But I'd Have Had to Miss The Dance (Sylverasey Collection)

Vl ~ Frank V

Turns out when Frank wants his POV, he gets an entire chapter of it. I fully expected someone else's thoughts to butt in, but nope. My favorite homicide detective wanted this monster all to himself. I don't think anyone is going to mind considering what goes down here.

One paramedic and three attorneys try to save a life, Sylvie is absolutely her brother's little sister, Nolan comes clean, and Jack gets some bad news.

Not the best summary, but I didn't want to give too many spoilers. Enjoy!

***

Frank wanted a serious word with whoever's gremlins were causing Manhattan's residents to go ballistic for the holidays, thank you very much.

It seemed like every time he tried to find an opening to speak to Nolan, cases started popping up out of nowhere and landing on his and Jalen's desk. He had barely even seen anywhere other than the inside of the precinct or his home in the past days, and even Kate was beginning to show signs of irritation at the onslaught of work. The hardest part was that none of their cases were ones that took days to solve and prosecute. Any other time of year, Frank would be glad to have those kinds of cases. He didn't want them all piling up at once and causing his sanity to hang on by a thin thread.

Or perhaps it had finally frayed entirely, because that was the only reason he could think of why he stared blankly at Olivia and Elliot as his brain tried to process what they had just said when they had crossed paths in the courthouse. Thank God Jalen's seemed intact, for his partner blinked and shook his head. "Sorry," he muttered. "You said her last name is - ?"

"Price," Elliot nodded. "According to Chief McGrath."

"Yeah, I'd say that's a trusted source," Frank muttered and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph."

"That was my internal reaction," Elliot admitted. "Especially when Wagner and Farley looked like they'd been told their necks would be on a chopping block for a guillotine when they heard her name."

Despite the curious combination of dread and envy twisting his stomach into knots, the image made Frank snort. "I'll bet."

"Well, that would explain the secrecy," Jalen remarked. "We know Nolan makes enemies in his position."

"And it's our job to make sure those idiots don't touch him," Frank pointed out.

"He's protected behind these walls," Olivia reminded him as the quartet walked through the courthouse. "Anyone connected to him outside of them, however? That's another story. Rob Miller knew the way to back me into a corner was to threaten Noah, and we know the lengths my team went to so he finally went to prison."

"I'm really curious to know what McCoy would do," Elliot admitted.

"Curious, yes," Jalen allowed. "See it? Not really. I like the streets I walk with no bloodstains on them, thank you."

"It explains how harsh that deputy district chief in Chicago was punished, though," Olivia said thoughtfully. "There are worse ways to hurt someone than physical pain."

"Who are you planning on hurting?"

The four quickly turned at the voice behind them, and Olivia quickly shook her head as Peter approached them, an amused look on his face. "No one," she assured him. "Just debating what McCoy might do."

Peter snorted, and it was echoed by the defense attorney behind him. "I know very well what Jack would do."

"Who in their right mind actually wants to make an enemy of a District Attorney as respected as Jack?" the defense attorney with him scoffed.