Week 393 – As clues grow, are the police misreading them?

As clues grow, are the police misreading them?

They wouldn’t be now thanks to the woman sitting so still and silent on the couch beside him. Calico had just broken this case wide open and now that they had a name hopefully it wouldn’t take the police long to find Derek Daniels and lock him up for good.

Who would have thought a small packet of ketchup would break open the case? If it wasn’t for Calico knowing that her ex loved the things and always had them with him, eating them as snacks, then it could have taken them weeks or even months longer to connect Derek to the crimes.

What she’d done today had taken a great toll on Calico though. She was bundled up in blankets despite the mild weather, and she was so withdrawn it hurt to look at her. She was not only reliving the worst thing to ever happen to her but she was also imagining all the terrible things that could happen to her in the future.

Her ex was dangerous and he had a grudge against her.

Not that anyone was getting to Calico on his watch. Whatever it took he was going to protect this woman who had burrowed her way into his heart and taken up residence there.

“They’ll find him,” he assured her, tugging her closer to his side.

“Yep,” she said, but there was no conviction to her tone. It made sense she didn’t have much faith in his kind right now, after all the cops had told her that her ex was dead when it was painfully evident that he wasn’t.

“Now they know he’s alive they won’t stop until they find him.”

“But will they find him before or after he for me?”

The fear in her tone gutted him, and Garret didn’t think, he just grabbed her and hauled her over until she was sitting straddling his thighs. “I won’t let him get you. You hear me? You’re mine to protect and I won’t fail you.”

He’d failed Tony and Natasha, but that wouldn’t happen this time. Couldn’t. Not when failing meant losing this beautiful woman.

A small smile chased away some of the fear in her eyes. “I’m yours, huh?”

“Any objections?”

“Are you also mine?”

“You bet I am.”

“Then no objections.” Leaning in she pressed her lips to his, and they both quickly sunk into the kiss.

As badly as he wanted to pick her up, carry her upstairs to his bedroom, and spend the rest of the night making sure she was thinking only pleasant thoughts, Garret knew they weren’t ready yet to take that step. Especially not under these circumstances. He didn’t want their first time tainted by her ex and his crimes.

“Garret, more, please,” Calico whispered against his lips as she rocked on his lap.

He groaned, his resolve weakening. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Who was he to deny this woman anything? Standing with Calico in his arms, Garret was just heading to the stairs when the power in his house suddenly went out.