Murders & Romance: A Psychic Detective Romantic Mystery (Isaac Taylor Mysteries Book 5) by Lashell Collins (ready player one ebook .TXT) 📗

Sidney looked up at him, and Isaac let go of her and gently lifted her chin, turning it so that he could study her face. His light grey eyes darkened like storm clouds. She could see the anger come down like a torrent of rain.

“Who the fuck put their hands on you?”

“Calm down.” She placed her hands on his chest. “It’s all over now, and he’s gone.”

“What happened, Sid?”

“Excuse me, Detective,” one of the officers interrupted them. “We still need a statement from Ms. Fairchild, and from the wife of the intruder.”

Isaac nodded, and then led Sidney over to the couch. She sat down in the exact spot she’d been in before. And she watched Isaac zero in on Lance, who now stood behind the couch.

“Who are you?”

“Oh. I’m Dr. Lance Tobey.” He held out his hand, which Isaac ignored.

“Lance works at Cleveland Clinic,” Sidney said, her tone flat. “He volunteers here a few hours each week. He bandaged my cut.” She motioned to the tiny bandage near her right eyebrow.

“And where were you when some asshole was threatening the women and slapping Sidney around?” Isaac asked.

“Driving,” Lance responded. “I arrived just after the asshole left, apparently.”

Isaac grunted and sat down next to Sidney and wrapped his arm around her, holding her hand while she gave the cops her statement.

“So, you punched him twice and then kicked him in the chest?” the officer asked.

“Three times. I punched him three times, and then kicked him.”

Pete smiled at her. “All those self-defense and kickboxing classes are paying off, Rocky. My prized pupil.”

He punched the air like a prize fighter, and Sidney grinned at him.

“What happened then?” the officer asked.

“Then I grabbed my gun from my purse and pointed it at him, and he stopped fighting. That’s when I told Julie to call you guys.”

“You pulled a gun on him?”

“Yes.”

“And that gun is registered to you?”

“Yes.”

“Of course, it is, Hamilton.” Ike sounded irritated, and Sidney lightly squeezed his hand. “I taught her to shoot myself. Hell, I bought her the gun. She got her Concealed Weapons Permit a month ago. Working here, I figured she needed it.”

“You know I have to check, Detective. What happened next?”

Sidney sighed. “He got scared when I pulled my gun and we called the police. He got up and ran out. That’s everything.”

“And when we find him, do you wish to press charges for assault?”

Ike answered before she could.

“Yes, she does.”

The officer looked at Sidney to confirm, and she nodded her agreement.

“Okay.” He put his notepad and pen away. “I’m going to go see if my partner’s done with the other witness.”

“Is Sid free to go?” Ike asked.

“Sure.”

The officer nodded and left the room, and Sidney slumped against Isaac.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

He pulled her closer to him. “How you doing, slugger?”

“I feel drained. And my face hurts.”

“I’ll bet it does. I swear, if I ever get my hands on the bastard that hit you, I’ll kill him myself.” He gently kissed her forehead. “Come on. Let’s go home and put some ice on that beautiful face.”

“Okay.”

They stood, and he took her hand. As they left the room, Sidney could see Lance watching them from the corner of her eye, but she refused to turn and acknowledge him. She grabbed her purse and her cellphone from the table in the entryway on the way out the door.

Outside, the fresh air made her throbbing face tingle. She winced and watched Isaac toss his keys to Pete.

“Pick me up in the morning.”

Pete shot a mischievous grin at him. “The keys to the Stang? Sweet! I’m going joyriding tonight.”

“My car better be in one piece tomorrow, or I will make work a living hell for you.”

“I might have her back from Tijuana by then.”

“Pete.”

“Calm down. Like I could drive all the way to Mexico in one night. Now, Atlantic City… ”

“You’re not funny, Vega.”

“Opposite direction,” Pete said, ignoring the warning in Ike’s tone. “But I got a better chance of making it.”

“Better chance of catching my foot up your ass too.”

Isaac opened the passenger side door of her car, and Sidney smiled at their banter as she slid in.

“Ooh.”

Her hand flew to her cheek and she regretted the smiling.

When Isaac got behind the wheel of her car, he adjusted the seat for his 6 foot 4 inch frame, and Sidney leaned her head back and watched him.

He glanced over at her as he drove.

“You okay over there?”

“Yeah.”

“You sure? You don’t sound okay, darlin’.”

Sidney hesitated, thinking back over the events of the last hour and a half. And she wiped the silent tears from her cheeks, hoping that he wouldn’t notice them as he drove.

“When that drunk jerk backhanded me…”

She paused, still trying to understand her own emotions.

“I wasn’t afraid anymore. All I felt was… rage. Burning anger. In the moment, I didn’t know where it had come from. But now I think I do.”

“And where’s that?”

“Grief. I’m angry that our baby is gone. And I’m angry at myself for being so damn angry.”

She burst into tears and lowered her face to her hands. Sobs wracked her body and the tears just kept coming.

She felt Isaac unlatch her seatbelt and pull her closer, and she grabbed hold of his shirt and buried her face in his chest. The scent of leather and sage, with just a hint of citrus filled her senses and eased her sorrow like a balm.

It was the scent of Isaac.

The scent of home.

His arms held her tight for what seemed like the longest time, and she listened to his soothing voice whispering out words of encouragement and love.

He didn’t offer any advice. He didn’t try to push any kind of counseling, or therapy. He simply held her and let her cry. Like he’d done for days now. He held her and allowed her to slowly pull herself back together.

When she finally looked up and glanced around, she frowned.

“Where are we?”

“Dave’s Market parking lot.”

Sidney looked at him and smiled. Then they both started to laugh.

“Why are