hurt.”
“Okay, you can let
go of Chase now. Give him a pat and then go wash your hands. You’re going to
have to go talk to the police, but maybe, if you help them out, you and I can
talk about another way for you to earn some money. After you’ve answered for
what happened here tonight.”
Ben caught her
expression and inwardly sighed. He knew that look. It meant Kelly was in rescue
mode, and Travis was her new project. He almost felt sorry for the kid. Almost.
“Wilde,
everything good in here?” Chapman asked as he
stepped up behind Ben.
“Apparently.”
Kelly glanced up
from her work to smile at Chapman. “Hello again. Travis here is going to cooperate any way he can with your investigation. Do
you think you could make sure the judge knows that he’s sorry? You know, when
the time comes.”
Ben groaned and
Chapman made a soft sound of surprise. “Uh, yeah. I
guess…”
“Wonderful. Travis,
this is Officer Chapman. He’s going to talk to you and help you, if you’ll let
him. You’re in a lot of trouble, but if you listen to him, he’ll help you make
some better choices.”
Danny scratched
the back of his neck and cleared his throat. “Right. Uh, okay. You need to come with me now Travis.”
Ben’s lips
twitched as he heard Chapman’s confusion. It was the first time either of them
had ever had a victim befriend the suspect before an arrest was even made. As
Travis left, he turned and looked up at Ben.
“I’m real sorry
about your dog, sir. And ‘bout your old lady getting hurt. It won’t happen
again.”
“It better not,”
Ben growled at him, pleased when the kid blanched and swallowed as he darted
for the door.
Once they were
alone, Kelly glowered at him. “Did you have to scare him like that? He isn’t a
bad kid. Not like those other two.”
“You have got to
be fucking kidding me! Baby, he was part of a gang who grabbed you out of a
parking lot and tried to rob you! Yes, I had to scare him. If I had my way, I’d
tear the three of them apart for what they did to you.”
He closed the distance
between them between heartbeats, hauling her into his arms and burying his face
in her sweet scented hair. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. Do you hear me? Never again. If something happened to you…” The thought made his chest ache and his throat
close over, cutting off his next words.
“When it got bad,
I didn’t panic. Do you know why?” Kelly wrapped her arms around his waist, her
head pressed to his chest, right over his heart.
“Because
you’re crazy?”
She laughed, a
soft, fluttering sound that soothed his fears more than any words she could
have spoken. “Maybe I am. But I knew you’d come for me.”
“Always.” In that moment the truth dawned on Ben. He would always be there
for her, no matter what the
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