to get him a cup?” Joel asked, clearly exasperated. “It’s polite. Look, we all have to put up with things we would rather not put up with. It’s like that everywhere.”
But it hadn’t been. She’d been with the NYPD for almost ten years, and the Army for three before. “I know that I’ve worked in several units where no one would have joked that way.”
“You chose to go into that particular unit. You knew it was a male-dominated unit.”
She’d known they were the best, and she’d wanted to be one of them. “I also chose to go into the Army, and guess what, when a guy on my team got handsy, my superior officer took care of it. It was his job to ensure we had a safe working environment and that everyone under his command was supported when they did their job. I am the best sniper on Stephens’s team. So why was I stuck back at the station during the bank standoff last week? He looked me right in the eye and told me to monitor the situation and handed Smith my damn job.”
“That’s his prerogative. Maybe he didn’t feel comfortable with you in the sniper’s seat. Maybe he was worried you would make the team look bad since that’s what you seem to be trying to do with all these complaints.” He finally set his pen down and sat back. “This isn’t the way to move ahead. You should know that.”
Yes, she’d heard that from him for weeks. She was supposed to keep her head down and her mouth shut. Her superiors would appreciate her opinions far more if she rarely ever had them. “I’m not going to move ahead at all since Stephens doesn’t like any woman who won’t sleep with him. I would think as my husband that you would be offended.”
Joel moved in front of her, the first sign that he had any emotions at all concerning this situation. “Has he touched you? Stated plainly that he’ll support a promotion if you go to bed with him?”
“It’s more insidious than that.”
His lips turned down in that way they did when she annoyed him. Lately she’d seen that expression on his face a lot. “So your answer is no and you’re causing all this trouble because you didn’t get what you wanted. You couldn’t take a joke.”
She was so sick of this argument. “I’m not some thin-skinned, pearl-clutching lady who can’t hear a cuss word without fainting.”
Joel loomed over her, but he didn’t touch her. “I’ve talked to some of the officers you work with. They describe you as difficult.”
“Because I want them to do their jobs and respect everyone? That makes me difficult?”
“Other words they used to describe you were ‘bossy’ and ‘arrogant.’”
She felt her fists clench. “If I was a man, I would be considered take-charge and confident.”
He shrugged as though that argument meant nothing at all to him. “But you’re not. Look, Rox, I know it’s been hard on you. I know you’ve struggled since what happened last year.”
She didn’t want to think about what had happened that summer night. “I did my time with the shrink. I’m fine.”
“No, you’ve changed. Everyone can see it. Losing your partner unsettled you in ways that are only starting to show up now.”
She might have nightmares. She might not be as outgoing as she’d been before. But she hadn’t suddenly started hating sexual harassment because Ben died. “Or I got a sergeant who’s a massive ass. I don’t understand why this is about me. Stephens is running that team poorly. He’s the problem.”
Joel took a step back. He was a handsome man. He took care of himself, from his grooming routine to the discipline he showed at the gym. That detailed care of himself had tricked her into thinking he would pay the same attention to their marriage. “And I’ve found a solution. You’re having trouble with Stephens, so I’ve used some influence and arranged to transfer you.”
She felt her eyes widen. “Transfer me?”
“Yes. I’ve talked to some people who owe me favors and I’m moving you into a position with Staten Island.”
It felt like he’d punched her in the gut. “You’re moving me out of ESU?”
Emergency Services Unit had been her dream job. She’d worked her ass off to get in, and it had turned into a nightmare because of her sergeant. She was one of the few women who’d made it to the NYPD’s version of SWAT.
“I think you could use a break.”