Page 7 of Captive

"What the fuck did Ido?"

"You started this by walking in here without knocking, and the copper-haired menace goes wherever yougo."

Ten sits forward. "You should sendme."

"Yeah, I'd like to send you somewhere, that's for damn sure." Clark pulls a toothpick out of the glass bowl on his desk and starts chewing on it like a cow on grass. He's pissed but Ten ignores the red complexion and flarednostrils.

"You need a woman to go undercover, right? A streetkid?"

"No," I say abruptly without thinking. There's more to my protest, like no fucking way am I letting you do something so dangerous, but I keep that part tuckedinside.

Ten looks hurt. "Thanks a lot, partner." She stands up and bites her lip as she puts all her weight on theleg.

Clark talks around the toothpick. "No need to give it another thought, Tennyson. Not happening." He waves his hand to shoo usout.

Ten limps out, and I follow close at her heels, trying to come up with a good reason for blurtingno. Nothing comes to mind except the truth. She hobbles into the lunchroom.

I scoot past her. "I'll get you the ice pack from thefreezer."

She's quiet and I don't think it's the pain. I pull the ice pack out of the fridge. As I turn around, she's tying her long copper hair up in a ponytail. The arm movement lifts her t-shirt up high enough to expose the golden skin on her flat stomach. I take a deep breath and hold it until the shirt slips back intoplace.

I walk over and hand her the ice pack. She doesn't lift her brown gaze to me as she grabs the ice pack. We walk out to the common area where those of us, who are not important enough for offices,sit.

I race over and grab her chair and roll it over to my desk. "I've got to go interrogate Vinny." I wave to my chair. "Sit here so you can put your leg up on yourchair."

Her tiny freckle covered nose wiggles side to side inconsideration.

"I'm sorry, Ten," I finally say. "I know you could handle it. It's just, I need you working the streets with me." My excuse sounds lame, but she nods and reluctantly sits at my desk, propping her foot up on the chair. She holds her breath as she places the ice over the lump on hershin.

"Maddox," Clark calls from his office. "Get in here. I've got some information for you before you sit down withVinny."

I walk back to his office. He's still sitting behind his desk and chewing the toothpick. He hands me a slip of paper with some names. "These are some contact names. I need you to see what he knows about the people on thatlist."

I glance at it. "Right." I stand in his office and stare out at Ten. She's drumming her fingers on my pile of paperwork. I turn back toClark.

"Hey, Cap'n, remember what I asked you about a few daysago?"

"Yeah, I remember. Like the note says, I don't have anyone else who needs a partner right now." Clark pulls the toothpick out and tosses it in the trash. "Still don't know why you want a change. You two are a greatteam."

"Yeah." I start to leave but spin back. "Wait. Whatnote?"

"The one I left right on top of the paperwork on yourdesk."

A cold invisible fist plows into my stomach as I turn back toward the center office. Ten is holding a paper in her hand. I freeze to the spot, not knowing how to moveforward.

Ten grabs the ice pack off her leg. My chair shoots back as shestands.

"Let me explain, Ten," I say, sounding like a desperate sap. I search for a good reason, anything but the truth. She is still limping but like always, she's remarkably fast as she races out of theroom.

I stop and look at the note she dropped back onto the desk. "Can't get you a new partner, Maddox. You'll have to stick it out with Tennyson,Clark."

"Fuck, fuck,fuck."

4

Angie

Ismackthe door open to the ladies' restroom, startling Susan from the record's office. She sees my face and decides not to say hello as she brusquely dries her hands and darts out of thebathroom.

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