Page 62 of The Fighter
It was a quick dinner since Willow was eager to get back to her baby daughter, and I was impatient to see what I might find in the box with Marcus’ things that Mila had spoken about. As soon as we got back to the Gray Manor, I almost ran down to the basement and because of Mila’s instructions that the box was close to the antique clock and the broken piano, it didn’t take me long to find it.
It didn’t surprise me that the box was sealed. With the storage room being overwhelming and a little creepy with no one else around, I dropped the idea of searching for a pair of scissors or some kind of tool that could help me break the box open. Instead, I half carried, and half dragged the heavy box to my room like a giddy squirrel carrying the biggest pine cone back to its house. Despite my eagerness and excitement, I was careful not to get caught and peeked around each corner to make sure no one would see me.
Unlocking my door, I pushed it open with my butt and lifted one end of the heavy box. The room had carpet down, so hopefully no one downstairs would hear me dragging the box over the floor.
My focus was entirely on the box as I backed into the room and maybe that’s why it didn’t occur to me that the lights were already on. With a satisfied sigh, I decided that the box could stay next to my bed while I searched for something to open it with. My hands were tingling from the heavy lifting but all of that ceased to matter when I straightened up and felt the strong presence of someone behind me.
CHAPTER 16
Answers
Leo
“What do you have there?”
Raven turned fast and looked like she was ready to fight.
I stayed by the window, still leaning against the frame. “Told you. You’re not the only one who is curious.”
Raven looked pissed and stepped forward. “You have no right to be here. This is a break-in.”
“You’re right. But aren’t you Motlanders the ones preaching the Golden Rule? How does it go again?” I pretended to be thinking. “Only do to others as you want them to do to you.”
Raven stepped in front of the box as if I would forget that it existed.
“Since you broke into my place, I figured that I could break into your place too.”
Raven shot a sideways glance at all the pictures, articles, and notes spread out on her bed. “Are you going to report me for insubordination?”
I shrugged. “That’s such a fancy word.”
“We both know you asked me not to pursue the case.”
“Yes. But you did it anyway.”
Raven met my eyes. “What choice did I have? You won’t let me get close to any real police work.”
“Not true.” I changed position, folding my arms and taking a wide stance. “I brought you with me to a domestic violence case.” Throwing a nod to the research on the bed, I continued. “How about you walk me through what you’ve found out so far?”
“Why?”
The last thing Raven had told me when we had our little showdown in the hallway two hours ago was “Show me that you aren’t a misogynist. Show me that you’ll respect my skills and give me an equal chance to prove myself, and then maybe…”
I had come back because I couldn’t stay away. What I’d found in her room hadn’t come as a surprise. I should have known she was too feisty and stubborn to give up on the case, but I was disappointed. Part of me had hoped that I would only find a bed and that she had spoken the truth when she talked about her attraction to me being the only reason that she wouldn’t let me in. Clearly it had been a lie.
The thirty minutes I had waited for her had given me a chance to think it over: this case could be my chance to show Raven that I respected her. My chance to reach whatever “maybe” meant.
“Did you hear me, Leo?” Raven stepped closer. “Why do you want to know what I found out? You’re just going to ask me to forget about it anyway.”
“I was considering helping you.”
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
“For practice, Raven. We’ll work on this case without telling anyone and I’ll help you solve it. It’ll give me a chance to educate you on my methods, but whatever we discover will stay between us.”
“That’s not fair,” she protested. “I want everyone to know that I’ve solved the case, and that’s why I want to do it alone.”
Leaning forward, I spoke in a non-negotiable tone. “I’m not letting you jeopardize the safety of our country. This is a high-profile case. What makes you think that people desperate enough to kill the daughter and son-in-law of the ruler won’t do the same to you or me if we begin asking questions?”
