When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,60
said. Still, he kept his eyes on the road. “I can’t discuss an active investigation, Rose. You know that.”
Lips pursed together, I gave it some thought, then asked, “If you knew it didn’t have anything to do with Mike, would you tell me?”
“Let me handle the investigation.” He didn’t sound angry, but he definitely didn’t sound happy. When he turned to me, his eyes were dark. “The Lady in Black needs to sit this one out. Especially given what Malcolm said about Denny Carmichael.”
I shook my head. “I know there are things you aren’t telling me.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re in no condition to deal with this right now.”
That made me bristle. “And if I wasn’t in this condition, would you let me deal with it?”
“You know I’ve never been one hundred percent behind your…activities. It’s one step removed from vigilantism.” He shot me another dark look. “And that’s bein’ generous.”
Now didn’t seem like the time to point out the good I’d done as the Lady in Black, especially since I agreed that he had a point—I had no business running around the county in my black hat this close to going into labor…not that I’d used the hat in over a year. Every criminal in the county knew I was the Lady in Black. The disguise was no longer necessary.
“I’m not gonna run around as Lady,” I said. “I’m just askin’ questions.”
“And I understand why you’re askin’, so long as you don’t get teed off that I can’t answer.”
Neither of us said anything for the rest of the drive, and my thoughts turned to Denny Carmichael. I hadn’t seen or heard from him in months. Last fall he’d told me that I owed him a favor for saving my life, but he’d yet to collect. The last thing I wanted was for Denny to come anywhere near my baby. While James had always been adamant that he would never harm children to do his bidding, I was fairly certain Denny Carmichael wouldn’t say the same.
Joe pulled up in front of the veterinary clinic and we both got out. As we walked toward the door, he stopped and turned to face me with a pained expression.
“I don’t like fightin’ with you.”
I looked up at him in surprise. “Were we fightin’?”
“No, not outright, but we’re definitely at odds.”
“So we have different perspectives on the situation. That’s happened before. We’re still in this together.”
He started to say something, then stopped, but determination flashed through his eyes, and he started again. Eyes on mine, he asked, “And what exactly are we in together?”
My breath caught. If he’d picked up on my changing feelings, he had to be confused. I’d suggested we talk last night, and then I’d run off and met with James. “I’m still sortin’ that out, Joe.”
He nodded with a grave expression. “Fair enough.”
He turned and left me to follow.
Joe knocked on the locked front door, and Levi appeared shortly afterward with dark circles under his eyes.
“She’s still pretty groggy,” he said as he led us into the back. “Her temperature is a little low, so I have her under a warming blanket, and I’ve got her on some powerful pain meds to make her more comfortable.”
We walked into a room with multiple metal cages, and I spotted Muffy in the middle, lying on a fuzzy blanket. An IV bag hung on the door and a plastic tube led from it into her leg, which was wrapped with adhesive tape. Levi carefully opened the door, murmuring, “Your momma’s here to see you, Muffy.”
Her head stirred slightly, but her eyes were unfocused as I crept closer. She was wrapped in the blanket he’d mentioned, and I could only see her head and her front legs.
“Hey, girl.” I glanced up at Levi. “Where can I touch her that won’t hurt?”
“Her head’s a little bruised, so maybe one of her front feet or legs.”
I took her paw in my hand, rubbing my thumb over the pad of her foot. “You scared me to death,” I said, my voice breaking. “You can’t go running after cars, girl. You have to come back when I call you.” Then I realized I was chastising her, which was the last thing I wanted to do. She needed to know—I needed her to know—how much I loved her. “I can’t live without you, Muff. You have to promise that you won’t do anything like that again. Please, please don’t do anything like that again.”