“I’ve been worse,” Isabel said, but her voice cracked just a little on the last word.
Victoria took a step closer. Then another. She didn’t think about it—didn’t plan the next move or measure her words. For once, she let instinct lead.
“You don’t have to be fine all the time,” Victoria murmured.
Isabel met her gaze, something shifting in her expression—vulnerability flickering beneath the armor. “Neither do you.”
Victoria’s breath caught. Then Isabel reached for her, fingers brushing against her wrist, tentative at first. It was enough.
Victoria closed the distance. The kiss started slow, almost cautious, as if either of them might pull back. But then Isabel sighed against her mouth and the tension that had been building between them for days—weeks—finally broke.
Victoria’s hands found Isabel’s waist, pulling her closer, and Isabel melted into her as if she’d been waiting for this moment as long as Victoria had. The world outside fell away—the investigation, the danger, the ache of mistrust—until there was only warmth and breath and the faint sound of rain beginning against the windows.
They moved together through the quiet house, shedding the day piece by piece until there was nothing left between them but honesty and need.
Later, when the last traces of adrenaline had faded and the house had gone still again, Victoria lay tangled with Isabel beneath the soft spill of moonlight through the curtains. For the first time in longer than she could remember, her mind was quiet.
Whatever came next—whatever tomorrow brought—they would face it together.
16
ISABEL
The day had stretched on forever.
By late afternoon, the precinct felt like a pressure cooker—quiet but wound tight. Isabel sat at her desk, the glow of her computer screen flickering across her face, pretending to work on a report she hadn’t written a single line of. Her stomach had been in knots since morning.
Every tick of the clock dragged her closer to the sting operation, and every small sound—a ringing phone, a door closing—set her nerves on edge.
They’d spent the whole day pretending. Passing each other in the halls without acknowledgment, trading clipped, professional words when absolutely necessary. To everyone else, they were still at odds. But under the surface, their plan was coiled tight, ready to strike.
She was scrolling through an old case file just to keep her hands busy when movement caught her attention. Darcy.
The lieutenant walked briskly across the bullpen, her usual grin plastered on like armor. She stopped at Isabel’s desk, casuallly leaning against the edge. “Long day, huh?”
“Feels like it,” Isabel said, forcing a small smile.
“Yeah. I’m actually gonna head out a little early,” Darcy said, glancing at the clock. “Got a lead I want to check on before it goes cold. You’ll hold down the fort?”
“Sure,” Isabel said easily, masking the sudden rush of adrenaline flooding her veins. “Go ahead. I’ve got things here.”
“Good woman.” Darcy gave her shoulder a pat and headed toward the exit, calling out a lazy goodbye to the rest of the team as she went.
Isabel waited. One minute. Two. Three. She listened for the sound of the outer doors closing, for Darcy’s car to start up and pull away.
Then she was on her feet.
She crossed the bullpen fast, taking the back stairwell to avoid attention, and made her way up to Victoria’s office. Her heart pounded in her chest—not just from nerves, but from the sharp edge of anticipation.
She knocked once and slipped inside.
Victoria was standing by the window, watching the lot below. She turned at the sound of the door, her expression tense but steady.
“She just left,” Isabel said, breathless. “North docks, just like we thought.”
Victoria nodded, her tone calm and controlled. “Good. The tracker’s live. We’ve got audio from her phone, too—dispatch is monitoring in real time.”
“Of course you do,” Isabel said with a shaky laugh, trying to disguise the awe in her voice.
