Threatened

Chapter 9: The Interrogation

The lights are blinding and I can hardly discern a single question in this madness.

"One at a time, please," I call, trying to create some kind of order. Lee wraps his arm around my shoulders protectively as hands fly into the air. "Yes?" I ask, nodding at a reporter with a microphone with a New York Times label on it.

"Is it true you took a bullet for Mr. Pace?" she asks.

"I was just trying to protect him and I happened to catch a ricochet in my shoulder."

"Why were you trying to protect him?"

"It's just an instinct. He wasn't safe, so I fixed that." She nods and backs away a bit, making room for another reporter.

"Who are you?"

"Anna Davis, of the NYPD. Lee and I have been dating for three weeks now." I thought about revealing my job, but I know the press will check everything we say, so it's pointless to lie about facts of public record. Lee nods and kisses my forehead. The press goes into a frenzy, snapping picture after picture and shoving more microphones in our faces.

"Thank you all so much for your interest, but Anna needs time to rest and recover. Thank you!" Lee calls, gently leading mums through the crowd and into a cab quickly. Reporters crushed each other against the windows, begging us to comeback and answer more questions.

"Go," Lee orders the cabbie. We start forward slowly, but eventually get out onto the street and away from the mob of press.

"That went better than expected," I mutter. Lee laughs.

"Yes, it was about the least amount of time I've spent in a street interview ever. I should take you to all these events," he chuckles.

We crawl through the busy streets of the city until the cabbie finally pulls up to Lee's building. Lee hands him the cab fare and helps me out of the car. There are more cameras by the front door and I can hear the cawing of the vultures from here.

".... mysterious police officer Anna Davis and Lee Pace are confirmed to be living to get her in this building. Sources have not yet confirmed how long this has been going on, but..."

"Freaking press. How did they get here before us?" Lee grumbles.

"They've been here all day."

"What are you doing here, Zach?" I ask.

"I just came to see the frenzy. Reporters always fall over themselves for stories like this," he laughs. I can feel Lee tense beside me and I can hear the grumble low in his throat. I need to keep these two away from each other as much as possible.

"That can't be the only reason you're here, Zach. I know you too well to believe that lie," I badgered. Zach shrugs and holds up his hands in surrender.

"Alright, Nichols assigned me as a second guard. I get to be the extra set of eyes on you, Mr. Pace. I won't be movie in with you, but I will be next door."

I think Lee's eyes became bigger than his fists. I grab his hand that is till resting on my shoulder. That seemed to snap him back to reality.

"So you'll be with us for a while, then?" Lee grumbles.

"Just until the trial is over. Then Anna and I will return to normal duty." Leonids then walks inside the building through the garage entrance, avoiding the press. I glare at a smirking Zach for a moment before following Lee inside. I just manage to catch his elevator before it takes off. Lee is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed.

"Seriously, what is going to be his story? I can't say that he's my boyfriend if you're my girlfriend."

"Would you have done that anyway?"

"No. I would have said just about anything but that," he confesses.

"I thought so. Zach will be annoying. I know that. I'll call Nichols, but I don't think he'll change his mind just because I asked nicely," I affirm.

"Then don't bother. He is not going to be with us all the time, just close." The elevator dings upon our arrival, and the doors open to reveal Zach leaning against the wall across from the elevator.

"Did you really take the twelve flights of stairs faster than the elevator?" I gawk. He doesn't even look winded.

"Yeah, I just ran up the stairs, no big deal," he says, brushing past us down the hall. What is with him?

Lee trudges after him slowly, almost reluctantly, leaving me to stand alone beside the elevator. After a moment of standing there, I trot after them, catching up on a matter of seconds. Thankfully, no one defiled Lee's door today and there are no notes on the floor when we walk in.

I do a quick sweep for anything that looks out of place or different, then I relax on the couch with a pillow under my arm. Lee locked himself in the bathroom before I started the sweep; Bohemian Rhapsody blaring from his speakers over the splashing water of a shower.

I decide now is as good a time as ever to call Nichols and ask why Zach is here. It rings twice before he answers.

"You're calling about your partner aren't you?" he asks.

"Well, yes sir. Did you send him because I got shot and you believe I can't perform to my fullest?"

"I'm replacing you."

"What?! You can't do that, I'm already in with the press. You can't pull me out now," I beg. I'm not getting fired, but I'm not going to work for Lee anymore. "What will it take to prove to you that I can do this?"

"There is nothing that will change my mind, Davis. Pack your things and go home," he orders, and the line goes dead. I throw the phone across the room and it crashes against the door. I walk over to its shattered remains and thank God it was just a burner for calling the station, not my personal phone.

I pick up the shards of plastic and throw them in the trash just as I hear the water shut off. Then I step outside to tell Zach about his assignment.

I knock twice and he answers immediately, with a sly grin on his face. His short blonde hair is wet and I can see water spots on his tight shirt. He must've just stepped out of the shower too.

"So you've heard that I'm taking your spot?" he smirks.

"Mr. Pace has been threatened several times in these past two days, so imagine how much worse it will get after the trial starts. Lee scolds eye on him all the time, especially when you think there's no one around, and don't forget-"

"Anna, I don't want to talk about him. Tell me what you think of Nichols," Zach interrupts.

"I think he wants to fire me, but he can't without getting his head chewed off by the commissioner. I think you are his second choice because you look like you could hang out with a celebrity, and-"

"What do you mean, look like I could hang out with a celebrity?"

"Look at you! You have the perfect build: thin and muscular with a chiseled chin and the short blonde hair that Californian surfers typically wear, plus you're tan like a Californian surfer. You just look like you could be famous." He smiles, leans against the door and stares at me. I notice his eyes scan my face quickly, rest for a moment on my lips then they return to my eyes. "Anyway, Mr. Pace is an excellent cook and-" I begin to say when I hear the door open behind me. I start to turn around, but fast as a snake, Zach grips my chin and presses his lips to mine.

They are soft but firm as Zach presses our heads together. I manage to get my hand on his chest and push away violently.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I saw some shards of plastic on the floor and I wanted to make sure you were alright, Anna. I guess you are perfectly fine with him," Lee spat before back into his apartment and slamming his door.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I scream at Zach.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you actually like working for that prick!" he snarls.

"At least he's is freaking considerate and doesn't just take what he wants!"

"So you didn't enjoy that kiss at all?" Zach teases.

"You're a pig," I grumble before gently knocking on Lee's door. Zach sighs exasperatedly and slams his door shut too, leaving me alone in the hall.