What She Didn't Know (What She 1)

“Dr. Mason Peterson?” a male voice said.

“Yes.” I deflated a little. It wasn’t Lynn.

“I think I have something here that belongs to you.”

“Beg your pardon?”

He chuckled. “She’s about five-four. Dark makeup. Mouth like a sailor.” He grunted. “Don’t hit,” he commanded. I heard a short scuffle and then he came back, breathing heavily. “I don’t want to lock her up, Dr. Peterson. That didn’t go well for her last time. But she’s on my last nerve.” He grunted again.

“Put her on the phone,” I barked.

“Gladly,” he said, his voice droll.

“Mason?” a voice said.

“Ash?” In my gut, I’d still hoped it would be Lynn. It wasn’t.

“The one and only,” she cried. In my head, I could almost see her lifting her arms like she’d just won a race. The corners of my lips tipped up, even though I sorely didn’t want them to. “So, Mason,” she whispered, giggling uproariously.

“Yes, Ash.” I rubbed my forehead.

“I’m a little bit drunk. And this kind officer has taken pity on me. I kind of think he’d rather I slept if off in the drunk tank, but after he saw the other guy…well…he’s sending me home. With you. If you’ll come and get me.”

“What other guy?” I asked.

The officer must have taken the phone back because he suddenly spoke. “She got into an altercation with another patron at a bar,” the man explained. “He’s a little worse for wear, but he had it coming.”

“What did she do?”

“She completely emasculated him, in front of everyone.” He chuckled.

“Let me talk to her again.” Something important was biting at my conscience and I had to know.

“So, Mason,” she said slowly, “I think we should have some bang-up drunk sex. Come and get me and I’ll make all your dreams come true.” She sang out the last few words and I heard the officer laugh.

“What did you do?” I demanded.

“Wasn’t me!” she whispered. “It was her.”

“Her who, Ash?” I bit out, but I already knew.

“Shelly. It was her,” she whispered vehemently. “Not me. Not me!” Her voice rose. “I was just standing there, about ten feet from the bar, throwing darts, and this asshole came up and put his hands on me.”

Fury spread through my veins.

“Don’t worry, Mason,” she said quietly, as if she knew what I was feeling. “Shelly and I were hanging out, and she saw the whole thing. She took care of it. Next thing I knew, he was on the ground, holding his nuts. His eye was already turning purple, and he was writhing in agony. It was great.” She giggled. “So are you coming to get me or what?”

“Where are you?” I grabbed my keys.

She handed the phone back to the officer, and he told m

e where I could collect her.

“I’ll be right there.” I shoved my phone in my pocket.

She’d gotten off lucky this time. Next time, it might not go so well. I was always afraid for Ash, because she was determined to find her way into the seediest bars on the worst side of town. She liked to skirt the underbelly of society. It worried me, but I couldn’t exactly stop her. She wasn’t my wife, and she had a mind of her own.

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