Blood in the Water (MidKnight Blue Book 7) Read online

  Blood in the Water

  Sherryl D. Hancock

  Copyright © Sherryl D. Hancock 2018

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Vulpine Press in the United Kingdom in 2018

  ISBN 978-1-912701-33-9

  Cover by Claire Wood

  www.vulpine-press.com

  Also in the MidKnight Blue series:

  Building Empires

  Empires Fall

  Where Loyalties Lie

  Treachery Rising

  Betrayals Stand

  For all Intents and Purposes

  Chapter 1

  Susan was looking for Midnight. She had called the department and been told by Cassandra Devereaux that Chief Chevalier-Debenshire had taken the morning off. She called Rick and Midnight’s house and was surprised when Rick answered on the third ring. He sounded very relaxed. Susan had no idea that as she spoke to her uncle he was grinning down at his wife. He lay over her still after having made love to her. They had been lazily discussing whether to go into the office or stay in bed until Mikeyla got home from school.

  “Uncle Rick?” Susan said hesitantly. She was surprised that he was home—maybe something was wrong. “Is everything alright?”

  Rick laughed, his voice sounding very mellow. “Yes, Susan, everything’s fine. What’s up?”

  Midnight watched him, her catlike eyes glittering with subdued humor.

  “I was looking for Midnight, and I was told that she was off this morning. Is she there?”

  “Yeah, she’s here,” Rick said smoothly. “Hold on.”

  It was obvious to Susan that Midnight was very close, since she came on the line almost immediately.

  “Hey, Susan, what’s up?” Midnight said, sounding much like Rick had. Susan began to wonder if she’d interrupted something.

  “Is this a bad time?” Susan asked, chagrined.

  Midnight smiled on her end of the line as Rick moved to lie next to her, his hand on her waist. “A few minutes ago would have been a bad time—now’s fine,” she said, almost laughing at the look Rick gave her. He made a face, rolling his eyes to indicate that she hadn’t needed to tell his niece that much.

  “Oh…” Susan said, not sure how to respond.

  “Don’t worry about it. What’s up?” Midnight asked again, grinning as Rick started to kiss her shoulder and then moved down her arm. She turned over on her side with her back to him, the phone cradled between her ear and the pillow under her head. She shivered as his lips moved to her waist, his hands sliding upward.

  “I was wondering,” Susan was saying, “if you were free for lunch.”

  “Lunch?” Midnight echoed, feeling Rick shake his head. “Don’t you have the kids today?”

  “No, Randy took the day off from school. Joe’s sick.”

  “Oh,” Midnight said. “Yeah, I know he’s sick. So she took the day off and gave you one, huh?”

  “Yes, and I was hoping to talk to you, if I could, about some things.”

  Midnight glanced back at Rick, and he could see she was torn. He gave her a long look, pursing his lips then nodding to her. He figured he could talk her into coming home after lunch and finishing the day with him. After all, it was still only 9:00.

  “Okay, how about eleven thirty?” Midnight said, smiling at her husband.

  “Great,” Susan said, sounding relieved.

  “I’ll pick you up.”

  “Okay, see you then.”

  After hanging up the phone, Midnight turned to her husband. “She sounds like she really needs to talk…”

  “I figured as much by the way you looked,” he said, leaning down to kiss her softly.

  “Thanks for being cool about it.”

  “Yes, but,” he said, placing a finger on her lips, “I want you to call the office and tell them you won’t be in. And,” he added before she could speak, “I want you back here right after lunch.”

  Midnight looked up at him, her green eyes narrowing as she grinned.

  “Is that an order, Lieutenant?” she asked subserviently.

  “As a matter of fact, yes, it is,” he countered, his grin wide.

  “Uh-huh.” Midnight placed her hand on his shoulder and slid it down, trailing her nails across his chest, making him shudder.

  “Uh-huh,” he repeated, pulling her body flush with his and sliding his hand up to touch her breasts. Leaning down, he kissed her, his lips moving over hers sensually. Midnight moved her hands to entwine them in his hair. Within minutes they were both breathless and making love much as they did almost every day.

  Afterward, they lay together trying to catch their breath. He was next to her, his leg thrown over hers possessively, still stroking her skin with his hand. Midnight lay on her back, her left arm still over his, her hand still in his hair, caressing his back.

  “So how come we don’t do this more often?” Midnight asked, her voice still showing the effects of their lovemaking.

  “Because you have a department to run, and I have a unit,” he said softly.

  “Oh yeah.” Midnight nodded, then grinned. “But this is still nice…”

  He smiled. “Yes, it is. Maybe we need to think about another vacation. We haven’t had one since you made chief. Maybe you need a break.”

  “Maybe…” Midnight said, closing her eyes. She was surprised when he woke her a little while later.

  “Night,” he whispered, his lips close to her ear. “Baby, it’s ten forty-five. Do you want me to call Susan and cancel?” He’d been loath to wake her, she’d been sleeping so peacefully. He’d been watching her for an hour.

  Midnight shook her head, snuggling a little bit closer to him. “No, I’m going. When did I fall asleep?”

