Clint winced as I lowered myself into my desk chair. “That looks painful.”
I fought to keep the scowl off my face. “It’s not sunshine and roses. Especially when all I can pop is Tylenol if I’m working.”
He shook his head. “Man, you should’ve called off for a day or two at least.”
“And do what? I would’ve gone crazy.”
“Read a book. Watch some baseball. Get addicted to one of those reality shows about rich housewives with all the crazy chemicals in their faces.”
I snorted. “That does not sound like fun.”
“Nash doesn’t like anything that requires him to sit still,” Lawson said as he strode up.
I didn’t try to fight the scowl; I pointed it straight at my brother. “Which is why it’s annoying as hell that you benched me. I’ve still got my shooting hand.”
Lawson tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling as if praying for patience. “You just wrenched your arm out of its socket and put it back in. You’re not supposed to lift anything. I doubt you can run. What happens if you need to tackle a suspect?”
“I’ll use my good shoulder.”
Clint chuckled, and Lawson sent him a glare. “You’re not helping.”
Clint held up both hands. “Sorry, Chief.”
Lawson turned back to me. “I should put you at a desk for the six weeks Doc said it would take for you to recover fully.”
I gaped at him. “Did that traitor Holt tell you what she said?”
Lawson sighed. “Did our brother keep me in the loop about how your crazy ass was doing? Yes.”
“I should arrest him for divulging privileged medical information,” I grumbled.
“He’s not a doctor. Or a lawyer. I don’t think you have a case,” Lawson shot back.
“Whatever.”
Lawson clamped a hand on my good shoulder and squeezed. “You’ll be out of the sling in a couple of days, and I’ll put you back on active.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“He’s quite the drama queen,” Lawson muttered.
Clint pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.
Lawson pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to interview a few SAR members this morning. See if we can figure out who the hell messed with those ropes.”
“You know it had to be Dan or Kevin,” I grumbled.
“There were plenty of people who didn’t make the team. We need to look into all of them,” Lawson said.
I straightened in my chair. “I can help interview.” At least that wasn’t paperwork.
He shook his head. “You’re the injured party. I can’t have you on the case.”
“Are you serious?”
Lawson pinned me with his dad stare. “If we catch this jerk, do you want to threaten our case because you just had to be involved?”
I sagged back into my chair. “No.”
“That’s what I thought. I’ll be in Interview One if you need me.”
“I’ll be sure to come get you if I need help sharpening my pencils.”
Lawson smacked me upside the head as he walked away.
“Hey, I’m injured over here.”
“Apparently, not enough,” he yelled over his shoulder.
“Brothers,” I groused.
Clint grinned. “Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.”
“Nash Bash.” Wren hurried across the room. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“He’s cranky as hell,” Clint interjected.
“I had a feeling. Hopefully, these will help.” Wren set a massive bakery box on my desk.
I blinked a few times as I took it in, then burst out laughing. The box had been adorned with spikes, and she had written Eat Nash’s donuts and Wren will come for you! across the top.
I looked up at her. “Little Williams, you are the freaking best.”
She grinned and bent to kiss my cheek. “If you need anything, just let me know.”
“I will.”
She headed toward her station, and I opened the box. I’d had a massive breakfast, but the moment the scent of fried dough hit my nostrils, my stomach rumbled.
“You’re gonna share, right?” Clint asked. “It would be cruel not to when I can smell them from here.”
I sent him a pointed look. “One. That’s it.”
He beamed. “Got any chocolate sprinkles?”
I plucked one from the box and handed it to him. Turning back to the contents, I studied my options. What you ate as your first donut of the day was an important decision.
“Nash…”
Clint’s voice had me looking up, but my gaze didn’t make it to him. Instead, it caught on the figure weaving through desks in the station. Maddie was even paler than normal. And I could see from here that she was trembling.
I was on my feet in a flash, moving toward her. My good arm went around her on instinct, pulling her in. “What happened?”
“A-Adam. He’s here.”
My blood went cold. The fucker had the nerve to show up in Cedar Ridge? To scare Maddie out of her mind?
Maddie’s body shook harder against mine as the words slipped free. I guided her toward Lawson’s office, casting a look in Clint’s direction. “Get me Law.”
Clint was already on his feet, heading for Interview One.
