Donuts and Handcuffs

But there was another box below those fancy envelopes. “These ones?” I asked hopefully, picking up the white business-sized sheaths.

“No. The big cream speckled ones.”

My breath stuttered as I tried to hold myself together. Reaching out as smoothly as I could manage, I took one out of the open box, handing it to him.

As he took it, his thumb gently swept over my fingers. That thumb, that had made me lose myself squirming under him, crying out for more. That thumb that I would love to take into my mouth to tease him right now.

“These are interesting,” he said slowly. “I didn’t know they made recycled organic envelopes this big.” I could see that his eyes were still while his mind raced. “With the little bits of leaves.”

“I don’t know, I think they’re pretty common,” I said, looking around the room for something to help me change the subject.

“Are these from a little organic shop outside of Pemberton?” he asked softly.

He knew. Relief washed through me like a waterfall of hope. He was chatting calmly with me, not arresting me. This was promising.

Taking a deep breath, I said, “If someone ran across the country to get away from certain people, it might make it easy to forget where certain things came from.”

Daniel’s eyes lit up with a spark of a smile, tossing the envelope back on the desk. He sat on the couch casually, and I joined him, close enough for conversation, but giving us a bit of space.

“Bailey, sometimes people do bad things for good reasons. I’ve seen a lot in my years on the force. Some evil people do good things, great people do horrible things in a moment of weakness, and everything in between. But if someone did something technically wrong to prevent truly evil people from risking the lives of others, I could see that being a forgivable offense.” He cocked his head. “Completely off the record, of course.”

“Of course,” I nodded. “Especially if someone has never, ever done such a thing before, and swore they never would again.”

Daniel nodded with me. “Sort of

a one time only pass. That seems reasonable.”

I was finally able to pull a full breath in, my clenched shoulders relaxing slightly. “Obviously it could never be spoken of. If that’s okay.”

“That’s likely for the best. Obviously, I don’t know a damn thing.”

“Obviously.”

He paused for just a second, before softly adding, “I find it interesting that the part of it I feel most strongly about is that a certain person may have put themselves in danger. It actually turns my stomach to think them of being hurt, and I sincerely hope that they will never put themselves at risk without calling in backup, no matter what.”

Nodding, I murmured, “That’s more than fair. So you could see how someone may have freaked out by the thought of children being hurt in a fire.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I could understand that.”

I thought he’d look relieved, but his face tightened. He reached for my hand. “I do have to ask about something else, though.”

“Anything.”

“I saw someone going into your apartment the other night,” Daniel said slowly. At first my blood ran cold because I thought he might be jealous. Then he said, “I know who that man is. Who is he to you?”

There was no way that I could stay expressionless, no matter how hard I wanted to. “It’s not what you think,” I said quickly.

“I don’t know what to think, Bailey. I can’t imagine why you would run so far to get away from him, then let him pop by for a visit.”

My entire body froze in shock. “You know?” I finally whispered.

“I looked him up. That was your father, wasn’t it?”

My frozen frame began to quiver. “Yes.”

“Who happens to be Stewart Lake. Alleged bank robber, jewelry thief, and leader of a mobile crime group that’s mostly family.”

I burst into tears. “Yes,” I choked.