  “’Bout an hour ago,” he said, grinning. “Guess I’m just not stimulating company.”

  “Oh, you’re stimulating all right,” she said assuredly. “Maybe too much—you wore me out.” She grinned, reaching up to touch his cheek. “And I’ll be back for more after lunch.”

  Rick smiled, shaking his head. “The things I have to do to keep you happy…” He trailed off as she pushed him back on the bed. She sat up, leaning over him to look into his eyes.

  “I’m crazy about you, you know,” she said, her voice very serious.

  “Yeah?” he replied, his voice equally so. “Well, I’m kinda gone over you myself.”

  She smiled at him, and he returned it. Reaching up, he brushed her hair over one bare shoulder. Midnight leaned down and kissed him, her eyes never leaving his.

  “I gotta take a shower,” she said a couple of minutes later. She got off the bed and headed for their bathroom. Rick watched her go, astounded once again by how beautiful his wife was. At thirty-four she was still as beautiful and wild as she had been the day they met. Her copper-blond hair still reached almost to her waist, because he’d threatened her with great bodily harm if she cut it. Her body was still lean and strong, especially since she’d taken up jogging on the beach most mornings. She told him it helped her to clear her head for the day’s events.

  It was Rick’s opinion she’d been overdoing it for months, and he figured her fatigue now was a sure sign that she needed a break. He made
a mental note to himself to look into getting away soon. It wasn’t as easy for him to do as it had been before. Now that he ran FORS, he had begun to realize what Midnight had dealt with for years, and why she was never able to just take a day or two off without ramifications. As it was, he knew that by playing hooky one day, his desk would be extra loaded the next day. It was worth it to him, to spend time with her. He had never been able to get over how much he loved her. His feelings ran so deep it was hard to discern where his love for her stopped and his own self-preservation began, they were so intertwined.

  Twenty minutes later, Midnight emerged from the bathroom and got dressed. Her hair was still damp as she leaned down to kiss him.

  “Shouldn’t you dry your hair?” he asked, sounding like a father.

  “I don’t have time. I don’t want Susan to feel like she’s messed up our day. Otherwise I’ll never get anything out of her,” she said, laughing at the last.

  Rick laughed too. He knew how shy his niece could be generally—when she thought she was out of line, she could be impossible to deal with.

  “Then you better get goin’, Chief,” he said mildly.

  “Yes, sir,” she replied sharply, as a cadet would.

  Midnight pulled up to Joe and Randy’s house twenty minutes later; she was five minutes early. She stopped in to check on her long-time partner before she and Susan left.

  “So, old man, how’s it going?” Midnight asked as she walked into Joe and Randy’s family room.

  Joe was lying on the couch, his head on Randy’s lap, with her hands as usual in his hair. He looked up, his light blue eyes narrowing at Midnight.

  “Watch it, little girl. I can still kick your ass, pneumonia or not,” he said, his tone mockingly threatening.

  “Yeah, yeah.” Midnight waved away his threat with a delicate hand. “So it is pneumonia, huh?”

  Randy nodded. “The doctor said we caught it early though.”

  “Yeah,” Joe put in. “I should be back to full strength by tomorrow.”

  “More like Wednesday or Thursday,” Randy said authoritatively.

  Midnight nodded, giving Joe a knowing look. “You listen to your wife, Sinclair. She’s the one with the brains in the family.”

  Joe grinned. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime,” Midnight said, smiling widely.

  “Okay, so I have pneumonia. What’s your excuse?” Joe said, his tone changing just slightly. Midnight easily picked up on the concern.

  “What are you trying to say, Sinclair?” she replied indignantly.

  “I’m sayin’ that you look like you could use about a week’s worth of sleep,” Joe said, ever protective.

  “I’m alright,” she said dismissively. “Just need to get about thirty hours into a twenty-four-hour day, that’s all.”

  “Slow down,” he said sternly. “The bad guys aren’t going to leave town, ya know?”

  Midnight grinned at him. “It really isn’t a big deal. I think I might be getting the flu Keyla had last week.”

  Joe nodded, not totally believing her but knowing arguing with her was moot. She always did her own thing regardless of how many people tried to look out for her.

  Once in the car, Midnight looked over at Susan but said nothing. She started toward a Mexican restaurant near the beach. On the drive they talked about trivial things—Joe and Randy’s kids, school, the department. Midnight knew Susan would get around to bringing up what was bothering her eventually.

  Susan waited until they were seated at the restaurant and had ordered. The window they sat next to had a very nice view of the beach, about a quarter of a mile down below.

  “Aunt Midnight, how long did you know my uncle before you knew you loved him?” she asked, watching her with eyes so much like Rick’s.

  Midnight considered the question for a long moment, not sure how to answer it.

  “I mean,” Susan said, seeing Midnight’s hesitation, “did you know right away or did it take a while?”

  “It took a while,” Midnight said. “With us, everything was all fire and ice. It took a long time to get past that so we could fall in love.”

  “But you did fall in love,” Susan said. It was a statement; she knew they loved each other.

  “Yes, we did,” Midnight replied, her smile enigmatic.

