“No, I don’t,” Isabel countered immediately.
Victoria’s jaw clenched. “Torres?—”
“I’m fine.”
“You’rebleeding.”
“Ijusttied it off,” Isabel pointed out, gesturing to the wrapped sleeve. “See? No immediate danger. You take me to a hospital, and I get benched for the rest of the case. Not happening.”
Victoria exhaled slowly. She understood the instinct—hell, she’d done the same thing more times than she could count. But that didn’t mean she had to like it.
“You’re impossible,” Victoria muttered.
Isabel grinned. “So I’ve been told.”
Victoria scrubbed a hand down her face. “Fine. But you’re getting patched up as soon as we get back to the precinct.”
“I can slap a Band-Aid on it myself,” Isabel countered.
Victoria arched a brow. “Not a chance. If you won’t go to the hospital, I’m patching you up myself.”
That made Isabel pause. Her gaze flicked to Victoria, assessing, before she smirked. “You? Didn’t take you for the ‘nurse me back to health’ type.”
Victoria shot her a glare. “I’ve stitched up more people than I can count, Torres. Try me.”
Isabel’s smirk didn’t waver. In fact, itdeepened.
“Oh, I’d love to try you, Captain,” she said, voice just a little too low, a little too amused. “But I’m afraid your hands may not be gentle enough for me.”
Victoria inhaled sharply. She refused—refused—to let that comment get under her skin.
She turned away, stalking toward the exit. “Get in the damned car, Torres.”
Isabel’s chuckle followed her out of the warehouse.
Victoria didn’t look back.
The drive back to the precinct was mostly silent—if only because Victoriarefusedto give Isabel the satisfaction of acknowledging the ridiculous grin she was wearing.
Victoria focused on the road, gripping the steering wheelwaytoo tightly. Every time she stole a glance at Isabel, she caught her sitting there, one arm draped lazily over the center console, fingers tapping idly against the leather, smirking like she knewexactlywhat she was doing.
Victoria exhaled sharply through her nose.Focus. The case. The wound. Nothing else.
“You know,” Isabel mused after a while, “I think this is the longest you’ve gone without telling me what to do.”
Victoria’s grip tightened. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Oh, I am,” Isabel murmured.
Victoriadefinitelywasn’t going to ask what she meant by that.
By the time they pulled into the precinct lot, Victoria had a plan: Get inside, get Torres patched up, and get out of thesituation as quickly as possible. No unnecessary conversation. No unnecessary touching.
She should have known Isabel was going to make thatimpossible.
Victoria set the first aid kit on her desk, motioning for Isabel to take a seat. “Shirt off.”
Isabel’s eyebrows shot up. “Damn, Captain. Buy me dinner first.”
