Read Online A Mended Man (The Men of Halfway House Book 4) by Jaime Reese - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jaime Reese
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should have told me !"
"What would that have done?" Aidan leaned forward, gripping the back of the chair opposite the captain's desk until his knuckles whitened. "I get it. You're offering support here. But it's no one's fucking business. I hate labels, but now it seems everyone out there wants to brand me because of one thing. Maybe I should get a T-shirt— I like dick, just not yours . Maybe that'll get them to mind their own fucking business and get back to solving cases."
"You're overreacting."
"Overreacting? You have no idea what it's like. Everything changes and everything is that much more difficult. People talk about fairness and shit, but they don't want it in their backyard. It's no wonder my brother makes it a point of surrounding himself with people who don't have a problem with his preference. Just so he doesn't have to deal with all this shit and can focus on his work. I didn't choose it," Aidan said, slapping his chest with his fist. "It chose me. I've got to be tougher, stronger, harder than everyone else all because I'm fighting a fucking stereotype that's bigger than me. So excuse me if I need a reprieve and want to keep it to myself so I can just be me."
Harry pulled out his chair and sat. He pointed to the chair across from his desk. "Sit."
Aidan bit back a complaint, biting down so hard he thought his jaw would crack. He didn't need this headache right now. Any of it. He just wanted… needed to get back to the hospital and be with Jessie, not fighting off the wolves because of what he felt for him.
"Sit," his captain insisted. "Please."
Aidan sat and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.
"You're starting with the task force today."
Aidan shook his head. "I'm here to take time off not—"
Harry raised a halting hand. "Let me finish."
Aidan quieted.
"You're starting the task force today. I've already requested to have the case files copied so you can take a set with you so you're on the same page with the team. Do you have your laptop with you?"
Aidan nodded.
"Make sure you have Skype installed. You're going to use that as your virtual connection to them when you all pow-wow on a case."
"Harry—"
"I'm not finished."
Aidan leaned back in the chair and waited.
"I know you well enough to know you need to work right now. Because if you don't, you're going to snap. More than you already have. You're barely hanging on, and you look as if you haven't slept in weeks. You need to talk to someone. You keep putting it off and all this is building and it's going to explode when you least expect it." His captain quieted, lowering his brow. "You're good, Calloway. The best damn detective I've got here. And I'll gladly keep you while you talk to someone if it's voluntary and doesn't affect you in the field. But the moment it starts to affect your work and I demand you get help, you're off until you get the all-clear to return. And I don't want to see that happen because I need you here. So don't you dare argue with me on this because I will fight you tooth and nail. Understand?"
Aidan sighed. He hated when someone used logic against him.
"You'll meet with the group online on a daily basis, contribute. Once a week, you're coming in to the precinct for a one-hour sit-down meeting at the round table with them. That'll give you face time with them and a break from the hospital. Knowing you, I imagine you're going to pitch a tent and take up residence there until Vega is discharged. You'll need the break whether you're too stubborn to realize it or not. You'll work the case files until I feel you can focus in the field. I won't let you put yourself in harm's way until I know, with one-hundred-percent assurance, that your head is in the game again. Understand?"
Aidan reluctantly nodded. Logical bastard .
"And if someone gives you shit, report it."
"I don't snitch out—"
"You report it. Understand?"
Aidan frowned but finally nodded. He'd agree to anything right about now to end this
"What would that have done?" Aidan leaned forward, gripping the back of the chair opposite the captain's desk until his knuckles whitened. "I get it. You're offering support here. But it's no one's fucking business. I hate labels, but now it seems everyone out there wants to brand me because of one thing. Maybe I should get a T-shirt— I like dick, just not yours . Maybe that'll get them to mind their own fucking business and get back to solving cases."
"You're overreacting."
"Overreacting? You have no idea what it's like. Everything changes and everything is that much more difficult. People talk about fairness and shit, but they don't want it in their backyard. It's no wonder my brother makes it a point of surrounding himself with people who don't have a problem with his preference. Just so he doesn't have to deal with all this shit and can focus on his work. I didn't choose it," Aidan said, slapping his chest with his fist. "It chose me. I've got to be tougher, stronger, harder than everyone else all because I'm fighting a fucking stereotype that's bigger than me. So excuse me if I need a reprieve and want to keep it to myself so I can just be me."
Harry pulled out his chair and sat. He pointed to the chair across from his desk. "Sit."
Aidan bit back a complaint, biting down so hard he thought his jaw would crack. He didn't need this headache right now. Any of it. He just wanted… needed to get back to the hospital and be with Jessie, not fighting off the wolves because of what he felt for him.
"Sit," his captain insisted. "Please."
Aidan sat and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.
"You're starting with the task force today."
Aidan shook his head. "I'm here to take time off not—"
Harry raised a halting hand. "Let me finish."
Aidan quieted.
"You're starting the task force today. I've already requested to have the case files copied so you can take a set with you so you're on the same page with the team. Do you have your laptop with you?"
Aidan nodded.
"Make sure you have Skype installed. You're going to use that as your virtual connection to them when you all pow-wow on a case."
"Harry—"
"I'm not finished."
Aidan leaned back in the chair and waited.
"I know you well enough to know you need to work right now. Because if you don't, you're going to snap. More than you already have. You're barely hanging on, and you look as if you haven't slept in weeks. You need to talk to someone. You keep putting it off and all this is building and it's going to explode when you least expect it." His captain quieted, lowering his brow. "You're good, Calloway. The best damn detective I've got here. And I'll gladly keep you while you talk to someone if it's voluntary and doesn't affect you in the field. But the moment it starts to affect your work and I demand you get help, you're off until you get the all-clear to return. And I don't want to see that happen because I need you here. So don't you dare argue with me on this because I will fight you tooth and nail. Understand?"
Aidan sighed. He hated when someone used logic against him.
"You'll meet with the group online on a daily basis, contribute. Once a week, you're coming in to the precinct for a one-hour sit-down meeting at the round table with them. That'll give you face time with them and a break from the hospital. Knowing you, I imagine you're going to pitch a tent and take up residence there until Vega is discharged. You'll need the break whether you're too stubborn to realize it or not. You'll work the case files until I feel you can focus in the field. I won't let you put yourself in harm's way until I know, with one-hundred-percent assurance, that your head is in the game again. Understand?"
Aidan reluctantly nodded. Logical bastard .
"And if someone gives you shit, report it."
"I don't snitch out—"
"You report it. Understand?"
Aidan frowned but finally nodded. He'd agree to anything right about now to end this
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