He’d just received comfort and a heart-to-heart from a teenager. Theo had probably experienced more meaningful relationships than he had, judging from how smitten he was with Emma, although his son tried to act all cool and shit. He chuckled at the thought.
Declan only had Gabby. Had fallen in deep and wanted to marry her despite their vastly different social statuses.
A sound of a vehicle came rumbling down the driveway. The tension in his muscles loosened as he walked to the window to take a peek, recognizing the sound of Gabby’s vehicle pulling in, wondering if someone else had driven her home. He knew she wouldn’t be idiotic enough to get behind the wheel under the influence. The engine cut off and she exited the Pilot and gingerly closed the SUV’s door as if mindful it was early in the morning.
Gabby approached under the glow of the porch lights, her steps dragging, but in no way straddling the drunk line.
She had her key in hand but, before she could notch it into the keyhole, Declan opened the door.
Her face registered surprise, but there was gladness in it too, and that settled him a bit. “You didn’t have to wait up for me.”
Declan stepped aside to let her in and closed the door.
“How did it go?” He followed her into the kitchen where she retrieved a glass and filled it with water.
“Hard.” She leaned against the countertop and took a sip of water as if contemplating the question further “But it was good.” She nodded effusively, her mouth set in determination. “We talked about the good times, our favorite Frank Mitchell moments.”
“What was yours?” Declan asked while he took his place beside her.
“Oh, several,” she said. “The time he called me an idiot when I was a patrol officer and messed up his crime scene. I wanted to slink away then and quit.”
“You were a rookie?”
“Rookie or not, you learn fast enough under Mitchell.”
“Tough love?”
“Oh yeah, but he was fair and he had your back no matter what.”
Declan waited for her to elaborate. She took another sip and continued, “Officer-involved shootings. Those are always tough, often scrutinized by the rat department.”
“As in Internal Affairs?”
“Yes. In my fifteen years as a cop, there’ve always been bad apples in that division. Don’t get me wrong, majority of them are just doing their job—checks and balances and all. But sometimes there are those who are out for revenge.”
“Gotcha.”
“IA is always hated. I’d rather quit than have to join them.” She glanced at him. “Your involvement in the raid might still be investigated, you know.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Declan assured her.
“Garrison handled it?”
“He did.”
“Good.” Gabby pushed away from the countertop and lowered her glass. “Guess I’ll turn in.” She started to walk away.
“Gabby …” He clasped her arm, stopping her.
She didn’t look at him, keeping her head bowed, but he could feel the need rolling off her. She needed something from him. In what capacity, he wasn’t sure, but what he was sure about was he couldn’t leave her alone. Not tonight.
“Gabby,” he repeated.
She raised her eyes and the raw agony in them tore at his heart.
“I’m here, Angel.”
“I can’t stop thinking.” Her voice cracked. “I keep running things through my head if we could have done things differently. If I didn’t bring up the clinic—”
“Angel, I don’t think—”
“Not my fault?” she said fiercely. “I was the one who put us there. If someone had to die, it should have been me, not him.”
“Don’t,” Declan said harshly. “Don’t say that. You said Mitchell was all for it and you got Ortega off the streets.”
“Yes! And Mitchell is dead and Vanessa didn’t even get to hold his hand when he died!” she cried. Wrenching herself out of his hold, she fled from the kitchen. Declan didn’t hesitate. He followed her to her room.
She didn’t bother closing the door, tossing her messenger bag on a chair, and spun around to face him.
Fury and grief couldn’t have mixed more acutely on her face.
“What do you need, Angel? Tell me,” he asked quietly, shutting the door behind him.
Without saying another word, she stepped up to him, grabbed his jaw and kissed him hard. His arms instinctively wrapped around her, keeping her flush. She bit his bottom lip and he made a sound in the back of his throat as he fervently returned her kisses.
She pulled back a breadth and whispered, “Make the pain go away.”