Take a Breath (Take 1) (23 page)

 
  I reach up and place my hand on his forehead and as I touch him,
he closes his eyes.  Maybe that was a little too informal of me
under the circumstances, but I can’t help but care.  “You do seem
to be running a temperature.  Have you taken anything for it; I
may have some Advil in my bag if you want some?”  He shakes his
head and slumps on the chair. 

   “You’re always looking out for other people and no one is looking out for you.”  

 
  I frown not sure where he’s coming from.  “Tony, don’t
worry about me I’m fine, always am.”  I try to smile as best I can
at him, but he still looks sad.         
    Jessie turns round to face us both, “Man you look like
shit Tony. Don’t come near me, I don’t want to catch whatever he’s
got.”  

    I shake my head, Jessie so kind and considerate as always.  

   “What?  Just saying.”  

 
  Tony gets up to move away, “I hope you feel better soon
Tony.  Come back to me if you need any tablets or anything.” 
He nods at me, smiles and walks away.   

   “Geez he looks like death.  Maybe he knows about you and Jake and he’s heartbroken.”  

 
  I look at Jessie in wonder.  “No, he can’t know.  Only
you, Michael and Tom know around here and you’ve all been sworn to
secrecy.”  I go back to looking at my computer when Jessie speaks,
“Come out after work to Sam’s?  Just the two of us.  It’s
been a while since we had a drink together.”  

 
  I nod and smile.  I think Jake will be busy after I’ve
finished anyway and I need a ride home.  “Ok, that’ll be
good.”  I pull back to my desk and quickly grab my phone to let
Jake know.

Babes no need to worry if you need to work late.

G
oing to head to Sam’s after work with

Jessie
for a quick drink, so you can

get on with what you need
to.xx

I put my phone back on my desk and I’m just about to start looking through my emails again when I hear this booming voice.

   “Ana, in my office now please.”  

    Oops, this doesn’t sound good, what have I done?  

   “What’s pissed him off Ana, are you going to soothe the savage beast now?”  

 
  I glare at her and she puts her hands up in surrender.  I
walk over to his office and open up the door.  Jake is sitting
there hands clasped together in his chair, face like thunder. 
What have I done wrong?  

   “Shut the door please.”  

    I do as he asks and sit opposite him, “Jake what’s the matter with you, you seem agitated.”  

 
  He squirms in his chair and huffs at me, “Agitated doesn’t even
begin to describe what I’m feeling now.  I got your text and no,
you’re not going to Sam’s bar after work.”  

 
  I stand up furious at his demands and his sudden anger towards
me.  “Don’t you tell me what I can and can’t do.  Jessie
misses me, she wants to go for a quick drink after work and I said yes,
what’s the harm in that?”  Jake quickly rises out of his seat
towering over me and presses his fists into the table.  

   “Sit.  Back.  Down.”  

 
  I do as he asks as he seems pretty pissed.  I don’t want to
cause a scene at work but he’s made me so angry.  

   “You’re not going out with Jessie tonight or any other night until I know you’re safe, you got that?”  

 
  I try to protest but he puts his hand up, “I don’t want to hear
anymore, that’s the end of it.  I’ll be finished by 6pm and you
will wait for me.  Now get out of my office, as I am trying to
gain every ounce of strength I have not to come over to you right
now.”  

    I huff at him and he waves me out.  

   “Go, out now.”  

 
  I rush to grab the door and head out closing it a bit too loudly
on the way out.  Everyone looks up at me and I blush.  Oops,
way not to cause a scene. Tony suddenly appears from nowhere.

   “Ana, what’s wrong, has he hurt you?”  

 
  I look at Tony stunned, “Tony, no, why on earth would Jake hurt
me?”  He looks sheepish and rubs his hands on his face.  

   “You don’t look happy.”  

 
  I place my hand on his shoulder, “Tony, we just had a bit of a
disagreement about something, nothing major.  I’m fine; you should
be more worried about looking after yourself.  Don’t you think you
should go home, you look terrible?  No offence Tony, but you look
like you need the rest.”  

    He nods and moves away, “Maybe I will.” 

