All of You Read online

  “Ethan Patterson?” When the little boy nodded, Danny smiled wide. “That’s great, Ethan, thank you. Now can you tell me how old you are?”

  He lifted up four fingers and Danny gave him a thumbs-up. “Very good. Now, do you think you can walk with me into the restaurant so we can feed you some pizza and get you warm?”

  The little boy started sobbing again, calling out for his mommy.

  Danny slowly stood up. “Okay, it’s okay, Ethan. You don’t have to move. But I have to make a quick call and then we’ll start looking for your mommy, okay?”

  Danny backed up a few steps, pulling his two-way off his belt. He hit the button and said, “Dispatch, this is Nine. Not on duty yet, but I have a lost boy down here at Pineridge Mall. Caucasian male, four years old. Anybody report anything?”

  “Copy that, Nine. No missing kids have been reported at this time.”

  “Ten-four. Send an ambulance, please. No backup needed yet. I’ll let you know.”

  “Ten-four, Nine. Standing by.”

  “There you are!”

  Danny turned to find a big dude with a dark beard and potbelly storming toward the kid.

  “Your mom and I been looking all over for your ass!” the man yelled.

  “Ethan!” A thin, scraggly-looking woman called out, jogging toward the boy.

  As soon as the boy saw his mom, he jumped up and ran into her arms.

  “Did I or did I not tell you to keep your ass in our sight at all times?” the bearded dude yelled at the kid.

  “Hey, hey, hey,” Danny said, approaching, head shaking. “None of that.” He eyed both adults. “You’re his parents, I assume?”

  The guy gestured to the boy. “This is my dumbass step-kid. Ran away from us in the movie theater…” The guy shot the kid a dirty look. “After we told him not to wander.” The guy sneered. “Not that he listens worth a shit. Ever.”

  Danny met the mom’s wide, wild eyes. “Take him into the restaurant. We need to get him warmed up. Tell them to feed him something, too. I’ll be back in there in a few minutes.”

  The woman nodded and hustled off with the kid.

  Probably damn glad to get away from the giant jackass Danny was about to straighten out.

  Danny gestured for the guy to approach. “Can you step over here with me for a second, please, sir?”

  The guy hesitated, Danny rested his hand on his Glock, and the guy moved his ass. He stopped about six feet shy of Danny.

  “Closer, please,” Danny said, waving him in.

  The guy reluctantly stepped forward until Danny lifted his hand for him to stop.

  Danny eyed him, sick to his stomach thinking about that little boy living with this monster. And this guy was a monster, no doubt about it. Danny had lived with enough of them to spot one a hundred miles away.

  He knew exactly what that kid’s life was like, day in and day out, because, once upon a long time ago, he’d been a boy crying for his mommy. And he’d spent a very long time battling a lot of monsters that – no matter how hard he fought – had always seem to win.

  There were days when they still won.

  “What is your name?” Danny asked the dickbag.

  The guy’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  Danny’s brows shot up.

  The guy sighed. “Tom Watts.”

  “Okay, Tom Watts, I want you to listen to me carefully…” Danny leaned in and lowered his voice. “I know you. And I know what you do. I know you hit that kid. I know you scream at that kid. And I know you don’t give a rat’s ass about that kid. Or any of the other kids. Or their mother.” Danny reared back to meet the guy’s narrowed eyes. “I know you’re a user and an abuser. And that you probably have a rap sheet a mile long, with more than a few domestic abuse charges.” Danny paused. “Now, I don’t have anything to arrest you for tonight, but I want you to know I am going to run your name, file a report, and send the info to Child and Family Services. And I have a really good feeling they aren’t going to like what they find at your house, Tom Watts…” Danny stared him down. “Are they?”

  When the guy just stood there staring like the fucking asswipe he was, Danny scoffed and said, “Give me your license or any other identification you have.”

  The guy pulled it out and handed it to Danny.

  Danny pointed to the park bench. “Sit down. Don’t move or say a word to anyone until I get back. Do you understand me?”

  Tom Watts opened his mouth to argue, Danny stepped closer, and Tom Watts dropped his ass onto the park bench.