  “But you had sex long before that.”

  Midnight grinned. “Oh yes. But I’ve always been of the opinion that my heart and my sex drive are in two different places, and they don’t always have to be in sync.”

  “Yes,” Susan said, seizing on Midnight’s statement almost desperately. “So it’s possible that someone you don’t love can excite you and it doesn’t have to mean anything, right?”

  Midnight thought about it for a minute, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. I mean, in the beginning, Rick and I would be fighting one minute and making love the next. And that was before I loved him—he just really made me crazy sometimes.”

  “Why?” Susan asked, ever fascinated by her uncle’s relationship with his wife.

  “Rick’s as headstrong and stubborn as they come, and so am I. In the beginning, and even now sometimes, he wanted to control me, to make me do what he wanted me to do. I fought that, and still fight it, tooth and nail. It makes for a very lively relationship.” Midnight said the last rolling her eyes.

  “Lively,” Susan repeated slowly. “Not rocky?”

  “No,” Midnight said firmly, shaking her head. “Rocky indicates there’s a chance things will fall apart. Rick and I are together for good. We both know that now—that’s what makes it okay to fight about stuff. Almost losing him once was enough to show me where I belong, and that’s with him.”

  “But what if you’re in love with someone,” Susan said, her voice indicating the importance of what she was about to ask, “but that person doesn’t excite you sexually. Will that change?” Susan’s eyes begged Midnight to say yes, and Midnight knew they’d gotten to the real problem now.

  “Things with Warren not going well?” she asked, avoiding Susan’s question.

  “Not what I expected, no,” Susan said, her tone indicating her disappointment.

  “Well, maybe it’s just too soon.”

  “Did Rick excite you the first time?” Susan asked, her expression hopeful.

  Midnight screwed up her face apologetically. “Yeah, he did. But you gotta realize, I’ve always been comfortable about sex, so that’s kinda different. Warren’s your first, isn’t he?” Susan nodded. “Well, maybe you just need to get comfortable with him before it will be good.”

  “I don’t know…” Susan said, looking doubtful for reasons Midnight didn’t understand. “You see, there’s this other thing…”

  “What other thing?” Midnight asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

  Susan sighed heavily. “Christian Collins.”

  Midnight raised her eyebrows, her mouth dropping open. Then she started to grin conspiratorially. “What’s going on with him?” she asked, her tone shocked.

  Susan shook her head. “No, no, not that.”

  “But something?” Midnight asked hopefully.

  “Well, yes… I mean, no…” Susan looked confused.

  “Well, which is it?” Midnight asked, raising an eyebrow again. “Tell me what happened,” she said when Susan looked hesitant.

  “It was nothing, really.” Susan looked out the window for a long moment, then back at her aunt. “He was sick and I brought him some medicine. He took it with alcohol and I was worried, so I stayed in his room to make sure he was okay. He slept and I watched. He doesn’t have any chairs in his room so I ended up sitting on the bed next to him. The next thing I know his head is resting on me… then… well, he pulled me down next to him and put his arms around me and fell asleep again. I didn’t know what to do. When I tried to move away he held me tighter. Then he put his face against my neck, and his lips touched me…” She trailed off, and Midnight knew she was thinking about it. “I swear, Midnight, my whole body lit up, but
I got scared so I tried to move away again. Well, that woke him up. He taunted me, telling me not to get excited. And I told him that he couldn’t get me excited.”

  “Did he prove you wrong?” Midnight asked, her eyes twinkling.

  “And how, I thought I’d die. I swear, he really didn’t do all that much, I mean in terms of… you know…”

  “How far did he go?” Midnight asked, trying to make it easier for Susan to give details without being too graphic.

  “Only below the waist for about ten seconds, but that’s what… you know.”

  “That’s what did it?” Midnight was impressed. She’d figured Christian for being good in bed, but that good?

  “Yes, and it’s never felt like that with Warren, and he and I have gone so much farther than that.” Susan sounded dismayed.

  “So Christian turns you on,” Midnight said, shrugging. “Who wouldn’t be turned on by a guy that looks like that?”

  “Yes, but…” Susan shook her head remorsefully. “What do I do about things with Warren? Does the fact that he doesn’t turn me on mean something? I mean, how important is sexual attraction in a marriage?”

  Midnight had to hold back her urge to snicker at the girl, knowing it would hurt her feelings. She took a deep breath instead, expelling it as she nodded. “To me it is. But maybe that’s just me,” she added lamely.

  “Does Rick turn you on? I mean easily, like with a touch?” Susan was almost appalled that she was talking about her uncle this way, but curious at the same time.

  Midnight gave her a deadpan look, her face very serious. “Susan, Rick can look at me in a certain way from across a room and it turns me on.”

  “Really?” Susan looked shocked.

  “Oh yeah,” Midnight said, laughing. “You can imagine how disruptive that can be at the monthly staff meetings.” She grinned, remembering well a few meetings that were cut short because she’d made eye contact with her husband and he’d given her that look. They laughed about it a lot, her lack of professionalism when it came to being in the same room with him when he was feeling amorous.