“As I live and breathe,” he said slowly. “This is a sight I never expected to see.”
Gary, more than anybody, knew of her past vendetta against Sean Costas and his henchman, Carter Ballis. Now, here she was showing up unannounced on his doorstep with Ballis, who she’d actively tried to throw into prison.
“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered. “You going to make us stand out here all day, Gary, or can we come in?”
“That’s may we come in, and yes, you may,” he said, stepping aside.
Candace snarled a, “I’ll show you may,” as she stormed past.
“No coffee yet this morning? My pot’s nearly full. I had a good night’s sleep last night. Woke up rested and refreshed. I didn’t need much coffee this morning to get me going.”
Candace spun on her heel, hands on her hips. “Are you trying to be annoying?”
“Hey,” Gary chuckled, “you gotta give me something, since you decided to bring this—” He eyed Carter walking in, carrying Ellie. —“Trouble with you.”
His humor fell away as he leaned around Ballis to close the door.
“What are you doing here, Ballis? What’s wrong with her?”
“Long story,” Sean’s head of security answered gruffly.
Gary switched his gaze to her. “Candace?”
She sighed and swiped her hair out of her face, wincing at the thought of how dirty it must be after all that time in the dusty warehouse.
“Definitely a long story. Can I get a shower first? And coffee? Then we’ll talk. A nap would be nice too,” she admitted.
“Don’t tell me the great Detective Ewing is human and gets tired when she’s on a case,” Gary teased.
During their partnership, they’d had many rows over her wanting to work overtime, pursuing a suspect when it was time to surrender for the day and go home. It was a longstanding battle between them. Gary was loving getting to hold it over her head now.
“Not on the case anymore,” Candace admitted with a grimace of defeat. “I’m not sure who to pursue. I’m not sure who the suspects should be or who the victims are.”
“She is,” Ballis spoke up, gesturing towards his wife. Both of the police detectives turned his way. He’d been patiently standing there, holding his unconscious wife while she and Gary traded jabs. “She’s an innocent bystander who got dragged into a war. Now she needs a safe place for a little while to rest until she can wake up.” His piercing dark eyes locked with Gary’s. “Can you offer her that? If not, I’ll go now. I’m not asking you to put yourself at risk, but if you think she can be safe here temporarily we’ll stay.”
Gary looked at Candace. Candace looked at Gary. Finally, her partner shrugged.
“No eyes on my house and nobody tailing me that I know of. You’re all welcome to stay. Ballis, couch is in there. You can put her on it. Candace, shower’s down the hall, second door to the left. You want some coffee first while I run to the nearest store and grab essentials for you? Afraid I don’t have a lot of women’s clothes hiding around here, and my clothes won’t look as good on you as they do on me,” he smirked.
“Ha ha. Yeah, I’ll text you a list. Ballis? You want me to have him pick up supplies for your wife too?”
“Please.”
“And for you?” Gary inquired of Costas’s head of security.
“Not for me, thanks, except for a spare shirt, if you’ve got one. If it’s okay with the two of you, I’m going to leave Ellie here to recuperate while I visit Sean. I have clothes and everything I need there.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Candace asked doubtfully.
Neither of them knew the status of, well, his status after last night. Neither of them had any idea what may have been said or done after Ciara Costas went home.
“Probably not, but I don’t exactly have a choice,” Ballis affirmed grimly. “He’s my employer, my boss. I owe him some sort of explanation. More than that he’s…” Carter stopped, jaw working as if he were trying to figure out how much to say. “He’s a friend,” he summarized. “I owe him everything, including the truth of what his wife has done. He might not listen to me, but I’ve got to try.”
Candace didn’t argue. It was his life, not hers. She’d told him once that she was determined to see the fighting and killing among his kind stopped by whatever means necessary. Maybe letting them kill each other off was the best way to handle it. Anyway, the girl, Ellie, would be safe here, and that was what mattered. For all of her involvement with Ballis and his bunch, Candace figured Ellie was still on the right side of the law, insofar as it went.
“Do what you have to do,” she agreed. “Your wife will be safe here with us.”
“Thank you.”
There wasn’t much more to say. While Gary fetched the man a shirt, Candace watched silently as Ballis carried Ellie into the living room, placing her gently on the couch. He withdrew something from his pocket, laying it on the arm next to her head. Even Candace couldn’t deny there was something peculiarly touching about seeing a man like that, a shapeshifter, a monster who could slaughter without a second thought, tuck a pillow under her head and take the throw from the back of the sofa, draping it over her, covering her feet. He smoothed her hair off her face, murmured something Candace couldn’t catch, then leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“It’s going to be okay,” he promised as he rose.
His hand rested on his sleeping wife’s shoulder a trace longer before he walked away. He stopped next to her and her partner in the entryway.
“I’ll get another phone at Sean’s. Give me your numbers so I can check on her?”
“Um, sure. Gary?”
“The drawer. Behind you.”
Candace
