Page 14 of Love in Excess

However, the guy’s a brick wall, giving nothing but shrugs and smirks for the past hour. My patience is wearing thin and the throbbing in my leg isn’t helping. The chase earlier was a mess, a bullet grazing my skin. I brushed off medical help at the scene which hadn’t seemed like a bad idea at the time. Now, though, it’s starting to feel like someone’s jabbing a hot poker into my muscle.

I lean back in my chair, feet propped on the table, my phone in hand, checking every so often for any updates. Ruiz, next to me,keeps laughing when I double tap the screen while sipping day old coffee. The other officers are flipping through the guy’s file, hoping to find something but coming up empty.

Meanwhile, I’m only half listening, my thumb scrolling through my messages, hoping for an update on Carter. That bastard’s been on my mind since Celeste told me what he did. With nothing solid to pin on him, I’ve been working my contacts, digging into where he works, who he knows. I may or may not have sent a carefully worded email to his boss, laying out the incident in a way that’ll make Carter sweat. No response yet, but I’m patient when it comes to protecting what’s mine.

No one has found anything, though, which just makes me a little angrier. Until Celeste’s name slides across my screen, several short texts in all caps and exclamation points following it. She gushes about her impromptu date with Lincoln and his dog and promises that she wasn’t stalking him. I can practically hear her voice, Celeste giggling through her explanation, especially when she kissed him.Twice.

Reading these texts puts me a little at ease, knowing that Carter’s incident yesterday didn’t scar her.

Glad you’re doing so much better, baby girl.

Her reply comes seconds later.

We’re going on another date!!! Oh and he told me to tell you that I got home safe.

I’ve been home though. I forgot. I’m going to bed. When are you coming home?

I can almost hear the whine that would follow that question, a rough laugh pulling from my throat that draws a glancefrom Ruiz. I’d be surprised if Celeste hasn’t already thoroughly terrified Lincoln in the best of ways.

Should be home in the next hour or so, alright?

I shift to pocket my phone and stand, but my leg smarts, a sharp jolt running up my spine that has me gripping the table. My jaw locks but I fight to keep my expression neutral. Ruiz catches it—just like he catches everything else, his eyes narrowing in my direction. “You should get that checked out. You’re still employed by the city. They’ll pay for it.”

I wave him off, forcing a grin onto my face. “No, I’m good. Just a scrape.” If it was just about the money, I’d just as soon go. It has more to do with the fact that the chief said if I became a problem, I’d be out of a job. Consulting or otherwise. And with no other legally safe outlet, I’d get myself into trouble. The last hospital visit had Celeste in tears thinking I was going to die because some bastard called her and told her ‘it didn’t look good’. The incident also landed me on probation, chief making it very clear that my ‘risks’ were not a good look for the department.

Ruiz raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push. I just want to get home to Celeste, make sure she’s okay, before cooking her something for dinner because I know she didn’t eat anything this evening. I let out a heavy breath and head for the door, Ruiz following on my heels. He doesn’t say anything until I reach his desk to grab my bag.

“You sure you’re good?” he asks, his voice low so the other officers around can’t hear. “You’re limping worse than you were an hour ago.”

I shoot him a look. “You my mom now?”

He snorts, shaking his head. “Just don’t want your Omega tearing me a new one if you keel over.”

That gets a real laugh out of me. “Celeste would eat you alive,” I say, picturing her giving Ruiz hell. She’s done it a few times before, the first time, my poor partner red in the face, unsure of how to address an angry Omega who was quite literally poking him in the chest. At that moment, I had no idea who to save but that’s all in the past.

Right now, I need a few drugs, my Omega, and sleep. Lots of it.

Fuck, this is definitely more than a scrape.

“I’m heading out. Celeste’s heat seems to be coming on a little sooner and you know how much I hate leaving her home at night. Tell Daniels to call me if he needs me.”

Ruiz just grunts as he watches me leave, that watchful eye telling me that I’m making bad decisions all over again. But I just can’t do a hospital right now and I can’t have anything on record. I need this job more than I need a bandage.

It’s just my luck that Celeste is sleeping when I push through the front door, all the lights off, and the faint smell of vanilla coating every inch of the room from the freshener she likes so much. My legs throb with every step toward the bedroom, relief filling my chest when I see her curled up tight in her nest. Her scent is stronger than usual, reinforcing the fact that her heat is probably a few days away rather than a few weeks.

Which makes sense with Lincoln stepping into our lives.

A new mate always throws biology for a loop.

My Omega always crashes harder this time of the month which makes it easier not to have to figure out dinner immediately. First, I need to deal with this damn wound on my leg. I ease the door shut and limp to the bathroom, shedding my clothes as I go. The moment my pants hit the floor, I glance down at my leg, a rough laugh slipping through my lips. It’s worse than Ithought. My whole shin is caked in dried blood, the squish in my shoe from earlier suddenly making more sense. I must’ve been bleeding for hours.

Thank fuck it's shallow.

I rummage around in the cabinet for gauze and curse under my breath. I forgot I used the last of it a few weeks ago when I sliced my hand open. Another brilliant moment. Plopping onto the closed toilet, I pick through the few contents of the lackluster first aid kit we keep in the bathroom. Nothing in here is going to do much, but the alternative is the tequila in the kitchen.

Just as I start thinking about MacGuyver-ing this shit, the door creaks open, followed by a sharp gasp. A light slap rings across my arm, Celeste suddenly at my side. “You told me you weren’t gonna get hurt anymore!” Celeste’s voice cracks, and I look up at her to see tears gathering in her eyes

“Baby girl, I’m fine. I promise. Just gonna clean it up.” I shift slightly, trying to ease the ache in my leg and grimace. Pretty sure that bullet was more than just a graze.

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