I felt gazes on us as we moved through the bullpen. I hated it. Loathed that they were staring at Maddie and asking a million different questions in their heads.
The moment we were inside my brother’s office, I shut the door and then maneuvered Maddie to the couch and eased her onto it. She moved like a robot, as if she were in no way aware of what was happening around her.
That numbness grated. It was wrong in every way. This wasn’t Maddie. She was full of life and sass. Always giving me a hard time.
I brushed the hair out of her eyes, cupping her cheek with my hand. “Talk to me. Tell me what happened.”
She looked at me, but it was as if she didn’t truly see me. “I got out of my car. I was laughing to myself.”
“Laughing?”
Her mouth curved the barest amount. “I was thinking about the time you got chicken pox and tried to walk to my house.”
I wanted to laugh but couldn’t get my throat to complete the action. “Mom put that bell on my door.”
“I was thinking about that as I walked up to The Brew. There were lots of people around. We’re getting into the tourist season.”
And The Brew was a popular spot for visitors.
“I didn’t even see him until he was right in front of me.”
I had to fight to keep my hold on Maddie loose. “Did he touch you?”
The words were barely restrained, rage pumping through me.
Maddie shook her head. “No. He just—he acted like everything was normal. He said, ‘Hey, babe. I missed you.’” Her voice broke on the last sentence. “He makes me feel crazy. Like none of the things I remember are true.”
I pressed my forehead against hers. “You’re not crazy. He’s just a damn good manipulator.” I wanted to gut him for everything he’d put Maddie through.
“What if my mind’s playing tricks on me? What if—?”
I slid my hand under her hair and squeezed her neck. “It’s not. Doc took X-rays. You still have bruises all over your side.”
Maddie looked down at herself as if trying to see the marred skin through her shirt. “I know the truth.”
I nodded. “You know the truth.”
The door swung open, and Maddie jerked as Lawson strode in. The moment he saw her pale skin and wild eyes, he slowed his approach, closing the door softly behind him. “Everyone okay?”
“Adam showed.” My words were even. You’d never be able to tell I wanted to burn the world down.
A muscle below Lawson’s eye fluttered. “Where?”
“Outside The Brew,” I answered.
“Did he approach Maddie?”
I nodded. “Acted like everything was hunky fucking dory.”
Lawson’s jaw worked back and forth as he pulled a chair closer to the couch and sat. “Did he threaten you in any way?”
Maddie swallowed. “No. I bolted the second I saw him.”
“That was smart.” Lawson glanced in my direction. “He could’ve been the one who slashed her tires.”
I nodded. “We need Holt to see if he can find out when Adam arrived.”
Maddie’s trembling intensified. “There was a flower on my car yesterday. The same kind he always got me when he was apologizing.”
Acid churned in my gut. I knew exactly what that asshole was apologizing for. “Why didn’t you tell me?” My voice was low, words barely audible.
She looked up at me, apology in her eyes. “I was going to tell you, but you came home and were hurt. I just…forgot.”
Because she’d been so consumed with my close call. Guilt dug in its claws. What if Adam hadn’t settled for messing with Maddie? What if he’d hurt her?
“This changes things,” Lawson said, cutting off my swirling thoughts. “Are you ready to report this? File for an order of protection?”
Maddie instantly started shaking her head. “It’ll make things so much worse. You don’t know him. He’ll just see it as a challenge. There has to be another way to get him to leave.”
I bit back the dozen different things I wanted to say and simply kept my arm wrapped around her.
Lawson swallowed and took a moment to choose his words. “I know it’s scary, but a restraining order is one of the tools we have to protect you right now.”
Maddie chewed on the corner of her lip. “Can I think about it?”
“Of course. In the meantime, I want to have a word with Adam. I think it will help if he knows the police in town are paying attention. He’s got enough of a public profile that he may not want the attention.”
“Law,” Maddie began.
I squeezed her shoulder. “Please, Mads. We need to do something. Let us at least try this.”
She looked up into my eyes, searching, so much trust in that gaze. “Okay.”
“Thank you.” I pressed a kiss to her temple as I shared a look with my brother. I knew what we were both thinking.
The fact that Adam had tracked Maddie here, had flown across the country, had left a flower on her damn car, and showed up at her place of work? None of it was good.
