Read Online Paint It Black by Michelle Perry - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michelle Perry
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you promise to quit drinking, I’ll turn in my request for leave tomorrow. It’llprobably take it a couple of weeks to process, but if you’re willing to fight for us, I am, too.”
“Are you serious?” He lurched to his feet and gave me a faltering smile. “You would do that for me?”
“Yes,” I said, but as he took me in his arms, I felt like part of me was dying.
CHAPTER
6
T he next day, I left home half an hour early so I could speak to Bill in private before our team’s Monday morning meeting. As expected, he was already in the boardroom, scribbling notes on a dry-erase board.
“Hey, Denise!” he said, and checked his watch.
“I’m early. I need to talk.”
He turned and gave me a quizzical look, then motioned me forward. “What’s on your mind?”
I put my request for leave in his hands before I could change my mind. He glanced down at it, then peered at me over the top of his eyeglasses. “Is something wrong?”
The fatherly concern in his eyes was too much. I pinched the bridge of my nose and said, “I don’t know what else to do.”
“Honey, what is it?” He prodded me toward a chair. “Is it the team? Has somebody done something—”
“No, it’s—” I pushed a wave of hair out of my face and fought to speak over the lump in my throat. “This is so damn hard.”
“Let me guess… Grady,” Bill muttered. He squinted at the paper again. “Six months? Denise, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but are you sure this is the answer? Six months is a lifetime in the DEA.”
I chewed my already ragged thumbnail. “It’s my job or my marriage, Bill. I don’t think I can have both anymore. At least not for awhile.”
“Why not?”
When I didn’t answer, Bill cursed and leaned back in the metal chair. “You shouldn’t have to choose, Necie. You’re a damn good DEA agent.”
I forced a smile, but my heart was breaking. “But apparently I’m a piss-poor wife.”
Bill’s face reddened. “Who says it’s you? What if I said Grady was a clingy, selfish little—”
“Don’t,” I said, and took his hand. “Please, just … don’t. I have to think about Abby and what’s best for her.”
Loud laughter from the hallway made us both look up. I heard Cougar’s voice and knew I was almost out of time.
“Please, Bill,” I said. “Don’t tell the others yet. Let me do it.”
He nodded and tugged at his beard. “This is a mistake, Necie. Don’t lose yourself trying to please someone else, even if he is your husband.”
The door burst open, and Cougar dragged Tucker through it in a headlock.
“Who is she?” Cougar asked, and skinned his knuckles over Tuck’s head.
“Let … go,” Tucker gasped.
The pair stumbled against the table. I winced when it screeched across the floor.
Bill stood and stepped toward them. “Boys, cool it.”
Cougar released him. Tucker staggered away from him and flopped into the chair beside me.
Cougar pointed at Tucker. “This ain’t over. You’re gonna tell me.”
“Tell him what?” I asked, as Ubi and Linda walked through the door.
“The name of the woman who sent him all those cookies to Angel’s room.” Cougar grinned and ruffled Tuck’s sweaty brown hair. In a singsong voice, he said, “Tucker’s got a girlfriend.”
Tucker shot him a dirty look before he noticed we were all gaping at him.
“What?” he demanded.
This was big news. Our terminally shy Tuck had a girlfriend?
I smiled, the cloud hanging over my head momentarilydissipating. “What? Tell me, Tuck. Whisper in my ear.”
I didn’t really expect him to, but he leaned over and cupped his hand to my head.
“Anne Marie,” he whispered. “Angel’s physical therapist.”
“Oh!” I leaned back and punched his shoulder. “Hey, I know her. She’s cute!”
“Who?” Cougar asked, dropping into the chair on the other side of me.
I mimed zipping my lips, and Cougar snorted. He pushed me aside to wink at Tucker. “Man, did you ever screw
“Are you serious?” He lurched to his feet and gave me a faltering smile. “You would do that for me?”
“Yes,” I said, but as he took me in his arms, I felt like part of me was dying.
CHAPTER
6
T he next day, I left home half an hour early so I could speak to Bill in private before our team’s Monday morning meeting. As expected, he was already in the boardroom, scribbling notes on a dry-erase board.
“Hey, Denise!” he said, and checked his watch.
“I’m early. I need to talk.”
He turned and gave me a quizzical look, then motioned me forward. “What’s on your mind?”
I put my request for leave in his hands before I could change my mind. He glanced down at it, then peered at me over the top of his eyeglasses. “Is something wrong?”
The fatherly concern in his eyes was too much. I pinched the bridge of my nose and said, “I don’t know what else to do.”
“Honey, what is it?” He prodded me toward a chair. “Is it the team? Has somebody done something—”
“No, it’s—” I pushed a wave of hair out of my face and fought to speak over the lump in my throat. “This is so damn hard.”
“Let me guess… Grady,” Bill muttered. He squinted at the paper again. “Six months? Denise, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but are you sure this is the answer? Six months is a lifetime in the DEA.”
I chewed my already ragged thumbnail. “It’s my job or my marriage, Bill. I don’t think I can have both anymore. At least not for awhile.”
“Why not?”
When I didn’t answer, Bill cursed and leaned back in the metal chair. “You shouldn’t have to choose, Necie. You’re a damn good DEA agent.”
I forced a smile, but my heart was breaking. “But apparently I’m a piss-poor wife.”
Bill’s face reddened. “Who says it’s you? What if I said Grady was a clingy, selfish little—”
“Don’t,” I said, and took his hand. “Please, just … don’t. I have to think about Abby and what’s best for her.”
Loud laughter from the hallway made us both look up. I heard Cougar’s voice and knew I was almost out of time.
“Please, Bill,” I said. “Don’t tell the others yet. Let me do it.”
He nodded and tugged at his beard. “This is a mistake, Necie. Don’t lose yourself trying to please someone else, even if he is your husband.”
The door burst open, and Cougar dragged Tucker through it in a headlock.
“Who is she?” Cougar asked, and skinned his knuckles over Tuck’s head.
“Let … go,” Tucker gasped.
The pair stumbled against the table. I winced when it screeched across the floor.
Bill stood and stepped toward them. “Boys, cool it.”
Cougar released him. Tucker staggered away from him and flopped into the chair beside me.
Cougar pointed at Tucker. “This ain’t over. You’re gonna tell me.”
“Tell him what?” I asked, as Ubi and Linda walked through the door.
“The name of the woman who sent him all those cookies to Angel’s room.” Cougar grinned and ruffled Tuck’s sweaty brown hair. In a singsong voice, he said, “Tucker’s got a girlfriend.”
Tucker shot him a dirty look before he noticed we were all gaping at him.
“What?” he demanded.
This was big news. Our terminally shy Tuck had a girlfriend?
I smiled, the cloud hanging over my head momentarilydissipating. “What? Tell me, Tuck. Whisper in my ear.”
I didn’t really expect him to, but he leaned over and cupped his hand to my head.
“Anne Marie,” he whispered. “Angel’s physical therapist.”
“Oh!” I leaned back and punched his shoulder. “Hey, I know her. She’s cute!”
“Who?” Cougar asked, dropping into the chair on the other side of me.
I mimed zipping my lips, and Cougar snorted. He pushed me aside to wink at Tucker. “Man, did you ever screw
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