beginning to give her a headache. It was too surreal. She needed time to think, and space. Suddenly J wanted to go back to her quiet home and the safety of those old walls.
With Kiel.
The thought came to her unbidden, and she groaned softly.
“Are you sure we don’t need to take you to the hospital first and get you checked out?”
It was Kiel, sitting in the backseat with her. His arm was lying on top of the seat, behind her. When she leaned her head back she could feel it like a length of steel at her neck. It felt good.
“No. I’ll be okay. It sometimes takes me a while to shake it off.” She tried an apologetic smile, hoping he wouldn’t notice her nervousness. “I’m not the seasoned veteran like you are, Detective.”
“Trust me. Things are a lot more complicated from where I’m sitting,” he told her.
She could hear his frustration. And something more. Loneliness. Sadness. Bitterness.
They remained quiet the rest of the way to the station. Kiel removed his arm, to her disappointment. Then, to her shock, he took one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers, leaving their hands to rest on the seat between them. Somehow she managed to hide the smile.
When the car finally slowed, turning and dipping into the station’s parking lot, Kiel spoke up again. “Miss Laurent, if I might ask a favor of you?”
She tilted her face to let him know she was listening.
“My, uhh, circumstances are not known by anyone other than Sam. Please, I’m asking if you would keep it to yourself about what you’ve learned about me.”
“How long have you been like this?”
“A month. It’s a long story.”
“And one I am eager to hear,” she told him. “Your full story for my silence. That’s my price.” She could hear his smile.
“It’s a deal.”
When Sam stopped the car, J allowed Kiel to help her out of the back. He released her hand, taking her elbow instead to lead the way.
“Watch your step up.”
“You’ve done this before?” she murmured in his direction. “Escorted the blind?”
“No, ma’am. You’re my first.”
“I appreciate the help.”
Sam led the way until they reached the inner offices. From there they went straight to the captain’s office.
“Sir? This is Miss Laurent,” Sam introduced her.
Captain Redd got to his feet and stuck out a hand. “Glad to have you come down to the station, Miss uhh…”
J paused, tilting her head in his direction. “You stuck out your hand, didn’t you?” she asked him. The man was tall. She could tell from where his voice emanated above her head. “Forgive the awkwardness, Captain.” Holding out her hand, she waited for the man to take it.
“Oh, Jesus. You’re…”
“Blind. Yes, sir. All my life.” Quickly she shook her head, hoping to get over this patch as smoothly as possible. “Detective Stark, is there a chair nearby?”
Instead of answering, Kiel brought a chair over to her, gently bumping the seat against the back of her legs to let her know it was there. J carefully sat down, noting that the two detectives remained standing.
The captain cleared his throat. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, Captain. I’m here to help, so let’s get on with it.”
“We picked up Miss Laurent and took her over to the crime scene,” Sam told the man. He continued to explain what had happened as J half-listened to the retelling.
In the background she could sense another person. His aura was calm and reserved. Nonthreatening. Kiel was to her left, letting his brother go over the details. She knew that if she turned her head in his direction he would be glowing like an immense bonfire. The man was throwing off heat and light more strongly than anything she had ever encountered before in her life.
But there was something else. Something she couldn’t define or explain. Because for some incredible reason he had managed to awaken a part of her that had been lying dormant for over a decade. And
With Kiel.
The thought came to her unbidden, and she groaned softly.
“Are you sure we don’t need to take you to the hospital first and get you checked out?”
It was Kiel, sitting in the backseat with her. His arm was lying on top of the seat, behind her. When she leaned her head back she could feel it like a length of steel at her neck. It felt good.
“No. I’ll be okay. It sometimes takes me a while to shake it off.” She tried an apologetic smile, hoping he wouldn’t notice her nervousness. “I’m not the seasoned veteran like you are, Detective.”
“Trust me. Things are a lot more complicated from where I’m sitting,” he told her.
She could hear his frustration. And something more. Loneliness. Sadness. Bitterness.
They remained quiet the rest of the way to the station. Kiel removed his arm, to her disappointment. Then, to her shock, he took one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers, leaving their hands to rest on the seat between them. Somehow she managed to hide the smile.
When the car finally slowed, turning and dipping into the station’s parking lot, Kiel spoke up again. “Miss Laurent, if I might ask a favor of you?”
She tilted her face to let him know she was listening.
“My, uhh, circumstances are not known by anyone other than Sam. Please, I’m asking if you would keep it to yourself about what you’ve learned about me.”
“How long have you been like this?”
“A month. It’s a long story.”
“And one I am eager to hear,” she told him. “Your full story for my silence. That’s my price.” She could hear his smile.
“It’s a deal.”
When Sam stopped the car, J allowed Kiel to help her out of the back. He released her hand, taking her elbow instead to lead the way.
“Watch your step up.”
“You’ve done this before?” she murmured in his direction. “Escorted the blind?”
“No, ma’am. You’re my first.”
“I appreciate the help.”
Sam led the way until they reached the inner offices. From there they went straight to the captain’s office.
“Sir? This is Miss Laurent,” Sam introduced her.
Captain Redd got to his feet and stuck out a hand. “Glad to have you come down to the station, Miss uhh…”
J paused, tilting her head in his direction. “You stuck out your hand, didn’t you?” she asked him. The man was tall. She could tell from where his voice emanated above her head. “Forgive the awkwardness, Captain.” Holding out her hand, she waited for the man to take it.
“Oh, Jesus. You’re…”
“Blind. Yes, sir. All my life.” Quickly she shook her head, hoping to get over this patch as smoothly as possible. “Detective Stark, is there a chair nearby?”
Instead of answering, Kiel brought a chair over to her, gently bumping the seat against the back of her legs to let her know it was there. J carefully sat down, noting that the two detectives remained standing.
The captain cleared his throat. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, Captain. I’m here to help, so let’s get on with it.”
“We picked up Miss Laurent and took her over to the crime scene,” Sam told the man. He continued to explain what had happened as J half-listened to the retelling.
In the background she could sense another person. His aura was calm and reserved. Nonthreatening. Kiel was to her left, letting his brother go over the details. She knew that if she turned her head in his direction he would be glowing like an immense bonfire. The man was throwing off heat and light more strongly than anything she had ever encountered before in her life.
But there was something else. Something she couldn’t define or explain. Because for some incredible reason he had managed to awaken a part of her that had been lying dormant for over a decade. And
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