“You aren’t supposed to move an unconscious victim.”
Jones didn’t answer. He slid his arms under Jules’s legs and shoulders, carefully lifting her. He appeared ready to try to climb out of the Dumpster with her in his arms. That seemed like a worse idea than moving her, so Seth stepped up and stretched out his arms.
Seth accepted Jules’s limp and surprisingly light body from Jones. Cradling her against his chest, he wondered at her slight form. Slender and delicate even in her unconscious state, she seemed precious and fragile. And a need to protect her at all costs ignited within him.
Whoa, where had that come from?
He hardly knew her. He shouldn’t feel a need to keep her safe. Shaking it off, he lowered himself to the ground as gently as he could, with Jules in his arms.
Her head lolled back and he watched the pulse throb in her neck. He leaned over, placing his face above her mouth and nose. Warm, shallow breaths tickled his ear.
“She’s breathing,” he informed the men, surprised to hear the relief in his voice.
“Thank God.” Seth glanced up at his partner’s whispered words.
Jones stared down from inside the container, seemingly unaffected by the rank stench emanating from beneath his feet. His hands gripped the side of the container and he appeared transfixed by the sight of Jules’s unconscious body.
Music started.
“Ah damn,” Gareth muttered. “It’s her cell phone. It’s why she jumped in the trash can in the first place.”
The ringtone jolted Jones out of whatever catatonia he’d slipped into. He spun around and disappeared behind the green wall. When he popped back up, he clutched a phone between his fingers. A frown dug a line between his eyebrows.
“We’ve got a problem,” he intoned, glancing from the ringing phone to Jules and back again. He dug into his pocket, pulled out an evidence bag, and dropped the cell in.
“What are you doing?” Gareth asked, his voice cracking.
Jones glared down at the beat cop. Quite possibly, it was the most ferocious expression the kid had ever displayed. Gareth shifted his weight, then increased the distance between them by two steps.
“Officer Gareth, did you look in here before you allowed a civilian to climb inside?” Jones asked, his expression grim.
Invisible bands tightened around Seth’s chest.
“I didn’t let her in. She jumped. I tried to stop her. What did you want me to do? Shoot her?” Gareth fisted his hands at his sides.
Jules stirred to consciousness in Seth’s lap. He glanced down. She blinked a few times before lifting a hand to shield her eyes.
“I’ve got you, precious. ” He covered her hand with his. “You’re safe now, Jules.”
“Did you get the license plate?” She choked out the strange question, rubbing her throat with her free hand as if it pained her.
“What?”
“Huh?” Her emerald eyes were wide and dilated as she stared up at him. She appeared unaware that she’d just spoken.
“Jules?”
“Y-yes?” She blinked as if coming out of a trance.
She started to sit up, then her face paled and she swayed. With a hand on her shoulder, Seth urged her to lie back down. “Just rest a moment.”
“Detective English, you need to take a look at this,” Jones called from his position inside the bin.
“What?” Seth glanced up to see Jones staring. A mixture of concern and annoyance darkened his features.
“You’d better come see.” Jones hiked a thumb over his shoulder.
“Gareth, get over here and keep an eye on her.” Seth slid Jules off his lap, laying her gently on the ground. Pointing a finger between the idiot officer and Jules, Seth added, “And don’t shoot her.”
A tic worked in Gareth’s cheek, but he nodded.
Seth crossed to the Dumpster. The stench had intensified now that the lid lay on McGivern’s back doorstep. Clutching the side of the Dumpster, he peered inside.
Jones squatted down. Pulling a pen from his pocket, he flicked away a broken foam plate. A
Jones didn’t answer. He slid his arms under Jules’s legs and shoulders, carefully lifting her. He appeared ready to try to climb out of the Dumpster with her in his arms. That seemed like a worse idea than moving her, so Seth stepped up and stretched out his arms.
Seth accepted Jules’s limp and surprisingly light body from Jones. Cradling her against his chest, he wondered at her slight form. Slender and delicate even in her unconscious state, she seemed precious and fragile. And a need to protect her at all costs ignited within him.
Whoa, where had that come from?
He hardly knew her. He shouldn’t feel a need to keep her safe. Shaking it off, he lowered himself to the ground as gently as he could, with Jules in his arms.
Her head lolled back and he watched the pulse throb in her neck. He leaned over, placing his face above her mouth and nose. Warm, shallow breaths tickled his ear.
“She’s breathing,” he informed the men, surprised to hear the relief in his voice.
“Thank God.” Seth glanced up at his partner’s whispered words.
Jones stared down from inside the container, seemingly unaffected by the rank stench emanating from beneath his feet. His hands gripped the side of the container and he appeared transfixed by the sight of Jules’s unconscious body.
Music started.
“Ah damn,” Gareth muttered. “It’s her cell phone. It’s why she jumped in the trash can in the first place.”
The ringtone jolted Jones out of whatever catatonia he’d slipped into. He spun around and disappeared behind the green wall. When he popped back up, he clutched a phone between his fingers. A frown dug a line between his eyebrows.
“We’ve got a problem,” he intoned, glancing from the ringing phone to Jules and back again. He dug into his pocket, pulled out an evidence bag, and dropped the cell in.
“What are you doing?” Gareth asked, his voice cracking.
Jones glared down at the beat cop. Quite possibly, it was the most ferocious expression the kid had ever displayed. Gareth shifted his weight, then increased the distance between them by two steps.
“Officer Gareth, did you look in here before you allowed a civilian to climb inside?” Jones asked, his expression grim.
Invisible bands tightened around Seth’s chest.
“I didn’t let her in. She jumped. I tried to stop her. What did you want me to do? Shoot her?” Gareth fisted his hands at his sides.
Jules stirred to consciousness in Seth’s lap. He glanced down. She blinked a few times before lifting a hand to shield her eyes.
“I’ve got you, precious. ” He covered her hand with his. “You’re safe now, Jules.”
“Did you get the license plate?” She choked out the strange question, rubbing her throat with her free hand as if it pained her.
“What?”
“Huh?” Her emerald eyes were wide and dilated as she stared up at him. She appeared unaware that she’d just spoken.
“Jules?”
“Y-yes?” She blinked as if coming out of a trance.
She started to sit up, then her face paled and she swayed. With a hand on her shoulder, Seth urged her to lie back down. “Just rest a moment.”
“Detective English, you need to take a look at this,” Jones called from his position inside the bin.
“What?” Seth glanced up to see Jones staring. A mixture of concern and annoyance darkened his features.
“You’d better come see.” Jones hiked a thumb over his shoulder.
“Gareth, get over here and keep an eye on her.” Seth slid Jules off his lap, laying her gently on the ground. Pointing a finger between the idiot officer and Jules, Seth added, “And don’t shoot her.”
A tic worked in Gareth’s cheek, but he nodded.
Seth crossed to the Dumpster. The stench had intensified now that the lid lay on McGivern’s back doorstep. Clutching the side of the Dumpster, he peered inside.
Jones squatted down. Pulling a pen from his pocket, he flicked away a broken foam plate. A
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