Page 36 of Special Agent Joseph

Silence filled the room. Megan sensed that her eyes grew as big as Maria’s while they both stared at Joe. Finally, Maria asked in a tremulous voice, “You would let me bring them here? Why?”

“Because I believe it’s what you’d like. And that way you could save the money they have to spend on rent. There’s school buses for your boy if he’s school age.”

“He’s not.”

“Then he can play around here. I like kids.”

Megan couldn’t stand it another minute. She reached across to Maria and took her hand. “He means it, honey. And we’ll destroy what damn video you’re talking about. I promise.”

Sobbing now, Maria rushed to Joe and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him as hard as he let her. Both laughing, she kissed his cheek and then pushed him gently aside. “I will make sandwiches. You should relax.” Swinging around like a child, she giggled. “I’m too happy to sleep now. Go.”

Chapter Twenty-five

Lucia sensed that in her foggy existence her new world might not be what she’d dreamed for her future but the euphoria she floated in took away any and all of the guilt. Her grandfather didn’t matter anymore. Neither did the reality of the outside world. Nothing held any importance. Not showering, cleaning her teeth, or even brushing her hair – things that held a great deal of importance at one time were forgotten. In fact, most of the time, she wasn’t aware of much at all.

The only significant person who mattered was Raphael… the keeper of the pills. He managed their reality his way, and weirdly content, she let him do so.

Chapter Twenty-six

On the way to Megan’s place, as they discussed the case, Joe found himself staring at her lips, remembering how they tasted. Those images curdled his own brainwaves, and he lost the gist of the conversation. Floundering, he asked, “What?”

“Pay attention, Joe. This is serious.”

“I am. Right. Focus.” Forced to concentrate on her question, he pulled his mind back from where it had settled.

“I’m asking if you’re sure it’s what you want… letting Maria bring her family to stay in the house. That’s huge, my friend.”

“Hell yeah, I’m sure. Like I told her, “I love kids.”

“See… how do you know that?”

He shrugged, smiled sideways, and stated, “Because.”

That made her laugh. “You’re crazy.”

“I know.” This time he laughed with her. Pulling up to a stop sign, they faced each other, and the air suddenly filled with the awareness of how close they sat in the darkness. Both looked away, leaving an uncomfortable pause.

As if reaching an unspoken pact, once they arrived at her apartment, she made sure they kept their conversation on work matters. When they ran out of those topics, she put on the TV news, and they sat on opposite sides of the couch both seemingly concentrating on the screen. At least he thought she did. All he thought about was how good she smelled and how wonderful she’d tasted the night before.

Driven crazy with all his visions, he forced a stiff hold on his actions, careful to behave like a gentleman. When she smiled at him from time to time, he didn’t relax. Quite the opposite. He knew he came across as hard and uncaring but if he lessened his control even a little, he’d pull her into his arms and kiss the hell outta her until she moaned her responses just like he remembered her doing last time they were together.

Eventually, she slid into a light sleep, and he watched over her to be sure she wasn’t in any danger. Using the fluffy throw folded on the stool, he spread it over her body. Then he stared at her, feeling his heart lighten and a strange happiness seep in. She was absolutely beautiful. Her soft skin had a slight tan and from experience, he knew it to feel warm and soft to the touch.

In repose, her sleeping face made his heart skip. While her sweeping, red-toned lashes resting on her cheeks and covering those incredible sapphires kept his attention for some time, so did her lush lips with their natural upward curl and smiling indent on each side.

Reaching over, he took a handful of the long waves that floated around her shoulders. Once home, she’d released her hair from its clip. Now, without her awareness, he let the golden mass float over his fingers, liking the touch of those curls as they wrapped around his wrist.

Once Joe felt certain that Megan’s fall hadn’t caused any lasting damage, he left her apartment and drove home. Thinking of the night before, he appreciated how cleverly Megan hadbroached the subject of Maria to dispel any discomfort they felt being alone in the vehicle. His response to her question of him being able to put up with having a child around had been instinctive, and thinking it out now, he knew it to be true. Kids and dogs fell in the same category. He liked them both.

Forcing his attention back to the present, he sighed with longing. God how he wished things were different. That he had the right to pursue that red-headed witch. But he didn’t, and he knew it. For fuck’s sake, how could any man go after a woman like her when he had no idea of who the hell he really was?

That fact made him grate his teeth. When he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw his tight jaw, he also saw an angry man, disgusted with his complicated world. Surrounded by questions and no answers in sight infuriated him. He sensed that his lack of control wasn’t normal. And living on the edge not something he usually put up with.

Just as he turned a corner, he noticed the car in front of him swerve so much he felt sure that the driver was either high, drunk, or sick. When the driver hit the curb and climbed it only to get stopped by a tree, Joe pulled up behind him. The sudden continuous noise from the horn sent him a signal that something wasn’t right.

Joe slammed his car into park and in seconds was at the door of the person in trouble. Sure enough, a man was slumped over the wheel, completely unconscious. Calling and knocking on the window brought no response so Joe opened the door and checked the man’s sweaty neck to search for a pulse.

Finding it elevated, he sighed with relief to find the guy alive and soon had the big man stretched out on the road so he could do CPR. Instincts kicked in and he didn’t hesitate to follow the steps any doctor would have done. Once another passerby came close, he sent them an order in a no-nonsense voice, “Call 911. Tell them it’s a heart attack and they need to get here asap.”

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