  “I said, do you understand me?”

  Tom Watts nodded, Danny quirked a brow, and the douchebag mumbled, “I understand.”

  Danny shot him one last disgusted glance before turning to walk back to the restaurant…

  Only to find Kat and Carlo standing outside of California Pizza Kitchen, watching everything. Carlo looked star-struck, Kat looked shocked, and Danny realized he was way too raw to deal with either reaction.

  So he forced the widest smile he could manage. “Nice to see you both. Drive safely.”

  Without another word, he entered the restaurant and didn’t look back.

  Carlo met Kat’s eyes and grinned. “And that, zia, is why I want to become a police officer.”

  Kat returned his smile and even managed to formulate some responses to Carlo’s excited comments as they walked to the car. But the majority of her brain was still back at the front of the restaurant, watching Danny and feeling a whole lotta things she couldn’t easily process or decide how to react to.

  That was assuming she could decide, because it sure seemed like when it came to him, her processes had minds of their own.

  Kat hadn’t been the least bit surprised by Danny’s behavior toward the little boy. She hadn’t been able to hear everything, but Kat knew by his body language and the boy’s response, that Danny had been nothing short of incredibly patient and compassionate.

  What Kat hadn’t been prepared for were her visceral reactions to the dots she’d connected about Danny’s own life as she’d watched the drama unfold.

  Each time the little boy had cried out for his mother, Danny’s expression had subtly shifted. Someone who didn’t know him wouldn’t have detected the emotion behind it, but Kat could. And had.

  And Danny’s hardened expression and scarily flat tone when dealing with the asshole stepfather had spoken volumes about where Danny had been and the (probably) horrific things he’d been subjected to.

  As Carlo texted on the way home, Kat tried hard to process the weird, unsettling afternoon. Unfortunately, she was no closer to understanding any of it when she pulled into Gigi’s driveway ten minutes later.

  Kat said “good-bye” to Carlo, waved at Gigi from the car (totally ignoring her gestures to come inside), and backed out of the driveway.

  As she drove home on autopilot, Kat rehashed recent events yet again…

  The vulnerability on his face as he’d walked into Pops’ yesterday.

  Danny’s compassionate reaction to Kat needing his help.

  That crazy phone call last night.

  Danny eating alone.

  The kind, patient way he’d interacted with Carlo.

  His dismissal of Little Blonde Firecracker.

  Those ridiculously adorable toys he’d bought, not to mention that bracelet.

  The way he’d handled that situation outside.

  The pain in Danny’s eyes as he’d walked by them afterwards.

  Hands gripping the wheel so tightly they ached, Kat loosened them a little and exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  She’d spent a year and a half believing she had Danny pegged. She thought she’d been onto his game and had quickly and thoroughly dismissed him in every way. Kat had fought, tooth-and-nail, an undeniable physical attraction – dismissing it as inconsequential because there was no way in hell she’d ever allow more than a illogical, pheromonal reaction to him.

  Because Danny was a shallow, wom
anizing pig. And a self-centered, arrogant ass.

  Or at least that’s what Kat had always thought. But now?

  Well, now Kat had no choice but to do something she very rarely had to do – something she hated with a white-hot passion:

  Admit maybe – just maybe – she might have been wrong about something.

  Someone.

  *

  Nathan eyed Danny texting. When Danny turned the phone to obscure it, Nathan’s brows lifted.

  “That raunchy, huh?” Nathan scoffed, throwing his forearm up on the cruiser driver’s window ledge and staring straight ahead. “Just don’t think you’re gonna take off on me mid-shift to hook up. I said it was okay that one time, when you just had to screw that flight attendant during her layover, but…”

  Danny tuned him out and continued composing his text: Hey, sorry about earlier…was in police business mode.

  A few seconds later, Kat responded: I understand. Did everything work out okay with the little boy?”

  Danny texted: As well as it could have.

  He paused, not sure how far to take this before adding: I was sorry our time got cut short. I was really enjoying talking to you.

  He hit send before he could pussy out. When she didn’t respond right away, Danny quickly regretted putting himself out there.

