THE CONVERSATION WITH Ty Archer was still fresh in her mind. As she unlocked the safety door of her apartment, she kept wondering how did Ty know about Van Burke? Her stomach was churning at the thought that there is more to Ty Archer than his crime but despite all that...he was still a murderer. Second degree murder was still murder. She couldn't escape the mental image of him crashing against his parents car.
But he was drunk.
The thought quickly vapourised when she noticed that her main door was unlocked and being a detective for so long, Alexa would never leave anything unopened. She softly closed the door behind her and tugged her gun from the holster. She pointed at the front and reached for the closest wall. She followed the wall as she inspected her room. The living room and kitchen were clear. She slowly stepped into the hallway that led her to the bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. She placed her hand on the door knob and saw a silhouette of a man at the threshold, standing against the other side of the wall.
In a swift motion, she barged the door open and pinned the man to his throat, pointing the gun to his head. "That was good," he said, a smug smile tugging his lips. "Not good enough." He slapped the gun with the side of his hand. He disarmed her before locking her arms and pushing her against the door. "Where did you make a mistake?"
"I trusted my gun." Aaron took a couple of steps back and stretched. He nodded at her wordlessly and plopped on the bed. "So, why are you here? Did the FBI cut you off or Natasha got tired of you?"
Bailey siblings had an uncommon way of taking care of each other.
"I'm here to check up on you. How are you, Lex? And where the hell were you?"
She pulled out her gun and badge and kept it in her nightstand. "Went to check up on a new lead." She pulled out a few clothes from her closet and went into the bathroom. "I'm going to get a shower. There's some beer and yesterday's leftovers in the fridge. Do not touch my last piece of pastry or I will murder you."
"That's not something a detective should say to an FBI agent."
"Like I give a shit." She closed the door and began taking off her clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned as she caressed her hand against the faded stitches on her stomach. Out of all the scars she had, this one stung the most. Jordan Cooper's betrayal was not the one that hurt her the most, it was the person who had shot her when he disobeyed her. She never found the person who had hurt her godchild and almost killed Alexa in the process.
She stepped into the water and took a brisk shower. She was way too hungry for a deep cleaning ritual of her mind and body. In less than twenty minutes, she was sitting on the dining table with her older brother sitting opposite to her and devouring his steak.
"Easy there, Aaron." When he didn't react to her, she put her fork down and relaxed her shoulders. "What's going on? Are you okay?"
"No," he murmured. He stopped chewing and swallowed whatever was in his mouth. He lifted his chin and met her eyes. The colour from his face was drained. Alexa was used to seeing her brother disconnected but not from her. No matter what was going on, they could always count on each other. "I lost a lead and Natasha left me."
"What do you mean by left you?"
"She sent me the divorce papers today."
"I...I didn't know you guys were facing troubles. What happened? Does Mom and Dad know?"
"Yeah, they know everything. She cheated on me. I found out six months ago. We started going to therapy together and I know I can pin it all on her but—" He dropped his gaze to the floor. "How can I blame her when she turned to someone else to feel loved when I couldn't make time for her anymore? It was a mutual decision but it still hurts. I lost the love of my life and..."
He paused.
Alexa got up and sat on the floor in front of him, desperate to meet his gaze. "And what?"
"And I almost lost you too."
"Aaron, I am okay. I am alive. Nothing has happened to me."
"I am not naive, Lex. I have been an FBI agent for almost thirteen years now. I know the risks I face and I know what you face. And there's nothing either of us can do about it. It's just...it is scary when you meet death but it's worse when someone you love meets it too."
"Hey," she whispered. "I'm sorry about everything. Do you want to stay with me for a couple of days? I can come home straight after work and we can watch football together."
Aaron chuckled—the sorrow in his eyes replacing something else. "I am not a child, idiot. My therapist told me I should be more vulnerable...at least with you. Besides," he stood up with his plate in his hand. He walked towards the sink and ran it under water. "I don't want to interfere with your life. I know I won't be on time so I can't expect it from you either. We're too ambitious for our own good."
Alexa sighed. "I will miss Natasha. I wish you would've told me before. I can't believe all the time you were helping me recover—you were suffering from a broken heart. All the soup that 'Natasha' was sending, it was you, wasn't it?"
He turned around and leaned against the dishwasher. "It's what we do."
"Make soup?"
He smacked her head. "We protect, dumbass. Don't forget I kicked your ass just some time ago. You're not having it easy again. The next time I sneak into your house, I'll make sure you have to fight for your life."
"That's not something an FBI agent should say to a detective."
"Like I give a shit."
YOU ARE READING
The Wrong Instinct
Mystery / Thriller[🏅 featured twice on Romance's reading list] Alexa Bailey is a homicide detective who was shot in the line of duty. A year later, she is finally cleared to be on the field and has been on a streak ever since she has returned. But when a familiar n...
