board games and baked cookies and even had a pillow fight. No television or Playstation for Abby; no calls to the office for Grady and me. I had to call and check on Angel, though, but in an effort to keep the peace, I’d slip into the bathroom to do it. For the first time, I considered leaving the DEA for good.
But on Sunday evening, I got a call from Cougar.
Angel was dying.
CHAPTER
4
W ith a quick apology to Grady, I raced to the hospital. With the exception of Ubi and Linda, who were on assignment, my whole team waited there with Angel’s mother and teenage sister, Tori.
We spent a restless night in the intensive-care waiting room with a dozen other families before a nurse told us Angel’s condition had stabilized. It was the most emotional experience I’d ever had except for the birth of my daughter. Looking at the tired, anxious faces around me, I knew I couldn’t quit my job. Grady would never understand … but these people were my family, too. They needed me. I needed them.
Though he still hadn’t regained consciousness, we celebrated when Angel was transferred out of intensivecare and into a regular room. Then we drew up a schedule to make sure he was never alone. Though I spent as much time as possible with my family, Grady made no secret of the resentment he felt when I took my turn sitting up with Angel.
One night, I was playing checkers with Tori when Tucker showed up to relieve me. I stood and glanced at the clock, thinking that maybe I could make it home in time to read Abby a story before she went to sleep.
When I looked at Angel, I was startled, as always, to see his dark eyes open and staring through me. He’d only recently started doing that, opening and closing his eyes randomly and in response to pain. Cougar had been so excited about it, but for some reason, I could hardly stand to look into those blank, black eyes that had once been so sparkling and alive.
I had no sense of him inside there. Still, like everyone else, I talked to him and hoped for the best. Crossing over to him, I pulled the cover up under his chin and bent to kiss the pale cheek his mother shaved every day. “Later, handsome. Tuck is here, and he’s carrying the sports page.”
Tuck’s beeper went off while I was slipping on my shoes.
“It’s Bill,” he said, staring at the numbers. “Hang on a sec.”
“Take your time,” I assured him, and he went outside to use the phone.
He reappeared a moment later. “Hey, Necie. Can you stay a little longer? I’ve gotta run. It’s the case I’ve been working on. Ubi said he’ll be here as soon as he gets off his shift, but it’ll be three or four hours.”
“I can stay by myself,” Tori said, but we ignored her. No way was I leaving a fifteen-year-old alone, even if it was at the hospital.
“No problem. I’ve got to finish kicking Tori’s butt at checkers anyway,” I said with a wink, and she stuck out her tongue.
After Tucker left, I called Grady to tell him I’d be late.
“What? Necie, this shit has got to give. You can’t stay out all night and work tomorrow. Tell them to find somebody else. Doesn’t he have family?”
Afraid Tori could hear him yelling over the phone, I clamped it to my ear and turned my back. “Tuck was called in,” I said softly. “I’ll be home around eleven or twelve. I’ll get some sleep before I take Abby to school. You’ll just have to pick her up tomorrow afternoon.”
“What about Tiger or Panther or whatever the hell you call him? What about Bill?”
“Cougar’s sitting with him tomorrow, and Bill is with Tucker. I really have to go.”
I hung up the phone before he could say anything else. Tori kept her head down, pretending to study her next move, but I could tell by her reddened face that she’d heard enough.
“I really can stay by myself,” she said.
“I know that, honey,” I said. “But I don’t want you to.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble with your husband.”
“Don’t worry
But on Sunday evening, I got a call from Cougar.
Angel was dying.
CHAPTER
4
W ith a quick apology to Grady, I raced to the hospital. With the exception of Ubi and Linda, who were on assignment, my whole team waited there with Angel’s mother and teenage sister, Tori.
We spent a restless night in the intensive-care waiting room with a dozen other families before a nurse told us Angel’s condition had stabilized. It was the most emotional experience I’d ever had except for the birth of my daughter. Looking at the tired, anxious faces around me, I knew I couldn’t quit my job. Grady would never understand … but these people were my family, too. They needed me. I needed them.
Though he still hadn’t regained consciousness, we celebrated when Angel was transferred out of intensivecare and into a regular room. Then we drew up a schedule to make sure he was never alone. Though I spent as much time as possible with my family, Grady made no secret of the resentment he felt when I took my turn sitting up with Angel.
One night, I was playing checkers with Tori when Tucker showed up to relieve me. I stood and glanced at the clock, thinking that maybe I could make it home in time to read Abby a story before she went to sleep.
When I looked at Angel, I was startled, as always, to see his dark eyes open and staring through me. He’d only recently started doing that, opening and closing his eyes randomly and in response to pain. Cougar had been so excited about it, but for some reason, I could hardly stand to look into those blank, black eyes that had once been so sparkling and alive.
I had no sense of him inside there. Still, like everyone else, I talked to him and hoped for the best. Crossing over to him, I pulled the cover up under his chin and bent to kiss the pale cheek his mother shaved every day. “Later, handsome. Tuck is here, and he’s carrying the sports page.”
Tuck’s beeper went off while I was slipping on my shoes.
“It’s Bill,” he said, staring at the numbers. “Hang on a sec.”
“Take your time,” I assured him, and he went outside to use the phone.
He reappeared a moment later. “Hey, Necie. Can you stay a little longer? I’ve gotta run. It’s the case I’ve been working on. Ubi said he’ll be here as soon as he gets off his shift, but it’ll be three or four hours.”
“I can stay by myself,” Tori said, but we ignored her. No way was I leaving a fifteen-year-old alone, even if it was at the hospital.
“No problem. I’ve got to finish kicking Tori’s butt at checkers anyway,” I said with a wink, and she stuck out her tongue.
After Tucker left, I called Grady to tell him I’d be late.
“What? Necie, this shit has got to give. You can’t stay out all night and work tomorrow. Tell them to find somebody else. Doesn’t he have family?”
Afraid Tori could hear him yelling over the phone, I clamped it to my ear and turned my back. “Tuck was called in,” I said softly. “I’ll be home around eleven or twelve. I’ll get some sleep before I take Abby to school. You’ll just have to pick her up tomorrow afternoon.”
“What about Tiger or Panther or whatever the hell you call him? What about Bill?”
“Cougar’s sitting with him tomorrow, and Bill is with Tucker. I really have to go.”
I hung up the phone before he could say anything else. Tori kept her head down, pretending to study her next move, but I could tell by her reddened face that she’d heard enough.
“I really can stay by myself,” she said.
“I know that, honey,” I said. “But I don’t want you to.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble with your husband.”
“Don’t worry
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