forehead, and I immediately felt as though everything would turn out all right. No matter what we faced, at the end of the day we could depend on each other.
I always believed I would lose Mark to Mary. I thought he would marry her, and then I would never be able to stand seeing them happy together. I thought he would eventually find a new best friend, leaving me behind.
“How do you feel?” Mark whispered. With both arms around me, he held me close. My head rested on his shoulder and faced his chest. I breathed in his manly scent. It was an intoxicating aroma that made my mouth water.
“I am good as long as you’re here,” I murmured. The entire week dissipated and became a distant memory while he cradled me in his arms. I knew he did not feel the same way about me, but his presence was comforting.
“You scared me,” Mark said, pulling back so I had to look at him. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“Detective Stone,” a voice called out from behind closed doors. “Is she awake, yet? Would you like me to check her over?” the voice said. I knew it was Dr. Garie, but I ignored his words and made no move to speak to anyone.
“No, please get some rest yourself. Have Abbott and Costello take a break, and let the guards outside know she is fine with me. Everyone needs to rest and we will start digging through what we have with fresh eyes in the morning.” Mark’s chest vibrated with the authority in his tone. I heard the double doors shut and a few moments later I heard the men leaving.
Silence descended, and I was no longer tired. I didn’t want to talk or move, I just wanted to stay next to Mark. I lined my body up with his and wiggled here and there to get the position I wanted.
“You have to stop grinding against me.”
I froze and waited for him to say something else. When he didn’t, I went back to trying to get comfortable. I draped my leg across the top of his and brought his thigh in between my legs.
“Mark,” I whispered as I leaned up to see his face. He was looking down at me while his head rested on the pillow. I had a sudden urge to confess my feelings all over again, but it wouldn’t help either of us. I did, however, need him to know that he couldn’t be a hero for me.
“If something happened to you because of me—”
Mark stopped my words by flipping me onto my back and climbing on top of me. I inhaled sharply and tried to finish my sentence, but he leaned down and placed his mouth against mine. Those soft velvety lips had me yearning for the one thing I couldn’t have.
Suddenly it all came to light. I pushed Mark back and sat up. I climbed out of the bed, discovering I was in my pajamas. That was a conversation I would be having when my brain slowed down.
I opened the door and went to the box of case files. Mark followed me, with an intense gaze on his face that I couldn’t remember ever seeing before. I started opening files and tossing them into a chaotic mess on the table. Red, blue, yellow, green. The folders made a rainbow as the pile grew higher, and then there was the one powder blue file. It matched the color of the forget-me-not flowers that were left at the crime scene.
I opened it to reveal the threats the previous Assistant District Attorney had received.
I hadn’t had time to read all of them, but I remembered one in which he mentioned wanting the one thing he couldn’t have. The pages had the same handwriting as the note in my apartment. I sorted through them to find the one I needed. Then I handed it to Mark.
No one will give me what I want. You won’t walk away, continuing to play the game you were not invited to. If you continue to play, I will make you part of the game.
There is one thing I want and she is like a sunset over Brooklyn. Her hair is dark as night and eyes as blue as the ocean. Bring her to play and you may live to see another day.
Mark read it and then dropped the page on the ground, staring at me. He looked angry. I took a few
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