Err on the Side of Violence: Terribly Acronymed Detective Club Series (Book 3)

Chapter Eight: Joe, Sunday

Joe never slept well when Naomi stayed over at her Auntie Rachel's. He would have been embarrassed to admit it, but even though the girl was thirteen and quite able to enjoy time with her friend and her cool aunt without his hovering, he still thought of her as the shy tot clinging to his pant leg when he'd reunited with Rachel and Al a few years back, and his fierce protective instinct kicked in whenever he became aware she was not in her own room past her bedtime. Aside from the time he'd been laid up in hospital for a few nights after being beaten nearly to death over a year ago, he never spent a night away from his family, and until Naomi had gotten the enthusiasm for staying over Auntie Rachel's place, neither had his children, and her empty room was like a hole in his heart. He trusted Al and Rachel with his life, and he still credited Rachel with saving his life after that beating, and he knew they were good foster parents to Logan and Emma, but when it came to his own children, no one but their mom and dad would do, and if anything happened to either of them, he didn't know how he would go on.

He woke Sunday morning groggy and disoriented, and didn't feel the need to rise early, and when Lauren grumbled next to him that she needed five more minutes, he didn't try to rouse her and let himself stay in bed. Luckily, Tosh had acquired the enthusiasm for sleeping in on the weekend not too long ago, so he didn't bother them asking for breakfast.

When he finally felt ready to face the day, he checked his phone on the nightstand and saw a text from Joanie.

Tonight?

He sighed. He was feeling sandy-eyed and grouchy, and not in the mood for love even if his wife begged him for it. He'd been perfectly happy with what they'd done yesterday and didn't feel the need for more today. Joanie, to his dismay, wanted him all the time, a thrilling prospect when they'd first started seeing each other, but now he felt like he couldn't keep up. Worse, she was asking for more evenings with him since she'd gotten a promotion and had more Sunday nights free. He couldn't start cancelling more man-cave evenings with Johnny or he would start suspecting something was up and, honestly, he didn't have the energy for more encounters with her. He sometimes felt he was nothing more than her stress release for a week's worth of bullshit from her job and her mostly male coworkers, many of whom, she confessed, resented her position in the force and suggested quite openly that she'd slept her way there. It was why she wanted a relationship with someone who wasn't a police officer. Joe wasn't sure this was a relationship, though, and he felt like he was doing her a disservice by calling it one. To his surprise, she seemed perfectly happy keeping things as they were; she was rarely home, and she didn't have the emotional room for a full-time partner in life. She enjoyed the time she did have with him and never asked for more than he was willing to give or, rather, than Lauren was willing to let him give.

He knew he would have to tell Lauren about this text even if he didn't see Joanie tonight. Complete transparency was what was keeping their marriage going while remaining cracked open for Joanie. Lauren had her own affair with Rachel, and had offered this arrangement to allow them both to follow their bliss while remaining married to each other.

He was about to text Joanie that he would get back to her later when his phone started ringing. He was surprised to see that it was Rachel calling. Why was she calling him, and so early in the morning? Oh, shit, what if something had happened to Naomi?

He answered quickly. "Rachel? Everything okay?"

"Actually, no."

His heart seemed to stop in his chest, and he peeked down at Lauren, who was mercifully still asleep. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't suppose you might have heard from Logan?"

"Logan?" Now he was puzzled. "So, Naomi's okay?"

"Oh, yeah, she's fine. Emma's worried, though, and we are, too. Logan went out last night and hasn't come home. "