  Fucking dumbass.

  His phone dinged.

  Kat: Me, too. But, if you tell anybody that, I will deny it. ;)

  Danny grinned.

  Nathan shot him a hard look. “Don’t do that, okay? It’s one thing to sext right in front of me, but a whole different scenario to start making noises and grinning.” He shifted in his seat. “Fucking grossing me out over here, Mac.”

  “I’m not sexting, so chill out.” Danny glanced over, brows low. “And how in the hell do you know what sexting is, anyway?”

  No response. So Danny stared hard at his stoic profile, enjoying – not for the first or last time – ruffling Nathan’s feathers.

  Nathan whipped around to face him. “What?”

  “Stella’s got you sexting, huh?” Danny grinned and then laughed when Nathan flushed.

  “I’m not a fucking moron. I watch the news. I see those articles on….” Nathan grunted. “You know, whatever the hell websites have news articles.” He shrugged. “Everyone’s always talking about stupid shit these kids are doing…I must have picked it up there.”

  “So, Stella’s got you sexting, huh?” Danny repeated, throwing his hands up when Nathan shot him a death glare. “I know, I know, your wife. Off-limits. I get it.”

  Nathan unbuckled his seat belt, head shaking. “Speaking of my wife…” He shot Danny another look. “Who doesn’t sext…I need to run into that Walgreen’s and grab a few things for her.” Nathan opened his door and slid out, slamming the door behind him.

  Danny immediate began texting Kat again.

  He wrote: Your secret is safe with me.

  A few seconds later, Kat wrote: You were wonderful with that little boy tonight, Danny.

  His smiled faded as he wrote back: No big deal.

  She wrote: Well, Carlo certainly thought it was a big deal. I think you’ve eclipsed Nathan as his law enforcement hero.

  Danny: Nothing heroic about it.

  Kat: I beg to differ, but we’ll agree to disagree.

  When Danny didn’t respond, she texted: Are you coming to Gigi’s for Christmas?

  Danny: No.

  Kat: Why not?

  Danny: Plans.

  Kat: Do tell.

  Danny exhaled a hard breath, then wrote: It’s midnight, why aren’t you sleeping?

  Kat: Reading. It’s midnight, why aren’t you policing something?

  Danny grinned and wrote: Nathan’s in Walgreen’s getting Stella stuff. Slow night.

  Kat: Maybe I should rob a convenience store to give you something useful to do.

  Danny: Make it a few muggings. No cameras means more of a challenge.

  Kat: Will do. Should I text when I’m done?

  Danny: Nah. We’ll get the call.

  Kat: Great. I’ll aim for drug dealers, so I can turn around and sell the stuff online.

  Danny: Where are you selling street drugs online, may I ask?

  Kat: I don’t know. Just figured there was a site for that. eBay?

  Danny: Pretty sure that wouldn’t work. No illegal drugs category, as far as I know. Maybe you should stake out a street corner.

  Kat: I’d need enforcers, as I am too small and sometimes too weak to deliver beat downs. Any suggestions?

  Danny: I’ve got a few guys in mind. They’re big, scary, and ex-cons, but I don’t doubt you could whip them into shape.

  Kat: That sounds like a lot of work. I’m think I should stick to being a geneticist.

  Danny: Speaking of which, you have to work tomorrow. So, go to bed.

  Kat: Then stop texting me.

  Danny, grinning: Night, Kat.

  Kat: Night, Danny. Be safe.

  Danny: Okay.

  Kat: Okay.

  Danny: Stop texting now.

  Kat: Okay.

  Danny: Stop!

  Kat: I am!

  Danny: Night, Kat.

  I wish I was there with you.

  It was starting to hurt how much he wished it.

  Kat: Night, Danny.

  Danny powered his phone down and dropped it into his lap. A second later, Nathan opened the driver’s side door and slid back in.

  He glanced over at Danny and scoffed, pulling his door shut. “Must have been one hell of a session. You’re still grinning ear-to-ear like a fucking idiot.”

