Before she could call his name, he turned toward her and she stopped. And stared. His eyes. It was Stoney, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t his eyes. The dark eyes were gone. In their place were eyes as blue as a summer sky. Piercing blue eyes that penetrated hers. For the first time, she could see emotion in them. But hers were too full of tears to read what emotions were in his. Staring at his face that looked so familiar and yet now so different, she glanced down to see a badge hanging on his belt. Police. He’s police. He wasn’t interested in her. He was investigating her.
And that makes her…used.
Chapter 8
“Annie,” the plea came.
She heard his voice call her name at the same time she felt a hand on her arm. Turning, she saw Detective Carter still standing next to her, kindness in his eyes. And sympathy. Oh Jesus, he knows. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, finding most pairs of curious eyes on the unfolding drama in front of them. Who else knows? Do they all know?
Her eyes landed back on Stoney as he started walking toward her. She backed up. For every step he took forward she took a step back, until she hit the wall. The air felt thick, as though she couldn’t pull it into her lungs quickly enough.
“Annie, let me explain.” The voice came again as his blue eyes never wavered from hers. Detective Dixon stepped in, placing his hand on Stoney’s chest holding him in place. “Shane,” he said. “Don’t do this now. She doesn’t need this now.”
Shane? He called him Shane? I didn’t even know his real name.
Turning quickly, she scooted around Detective Carter toward the entrance. “I have to go. I have to get out of here. I have to go,” she kept repeating.
Detective Carter jogged after her. “Dr. Donavan, let me take you back. Please, it’s raining outside. I’ll drive you to your clinic.”
Shaking her head, not speaking, she picked up her pace trying to run past Stoney/Shane being held by Detective Dixon.
“Annie, come back,” Shane yelled, then looked at the man holding him and warned, “Matt, get your fuckin’ hands off of me.”
Suddenly, Annie stopped just as she was almost to the door. Turning slowly, she walked closer to the men, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist as though to protect herself from whatever was coming.
Looking up into the blue eyes that seemed so different and yet so much more natural than the dark contacts he had obviously been wearing, she thought she saw regret. But regret over what, she didn’t know and didn’t want to know.
“Shane.” The word sounded strange to her, but she noticed his eyes latched onto hers as she spoke. “You don’t have to explain. There’s…nothing…nothing,” her voice cracked.
“Baby,” he said softly, his blue eyes full of longing.
Shaking her head quickly to unclutter her mind, she drew in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Pulling herself up to her full height, which she knew wasn’t very much, but it gave her a sense of control, she looked straight into his eyes.
“No. Shane. You don’t get to call me baby. I think I know exactly what happened and can’t believe how gullible I was. You obviously had a job to do, and I get that. I’m just sorry that I was the collateral damage to you doing your job.”
He started to move forward again, growling as Detective Carter stepped up to stop him if necessary. “Annie, it wasn’t like that. Please, let me explain,” he begged.
“Do not come near me. If I have to file a restraining order, I will.” Her bravado was fading, and she knew she needed to get out of there.
Turning quickly, she ran the last few steps to the door and disappeared through it.
“Fuck!” Shane bit out.
Matt released his hold on Shane but cautioned him. “You gotta pull your shit together, man. We just scored the biggest hit against these mother-fuckers, got some of their asses in jail, and you cannot fuck up this case ‘cause you couldn’t keep from fuckin’ over some witness while undercover.”
Shane rounded on his friend, shoving him up against the wall. “You don’t have a fuckin’ clue what you’re talkin’ about. I never meant to fuck her over. She was never that.” Shane let go of Matt and stared at the closed door. “She was never that,” he said softly, to no one in particular.
Matt and Larry looked at each other, understanding passing between them. Matt clapped Shane on the back and said, “Come on. We gotta get the reports finished. Until this is over, you can’t do anything about the doc anyway or you’ll really fuck up the case.”
Shane stood, his head hanging for a moment, fighting the urge to run after her. Make her listen. Make her understand. She stopped being a mark the moment she talked and laughed while saving his dog’s life. The moment she opened herself to him, she became more than just a witness. But he knew. He had always known. He’d been buried so deep undercover, letting all that shit touch him for two years. Having to live the life of a drug runner, just to get enough evidence to get them. Right now, he still had to focus on the job. Right now, he had to let her go.