ToServeAndProtect Read Online Free PDF Page B

hour observation. The doctor
won’t release me.”
    “Bullshit. He’ll do exactly what you tell him. It’s
time you acknowledge money has power, and contrary to what you pretend, your
purse is now overflowing.”
    “Great, I have money. Another motive and a lot of good
it will do me locked up.”
    “Shut up and listen to me. I’m good with split-second
decisions and ours is made.” Dawn crossed the room to the chair. “I stopped at
a department store on my way over. You will look like the daughter of one of
Olden’s richest residents.” Her tone left no room for arguments as she pulled a
peach colored pantsuit from under plastic.
    “Peach? I should be grieving. Black would be more
fitting.”
    “Black washes you out. This is somber enough.”
    McKenna sat down and covered her face with her hands.
Her shoulders heaved as tears streamed from her eyes. “Why is this happening?”
    “Shh,” Dawn cooed in a mothering manner. “Right now’s
not the time.” She wiped under McKenna’s eye with the pad of her thumb. “You
can do this.” She smiled half-heartedly. “Hey, you should be used to it..”
    Her mother, her boyfriend, and now her father all
dead. Oh yeah, just what she wanted to be used to .
    McKenna sat quietly on the hospital bed while Dawn
styled her hair into a knot at the nape of her neck. “I can’t do anything with
your face. Too many tears and scratches, you’re red all over.”
    “At least the blood is gone.” McKenna picked up the
plastic bag labeled personal belongings.
    “Leave it, Mickey. Walk out of here with your head
high but nothing else. You can’t let them see you as a victim, and you can’t
let them believe you had anything to do with what happened in Elliot’s
bedroom.”
    Easy for Dawn to say. She hadn’t seen the remnants of
the massacre left behind. Until they were back at the house, she couldn’t
possibly understand, and McKenna was too tired to relive it again. The image of
blood spatters along the hall burned behind her eyes when she tried to sleep.
Yet, staying awake was worse. All she could think about was the scene, the
detective, and the confused, scared emotions swirling in her belly.
    Once McKenna was ready, she walked out of the room
with Dawn at her side.
    She stopped at the nurse’s station. “I’ll be leaving
now.”
    “I’m not sure—” The nurse looked frantically around
for someone, probably a cop, to tell her what to do.
    “Well, I’m sure. I feel fine, and I just want to go
home.” McKenna took a ballpoint pen from the cup on the counter. “Do you have
something for me to sign?” The nurse put a release form in front of her and
pushed the call button for the doctor on duty.
    “If you’ll wait a minute, the doctor will be here.”
    “You wait for him,” Dawn said testily. “We’re
leaving.” Dawn put her hand on McKenna’s back reminding her to stand straight
with her shoulders back. This was no time to look fragile and insecure.
    She turned away from the counter and caught her
breath. The detective, who had been in her room only a few hours before, leaned
against the wall not more than a few feet from the nurse’s station.
    Although Detective Pearce probably hadn’t had much
sleep either, he looked irritatingly at ease. Stubble along his jaw only caused
his cheeks to appear more chiseled and his lips subtly softer. Dark brown, a
bit long on top, his hair tapered in the back to his collar. With an easy
movement, he pushed away from the wall and sauntered toward her. He was
attractive, but that didn’t change how dangerous he was to her. “Are you ready
to take a ride to the station?”
    Dawn stepped in front of McKenna like a mother bear
protecting her cub. “She told you she’d be there in the morning.” Dawn flipped
her feathery hair. “Her attorney will call your captain with a convenient time
for Ms. Porter. Until then, back off. You’re hovering like a vulture.”
     
    Dustin couldn’t help but smile at the spunk