Read Online Cavanaugh's Bodyguard by Marie Ferrarella - Free Book Online
Authors: Marie Ferrarella
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get this damn case solved and off my desk, and I mean like yesterday , you hear me?” Howard ordered. Then, fuming, he turned to go back to his office.
Bridget squared her shoulders, hating the fact that she’d gotten a dressing-down in front of all the other detectives, as well as Josh. The latter was standing beside her and she could literally feel his anger. Despite his easygoing manner, she knew that Josh had even less regard for Howard than she did. And, whatever else his faults were, the man was protective of her, as she was of him. It was one of the reasons they worked so well together.
“People on the first floor can hear you,” she answered under her breath, but not exactly as quietly as she could have.
Howard’s back stiffened and spun around on his heel. Five strides brought him back to her.
“What was that?” he demanded angrily, glaring down at her.
“I said I hear you, Lieutenant,” she replied, doing her best to sound calm as she raised her eyes to his.
He appeared to weigh his options as he slanted a glance around the immediate area. She could almost hear what he was thinking. That the squad room was too full for him to say what he wanted to say to her. She had a feeling that he’d save it for another time when he had her alone in his office.
“Damn straight you hear me,” he finally bit off curtly. “Just because you found out you have some kind of made-up connection to the chief of detectives, don’t think that makes you entitled to any special treatment. It doesn’t mean a damn thing in my book.”
As the lieutenant ranted, she realized that Josh had risen to his feet behind the man and was about to confront him. Bridget got up, moving so that she managed to block her partner with her back, preventing him from easily reaching Howard.
“Now, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll both get to work!” Howard shouted at her, glared at Josh and then stormed away.
“He shouldn’t talk to you like that,” Josh growled, frustrated. “Why’d you stop me?” he asked. “That S.O.B. needs to have some sense, not to mention manners, shaken into his head.”
“You won’t get an argument out of me,” she agreed. “But having you put on suspension or brought up on charges of insubordination isn’t going to help me or teach that pompous ass anything,” she pointed out. The lieutenant’s ego made it impossible for him to absorb anything.
Josh shoved his hands into his pockets, fisting them as exasperation rippled through him. “Maybe not, but it sure would have felt good getting things off my chest.” Fuming, Josh looked over her head toward Howard’s office. The latter had closed the door behind him and now appeared to be staring at his computer.
Or, more likely, he was trying to observe them by pretending to be occupied.
Furious, Josh looked back at Bridget. “How can you be so calm?”
She wasn’t calm, not by a long shot. But letting her anger show through wouldn’t get her anywhere at this point, so she internalized it. Externally she was the picture of serenity.
“You know that old saying?” she asked innocently. “The one that goes, ‘Don’t get angry, get even’?” It was obvious that was what she had in mind.
A smile spread across Josh’s lips. Just for the briefest of moments, Bridget paused, allowing herself to take in the feeling that his smile generated inside of her.
The next moment, she was aware of what she was doing and quickly tamped everything down.
Everything but her next move.
“What do you have in mind?” Josh prodded. He couldn’t think of anything he would have liked better than to take Howard down a few pegs. Well, maybe a few things, but none that he could do here.
Bridget was trying very hard to move past the putdown she’d just received from the acting lieutenant. With any luck, he would be a thing of the past soon.
“What I should have done instead of wasting my time talking to Howard and his oversize ego.”
Yes! She
Bridget squared her shoulders, hating the fact that she’d gotten a dressing-down in front of all the other detectives, as well as Josh. The latter was standing beside her and she could literally feel his anger. Despite his easygoing manner, she knew that Josh had even less regard for Howard than she did. And, whatever else his faults were, the man was protective of her, as she was of him. It was one of the reasons they worked so well together.
“People on the first floor can hear you,” she answered under her breath, but not exactly as quietly as she could have.
Howard’s back stiffened and spun around on his heel. Five strides brought him back to her.
“What was that?” he demanded angrily, glaring down at her.
“I said I hear you, Lieutenant,” she replied, doing her best to sound calm as she raised her eyes to his.
He appeared to weigh his options as he slanted a glance around the immediate area. She could almost hear what he was thinking. That the squad room was too full for him to say what he wanted to say to her. She had a feeling that he’d save it for another time when he had her alone in his office.
“Damn straight you hear me,” he finally bit off curtly. “Just because you found out you have some kind of made-up connection to the chief of detectives, don’t think that makes you entitled to any special treatment. It doesn’t mean a damn thing in my book.”
As the lieutenant ranted, she realized that Josh had risen to his feet behind the man and was about to confront him. Bridget got up, moving so that she managed to block her partner with her back, preventing him from easily reaching Howard.
“Now, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll both get to work!” Howard shouted at her, glared at Josh and then stormed away.
“He shouldn’t talk to you like that,” Josh growled, frustrated. “Why’d you stop me?” he asked. “That S.O.B. needs to have some sense, not to mention manners, shaken into his head.”
“You won’t get an argument out of me,” she agreed. “But having you put on suspension or brought up on charges of insubordination isn’t going to help me or teach that pompous ass anything,” she pointed out. The lieutenant’s ego made it impossible for him to absorb anything.
Josh shoved his hands into his pockets, fisting them as exasperation rippled through him. “Maybe not, but it sure would have felt good getting things off my chest.” Fuming, Josh looked over her head toward Howard’s office. The latter had closed the door behind him and now appeared to be staring at his computer.
Or, more likely, he was trying to observe them by pretending to be occupied.
Furious, Josh looked back at Bridget. “How can you be so calm?”
She wasn’t calm, not by a long shot. But letting her anger show through wouldn’t get her anywhere at this point, so she internalized it. Externally she was the picture of serenity.
“You know that old saying?” she asked innocently. “The one that goes, ‘Don’t get angry, get even’?” It was obvious that was what she had in mind.
A smile spread across Josh’s lips. Just for the briefest of moments, Bridget paused, allowing herself to take in the feeling that his smile generated inside of her.
The next moment, she was aware of what she was doing and quickly tamped everything down.
Everything but her next move.
“What do you have in mind?” Josh prodded. He couldn’t think of anything he would have liked better than to take Howard down a few pegs. Well, maybe a few things, but none that he could do here.
Bridget was trying very hard to move past the putdown she’d just received from the acting lieutenant. With any luck, he would be a thing of the past soon.
“What I should have done instead of wasting my time talking to Howard and his oversize ego.”
Yes! She
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