  Chapter Nine

  ‡

  Kat pulled into her apartment building parking lot and nabbed a front parking spot. The apartment was in a safe part of town, but Kat hated walking across the parking lot alone after dark. Usually Fi would be with her after their Tuesday night yoga class, but she was already in San Fran – probably shoving her face with great seafood and enjoying a beautiful coastal sunset while Kat trudged through dirty Ohio snow and slush.

  Kat turned off the ignition, grabbed her yoga mat, and slid out of the car. After a quick press of the lock button on her key, Kat walked to their ground-floor apartment door…

  Only to find it already partially opened.

  Her heart beating a mile a minute, Kat nudged the door open farther with the toe of her boot. “Fi?” she called out, knowing damn well Fi wasn’t there.

  Kat peeked inside the widened opening and her heart plummeted into her stomach.

  The apartment was ransacked.

  “Shit!” Kat flung the door open, too shocked and angry to consider whether the thieves were still around. She stepped into the living room and looked around at the utter chaos, eyes filling with angry tears. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

  Kat slowly walked from room to room and assessed the damage.

  Every electronic device was gone. Every drawer had been pulled out, rifled through, and tossed aside. The closets had been torn apart and Kat felt a twinge of self-satisfaction at how disappointed the robbers must have been at her crappy taste in clothes and absolute disinterest in jewelry.

  She also noticed, with a slight smile, that they’d left all of Fi’s jewelry-making crap on the kitchen table.

  Apparently, degenerate, immoral jerks weren’t big fans of it, either.

  Kat finally wandered back to her bedroom and sank to the edge of her bed. She looked around again and muttered, “Well…shit.”

  She pulled her phone out and called Nathan.

  After two rings, he picked up, sounding stressed. “Hi, Kat.”

  “Hey, Nathan. What’s going on over there?”

  “We just got back from the Urgent Care. Gia has a raging double ear infection and I’m about to run out and grab her medicine.”

  “Oh, poor baby. Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine.” Gia chose that moment to start screaming like crazy in the background. “Well, she will be fine as soon as we start getti
ng this medicine into her.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you go. Tell Stella to call me later.”

  “Did you need anything, Kat?”

  Kat paused.

  She desperately wanted Nathan’s help, but wasn’t going to ask him to come now…not with Gia being so sick.

  “No, I’m fine. Just thought I’d see what you guys were up to.”

  Never mind that she would have called Stella. Luckily, Nathan was too distracted to think it through.

  “You’re welcome to come over, but I doubt you’d want to,” he replied over Gia’s screaming.

  “I’ll-talk-to-you-later-bye,” Kat said and hung up.

  Kat considered calling Nina, but quickly decided against it. Nina already hated the idea of her two single, unarmed sisters living in a ground floor apartment – and had said so a bazillion times. If Nina knew their apartment had been robbed and that Kat had waltzed around here alone, checking things out, she’d go ballistic.

  Obviously all of the sisters would find out eventually, but Kat was in no mood to deal with anyone’s theatrics tonight.

  Against all Better Judgment – and for no better reason other than Fickle Bitch Brain – Kat scrolled through yesterday’s calls and found the number she was looking for.

  Two rings later, Danny’s deep voice answered, “Hey.”

  “Hi, Danny, it’s Kat. Ciaramitaro.”

  “I know, Kat. Hi.”

  “You’re not working tonight, right?”

  “Actually, I am. I’m on-duty right now.”

  “Oh, because I talked to Nathan and he said he was home.”

  “Yeah, he went home early,” Danny said. “Gia’s got an ear infection, so he took off. I’m finishing the night up alone.” He paused. “So, you looking for more ways to break the law?”

  Kat’s heart rate sped up at the playful tone of his voice. “Oh, no, I’m, uh, calling because I came home a few minutes ago and found our apartment robbed.”

  “What? Damn! Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. I wasn’t home, obviously, and Fi is out of town, thank God. But they made a mess of the place and a bunch of stuff is missing.”

  “Did you call the cops?”

  “I called Nathan, hoping he’d come over and handle it, but, for obvious reasons, I didn’t say anything to him. I thought about calling Nina, but you know how she is.”