Protective Arms (Completed)

15. Knowing Look

Athena is something else. Not only is she a beautiful woman but incredibly smart. A sense of pride runs through me when she said about not stopping her life due to the threat she is currently under.

There is something else that is bubbling up in me with how strong she is. If that is even the right word. Here it is a half day off for her and she is walking in with me into the police station.

I open the door for her and she gives me a shy smile. After this, I am seriously thinking of taking her on that date or at least bringing some food to her. What could I even do as a date with a beautiful woman like Athena?

My ego is trying to boost with her talking about how safe she feels with me. It is so hard not to let it boost me up, but that can happen once I solve this case for her.

"Would you like to sit at my desk or come with to Gaperal's desk?"

"I will walk with you." Athena smiles.

With the last door open, we step in and walk straight to Gaperal. He is looking down and writing things at a fast rate.

"Did you find a lead?" My voice startles him some.

"Maybe. Come around over here and I will play back the footage."

Athena and I both round his desk and he hits play on the computer. We bend down and my eyes train right to the screen.

I can see all of us at table, but the camera angles are not picking up part of the restaurant.

I stand back up straight and rub my face.

"Is there any other angle?"

"There is this one." Gaperal pulls up more footage and we watch once again.

Only this time when the footage ends, my eyes catch sight of Athena. Who's top is lower with her bent over watching, giving me a great side view of the delicious soft skin of her breast. I jerk to stand up right again, taking in a deep breath to calm a little buddy down below.

I have no clue if that part of her skin is even soft or not. I have to stop this and move slow. Especially since my feelings are growing for her. This needs to be taken slow and at her pace. The last thing she needs is me to be eye fucking her.

"You said you may have a lead? This so far just shows us the black spots within the area." I sigh.

"Yes, but there are two waiters that never showed to their shift."

"Now I am interested." I nod, taking a chair from the desk over.

Gaperal hands me the paperwork and I read over it.

"So this one walked in and was there but never clocked in. Then this one just was a no show, no call type."

"I can work with these angles and see if they have an alibi or reason for not making their shift." I write down some notes.

One of the notes I am writing down while listening to Athena and Gaperal talk, is that Dason would be cleared from being a suspect. Dason seems to be a strange guy, and I don't know how to feel about the way things calmed when he shown up. But he was with us when the photo was taken and I never saw him speaking with anyone other than us at the table.

Maybe Dason is just a different social butterfly.

Placing the file down and closed, I look back to the station around me.

"Where is Brit?"

"He went and is talking to the two workers." Gaperal smiled.

I shake my head and smile.

"I am sorry if I am keeping you from working." Athena's small voice whispers.

"You're not keeping him from working. He is by making sure you are safe. Even still he is here and going through the case and writing things down." Gaperal responds before I can.

"I didn't realize there is so many working on my case. I thought it was just someone with the wrong number before it became this."

I stand up and take Athena's hand, pulling her gaze up to me.

"We all work as a unit here within the station. Right now your case is taking some of the highest priorities there are due to this being a cold case connected to yours now."

"Not to mention Detective Gatlin, you and your sister could also be targets. Moreso you are within the wording used under the last threat." Chief speaks up behind us.

Athena startles and spins quick.

"I am Chief Mirso, you must be the young lady going through this. I am sorry that your being targeted and the victim."

Athena nods her head and smiles to him.

"Galtin a word." Chief nods and walks back to his office.

"I will be right back." I squeeze Athena's hand.

"I got her Gatlin." Gaperal smiles, with a knowing glint in his eye.

I walk to the Chief's office and he closes the door behind me. "Take a seat."

My behind is planted in the chair quickly. I feel like a kid in the principles office.

"Now you are more tied to this case than before. Since how your within the picture from the threat."

"I was just enjoying dinner with the ladies and my sister. They were going out to celebrate my sister working with Athena permanently."

Chief hums and rubs his chin. Moving over he takes out a larger picture from the one sent with the threat.

"I hear you son. This is showing there to be something more. Not to mention, you brought her in with you today and not at her shop."

"She wanted to come and the girls basically made her take a day off from her shop."

"Bullshit, son." Chief laughs.

"I have no doubt about everything you have said, Gatlin, I am not doubting that. You have a differnet look in your eye than you ever had with any of your other victims. It is not a bad thing, just means tread a little lighter due to everything going on."

"Chas says the same." I rub my face.

"Listen to your sister and your gut. Your gut will never lead you wrong. Did you know that is how I met my wife?"

I shake my head.

"She was a victim on a case I was working and it just happened for us. It didn't change the outcome. If anything it pushed me harder to solve it to protect her." Chief tilts he head to me with again a knowing look.

"Thanks Chief." I stand and walk out to the floor where Athena is sitting at my desk now, looking around.

A/N---
Hey Hey Guys!!!

Thoughts of Chief hinting at his blessing of Zack having a relationship with Athena even during the case?

They are all working to try and solve who the suspect could be.