in their Division that occupied a lot of her head space. Mostly she was sticking her head in the sand because she was overwhelmed with everything coming at her. Staying in stasis seemed like a good idea. Except Declan appeared to have reached the limit of his patience. He wasn’t hiding how he felt anymore, but he wasn’t voicing any feelings either, merely being demonstrative and … well, hinting.
“So, are you exes with benefits?”
“Ah … we’re more than that. I think.”
“Are you guys gonna try and make a go of it?”
“I don’t know.”
“So you’re just fucking?” Kelso stated, deadpan.
“You’re getting annoying.”
“And you haven’t told Theo that you’re his mother.”
“None of your business.”
“I give a shit about you, Gab,” her friend’s voice grew rough. “I know it’s eating you up inside. This is one problem that has a solution, and that solution is to stop hiding the fact from your son and come clean.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Oh? Explain.”
“Theo is under a lot of pressure.”
“Doesn’t seem so to me. He seems to have it made.”
“You know better than that,” Gabby said. “I’m a living example of a teen-star has-been.”
“That was by choice.”
When their SUV stopped at a red light, Kelso turned to her. “Look at me, Woodward.”
Gabby did. Her partner’s eyes were serious, earnest. “Roarke seems like a great guy. That man cares for you. I hope you see that. It’s not about Theo. It’s about you. You should see the vibes he gives off whenever guys at Division are around you—”
“You don’t have to point that out. Delgado teases me enough about it,” Gabby grumbled. “And that’s another reason. Theo just found out Declan is his real father. Revenant Films is coming up with a press release before the season premiere because the tabloids have just been going to town about this.”
This was one thing Gabby was relieved to have Nick handle. After their Rodeo Drive field trip, the tabloids started speculating, and a picture of Gabby and Declan from when they first got married was printed. But that news was soon eclipsed by a possible bioweapon in play in LA, and the mayor was still trying to calm the public.
“Isn’t the season premiere next summer? That’s another eight months. The longer you sit on this, the more Theo will react badly.” Kelso’s face softened. “He looks up to you, Gab, and you’ve tried everything to find out the truth.”
“I know, but he’s vulnerable at this age. The point of identity and existential crisis. He’s at the top of his career right now. Can you imagine what he’ll feel when he finds out he’s been living a lie?”
The light turned green and Kelso returned his attention to the road. “You have a point, but I still maintain Theo is as level-headed as they come—for an entitled teen actor.”
Gabby laughed. “He’s his father, I guess.”
“No, he’s you,” Kelso said.
She would disagree. It was more Declan who’d had more responsibility as a teenager than he should have had until he met Gabby. She shook her head. She wasn’t going to think of that past anymore, what should have been. There was only now and what needed to be done. There was still a chance for them to become a family, right?
“I’ll tell him,” she whispered.
As low as her voice had become, her partner heard her. “Atta, girl.”
“I’ll talk to Declan when I get home.” It was time they defined what they meant to each other. No more skating the line of exes-with-benefits.
Their radio crackled from dispatch. “Detective Kelso, what’s your twenty?”
“Heading west to Beverly Hills on Beverly Boulevard.”
“You need to head to Inglewood.”
“What do you have?”
“Possible homicide related to the Ortega case.”
Kelso glanced at her as he clicked the mic to answer. “We’re on our way.”
22
Two black and whites with lights flashing were already parked on the curb beside an alley. The ambulance was pulled in across from it.
As Gabby and Kelso stepped out of their vehicle, a uniform approached them.
“Is the scene secured?” Gabby called out, whipping out a pair of gloves from her back pocket and slipping them on.
“Of course,” the officer grumbled. “We haven’t touched anything.”
Gabby nodded. It wouldn’t have been the first time patrol officers were too eager when they were at a crime scene and contaminated the area in their haste to investigate. They frequently forgot it wasn’t their job to do so. She’d been there, done that. “Were you the one who called GHD?”
“Yes.” Hastings, as his nameplate stated, ran a finger across the top of his