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As he trotted up the steps to Alicia’s apartment, Mike wondered if he was doing the right thing.
Their argument the other day at Gino’s Pizzeria hadn’t upset him as much as he thought it would, but this morning while getting ready for work he realized that despite Alicia being angry with him, she couldn’t just write him off completely. He had a job to do, and that was to keep her alive no matter the cost.
The realization that he’d be willing to die for her hit him like a ton of bricks. He was falling in love with this woman. Fast, hard, with no way to slam a foot down on the brakes. It was scary, and a huge risk. Was he willing to take it?
Mike could hear the chain unlock on the other side of the door and Alicia crack it open a sliver. “Can I help you?”
He bit back a sarcastic reply, shoving a hand in his pocket. “Yeah, I’d like to apologize for what I said the other day. I don’t think you’re a stuck up, entitled brat.”
“Yes you do,” Alicia opened the door a little wider, a smirk playing on her lips. “But that’s okay. I know how bad I can be sometimes.”
Mike laughed quietly. “Got any coffee?” It was a lame excuse to stick around, but what other option did he have? Admit that his feelings for her had him wanting to always be with her, even while off-duty? Fat chance.
“No, only tea. Will that work?”
“I’m not a tea person, but maybe that’ll change tonight.” He leaned against the doorframe and gave her his signature grin.
At last opening the door fully, Alicia beckoned him in.
Mike was instantly met with vibrant hues of orange and white tinged with splashes of blue either on the walls of the apartment or somewhere within the furniture. African art sculptures adorned a small desk in a well lit room just off the kitchen, which Mike assumed to be her private work space. A few framed pictures were lined along the fireplace in the center of the room. Certificates of achievement were right above them, neatly nailed to the wall. Elegant, but modestly so. Just like her. “Nice place.”
“Thanks. Can you believe I’m still decorating?” Alicia helped him off with his coat and draped it across a nearby chair before heading into the kitchen to begin brewing their tea.
“Seems to me like you’ve done a lot already.” Mike settled onto the couch while still trying to take everything in. But mostly it was to distract from staring at Alicia’s beautiful figure wrapped in a brown silk robe that left little to the imagination. Boy, was he in deep.
“My parents are missionaries in the Congo. They sent me some souvenirs last winter and I’m still trying to put them up.” She got some water boiling and put a few teabags into a flowered teapot. “Cream or sugar?”
“Uh, a little sugar is fine. Thanks.” Mike leaned into the cushions and finally started to relax, watching Alicia as she almost floated around the kitchen trying to gather things just to be a good hostess. It almost made him laugh. If she was trying to impress him? It’d worked a long time ago.
“So how are things coming along with the case?” She asked after a bit of silence. The tray holding the teapot, mugs and add-ins rattled as she made her way over to where he sat. Mike caught a whiff of perfume as she leaned over to place the items on the coffee table in front of him.
“We’re making progress as fast as we’re able to. It’s a long process.” Mike didn’t want to alarm her by revealing that they still hadn’t pinpointed a suspect. “I’m sure it’s been tough, not being able to work.”
“You have no clue,” Alicia shook her head, filling his mug halfway with the steaming brew. He thanked her before taking a tentative sip. “Though I"m sure Jack doesn"t miss me making him want to blow his top every other day."
Mike chuckled. "I"m sure the place isn"t the same without you."
Breathing out a sigh, Alicia took a generous sip of tea before setting her mug back down on the tray. "I just can’t wait for all this to be over.”
But the case ending meant that the reasons for him being in her life would end, too. And he didn’t want that. Yet the need for her to be safe trumped his ridiculous feelings of romance. Weren’t there a million other girls in New York like her?
No. Not a chance. “It’ll be over soon, Li. I promise.”
“How can you make promises like that? You saw what happened last week. Security was increased and he still almost killed me. What if he catches you off guard? Or what if I’m alone and he finds a way to get inside here?”
“Listen to me,” Mike set his mug down and turned to fully face her. He saw the tears in her eyes and knew her worries had to be serious because Alicia never cried. Or so she said. “We are doing everything in our power to catch this lunatic, okay? And I know we’ve screwed up once or twice. But I swear on my life that he will not lay a hand on you. He’ll have to kill me first. Got it?”
She exhaled softly, a catch in her throat as she lowered her head. “I’m so scared, Mike.”
Getting involved with a victim was never a good idea. But tonight, Mike knew he wasn’t a detective. Alicia wasn’t the assistant DA. They were simply two people with genuine, real fears and needs of reassurance during a difficult time. And despite the walls they put up, sometimes strength ran out. Mike’s hadn’t yet, but as he pulled Alicia into his arms and she sobbed quietly against his chest, he knew hers needed to be restored.
“It’s okay to be scared,” His voice was low in her ear. “But you can’t let it control you, okay? That’s what he wants, for you to show your fear. But you gotta go out and keep kicking ass. That’ll show him who’s boss.”
Alicia sniffled and then chuckled, just barely. She pulled away from the embrace, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with her robe sleeve. “Thanks. I’m usually never so...vulnerable. There’s usually only one side of me that everyone sees.”
“I’m glad to be the first to see the other side, then.” He offered her a genuine smile, the jittery feeling in his stomach expanding. A few her braids fell in front of her face, and without warning Mike reached his hand to push it back behind her ear. The warmth of his palm still lingering on her cheek, Alicia looked into Mike’s and spoke, voice barely above a whisper. “Kiss me.”
Their lips met and all Mike could think about was how much of an effect this woman held over him.
Maybe when he got back home tonight, he"d regret this. Regret falling for her, for letting his personal feelings cloud his judgement somewhat. But in the present moment, all Mike could think about was how soft Alicia"s lips were, how perfectly she fit in his arms, and how he didn"t want to go to Heaven if it meant never experiencing this again.
POP!
POP!
POP!
An all too familiar sound broke through the semi-darkness of the apartment, glass from the balcony window shattering into pieces. Mike didn’t think, he simply tackled Alicia to the ground, shielding her body with his own, heart pounding. The lights suddenly went out and a long, gut-wrenching silence passed, the only noises in the room coming from his labored breathing and Alicia’s whimpers from beneath him.
“Stay down,” Mike said the words so softly he barely heard them. “Don’t move.”
Agonizing seconds ticked by. It seemed like an eternity, but the electricity finally came back to life and re-illuminated their surroundings. Breathless, and wishing he hadn’t left his weapon in the pocket of his coat, Mike gently rolled off Alicia. She was trembling, eyes stark with fear as she stared into his face. “M-Mike...”
“Are you okay?” He covered both of her hands with his own, squeezing them tight. “Did you get hit?”
She shook her head. It seemed to be all she could muster at the moment. Words failed her.
“Okay. I"m going to call down to the precinct, get my people down here as soon as possible.” He helped her to her feet, not letting go of her hand until she’d sat back down on the couch. Mike hated to leave her side even if it was for a moment.
Alicia hugged her knees to her chest, watching out of the corner of her eye as Mike dialed police headquarters. Of all the attempts, this one scared her the most. He—or she—had been able to invade the safety of her home like it was nothing. How far would they go to see her demise?
“Mike?”
He hung up the phone and walked back over to her. “They"re on their way. What do you need? You want me to get anything for you?”
"No, it"s just..." Alicia shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “Why does he keep trying and failing? Why doesn’t he just get it over with?”
Mike was prepared to respond with a measure of comforting words, when the brevity of her statement stuck him.
Why did he keep missing? Why were all of the attempts, each closer and more thought out than the last, unsuccessful?
It was clearer now.
The perpetrator was trying to—quite literally—scare Alicia to death.