Crossfire. B.J. Daniels
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in her enthusiasm for life, her generosity, her sense of humor, her do-or-die attitude. He’d once told her that if he could bottle whatever it was that made her so special, he’d be a millionaire.
“Flint?”
He blinked, so deep in his thoughts he hadn’t realized she’d been talking to him.
“I was hoping we could do this in a civilized manner,” she said in a calm voice that irritated him more than if she’d sworn at him.
He stared at her. She didn’t even seem ruffled. Hell, maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe she had gotten over him while he’d been wallowing in regret all these years. Maybe he was the biggest fool on the planet. Maybe there was no maybe about it.
“I see no reason why we can’t work together, two professionals, just doing our jobs,” she said.
He snorted. “You have to be kidding.” He was furious at her for walking out on him, for coming back for an even more dangerous job. Didn’t she know how impossible this situation was for him? Did she care?
“Why are you doing this?” he demanded. “You know how I felt about you working with the SWAT team. Are you just trying to rub it in my face?”
“That’s ridiculous. This has nothing to do with you.”
He glared at her. “My mistake.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t think I do.”
She lifted her chin, stubborn determination in her brown eyes and a coolness that had always brought out heat in him. He’d seen that look way too many times. Unfortunately he could also remember desire in those eyes.
“If you’re doing this just to get back at me—”
She laughed and shook her head, eyeing him as if she couldn’t believe him. “You haven’t changed a bit. You still think everything is about you.”
“Damn it, Anna, you’re wrong. I’m concerned as hell for you. You have no idea what you’re up against. I can just imagine what my men are going to think of a paramedic on the team—let alone a woman—let alone you, my ex-fiancée.” He tried to imagine this being any worse and couldn’t.
“You are underestimating your men,” Anna said coolly. “In my experience, the men follow the lead of their commander.”
He laughed. She’d just put it all on him. Anna had always been good at turning the tables on him. He glared at her, wanting desperately to take her in his arms and to kiss some sense into her. If only his love for her was enough that he could talk her out of this.
But it hadn’t been enough five years ago and it sure as hell meant nothing to her now.
“So, is there a man in your life?” he heard himself ask, and mentally kicked himself.
“I think we should keep our personal lives out of the office,” she said.
He wanted to laugh again. “Is that a yes or a no?”
“I’ve been busy the last five years. I really haven’t had time to—” She seemed to catch herself. “What about you?”
He raised an eyebrow. Did she really care one way or the other? “I guess we’ve both been too busy.” He looked into her eyes, searching for just a little of what they’d once had together.
She was the first to drag her gaze away. She brushed a hand through her hair. He couldn’t help but remember how her hair had felt in his fingers. He wondered if it would feel the same.
He turned away, unable to look at her as he found himself drowning in memories of the two of them together, laughing late at night, walking the beach as the sun rose over the city, talking for hours on the phone, making love—oh, lordie, yes, making wonderful, passionate love.
“Flint, this has been my life’s dream,” she said behind him. “This job. I’ve trained for years for it. Isn’t it possible that I just want to help people, that I want to make a difference?”
He felt anger bubble up inside of him as he turned to look at her again. “Being the mother to our children wouldn’t have made a difference in the world? No, sorry, that job wasn’t exciting enough for you.”
“That’s a cheap shot even for you,” she said. “I was twenty-four years old. I had worked hard to become a paramedic. I wasn’t ready to quit a rewarding, exciting job to become a mother yet. But after a while I would have loved to have been the mother of our children. You were the one who said I had to choose. Either I stayed home and started a family right after we were married, or I could pursue a career—without you.”
He shook his head. He hadn’t meant to take that position. He’d regretted it for years. “We could have worked it out if you’d given us a chance. Instead you threw the engagement ring at me and walked out, left town and obviously never looked back.”
“You mean, the way we’re working it out now?” she asked with an exasperated sigh.
“Damn it Anna, I know what it was like to grow up without a mother, remember? I didn’t want that for my kids. Is that so hard for you to understand?”
“No, but it was all right for their father to be a cop?” She narrowed her gaze at him. “I thought you were going to be a cop who used his brain and wasn’t risking his life all the time. What changed?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter now, does it. We have no kids to worry about, and it seems we both think we can take care of ourselves just fine.” She was right. They never could have worked it out. He didn’t want his wife risking her life at her job. He wanted her at home with their kids.
“Flint, I had hoped you might understand.”
He shook his head. “This has to be the worst decision you’ve ever made, but then, I thought leaving me was the worst, and obviously you’ve proven me wrong. You seem perfectly happy with your decision.”
She raised her chin, that defiant, obstinate look in her eyes. “I am.”
“Then we have no problem,” he said, and opened the door. “Let’s get this over with.”
CHAPTER THREE
7:32 a.m. Friday
LEE HARPER had been feeling odd all morning. Now as he glanced around the main floor of city hall, everything had a surreal feel to it. He and Kenny were on the ground floor at the back of city hall and they had their hostage. Kenny’s plan had worked.
“Could you help me over here?” Kenny snapped.
He turned to see Kenny wrestling with the woman. Lorna Sinke. That was her name. She was a tiny little thing, thin with brown hair and a small face that made her dark eyes seem larger. He’d seen her when he’d come to the city council meetings. She reminded him of Francine.
“Lee? Could you get your ass over here?”
He shook himself. “Sure.” He moved, feeling bulky in the large, cumbersome police jacket.
Kenny had her down on the floor but she was fighting him, kicking, scratching, biting him.
“Get my gun,” Kenny ordered. “Shoot the bitch.”
“You said no one would get hurt.”
“Shoot her, damn it! Or I’ll shoot you!”
Lee picked up the assault rifle, which Kenny had dropped, and walked over to where the two were struggling on the floor. The woman’s eyes were on him. She looked more angry than scared.
“Who are you fools?” she cried. “What do you think you’re doing? This is a city building on the historic registrar.”
“Shut the hell up,” Kenny said. “Shoot her, damn it!”
Lee just tapped