I
walk away stunned at Tony’s reaction to my door slamming and head over
to my desk.  Jessie as usual is sitting there waiting to hear what
had just happened.  I sit down in a huff, “When we’re finished
after five, we shall go for that drink shall we?”  I put my hand
up and she high fives me.

   “Way to go girl, what happened?”  

    I told her what went down in Jake’s office and it seems to amuse her.  

 
 “I know he has a point to a certain extent, but I’ll be there and
so will lots of others.  I won’t let anything happen to
you.”  

 
  I smile, “I know Jessie, and we’re only going for a quick
one.  He’s so overprotective at times.”  Jessie rolls her
eyes at me.  

   “Yeah, I can imagine that would be a bitch.”  

    My mouth drops, “Are you taking the piss?”  

 
  Jessie snorts, “No Ana, of course not, but what woman wouldn’t
want to be made to feel wanted, special and protected?”  

    I throw my hands in the air, “Hey missy, whose side are you on here anyway?”  

 
  Jessie puts her hands up in surrender, “Yours, you know that,
but I’m trying to be devil’s advocate here.  I mean come on, every
woman loves that sort of shit deep down, it’s just that we would never
admit it out loud?”  

 
  I can’t help but smile at Jessie.  Why is she always
right?  I do hate the fact he’s trying to rule my every move, but
at the same time it does ignite a certain familiar fire between my
legs.  I don’t know whether to hit him or throw myself on the desk
and demand that he ravish me.  Why do we have to have such
conflicting emotions?  

 
 “Admit it Ana, I know you want to go for a drink, but one of the
reasons you want to, is so that you can make your ‘Overprotective
boyfriend,’ even madder than he already is.  You want to goad him
for a reaction.  You’re going despite the fact you know he will be
mad at you.  You love it.”  

 
  I inhale a deep breath, “Jessie, you’re supposed to be on the
side of women here, power to us and all that.  If I just sat here
like the good little girl he wants me to be until 6 o’clock, then it
shows him that he can boss me about not only here, but in all areas of
my life.  I’m not giving him the satisfaction.”  

 
  Jessie pulls her chair over to me and nudges my shoulder, “And
power to you girl, you show him.  I’m all for it, but just be
prepared for the consequences later that’s all I’m saying.”  

    I swing my chair round, “Oh for fuck's sake, it’s only a fucking drink.”  

 
  I jump at the sound of a voice, “Whoa, steady there girl, what’s
only a fucking drink?  You’re not going behind Jake’s back with
someone are you?”  

 
  I turn around to find Michael hovering over me.  “Not you
as well Michael?  All I’m doing is going for a quick drink with
Jessie after work and Jake forbids it, as at the moment I seem to have
a target on my head.”  Michael winces at my choice of words and
gives me a sympathetic smile.  It is only then that I see just how
good looking Michael really is.  He’s in his late twenties, has
dark blonde wavy hair and dark blue eyes.  His face has chiselled
features just like my Jake, but not as roguish as Jake.  He’s very
tall like most of the cops round here and doesn’t seem to have a chip
on his shoulder unlike his partner.  

   “Would it help if I came along?  I could be your bodyguard for the duration.”  

 
  I look towards Jessie and back at Michael, “I think we’ll be
fine Michael.  I don’t want to keep you from your work, but thanks
anyway.”  

    Michael proceeds to pout, “I can take the hint where I’m not wanted.”  

 
  I feel bad all of a sudden, “Oh come on Michael I didn’t mean it
like that.”  He starts laughing.  “You’re a little shit
Michael.”  I get up and whack him one across the arm.  He’s
laughing harder, but then suddenly stops and turns looking serious in
the direction of Jake’s office.  I turn and find Jake staring over
at us, with blind fury written across his face.  

 
 “Maybe it’s not a good idea.  I’m going back to work, see ya
later Ana, Jessie,” with that said, he quickly runs off.  

 
  Jake is still staring at me with those piercing eyes of his, so
I quickly decide to sit back in my seat and try to get back to looking
like I’m doing some work.  Man I’ve really pissed him off
today. 

Another ten minutes into work my phone buzzes with a text message.

I’m seriously either thinking of moving

y
ou in here, or handcuffing you

t
o my bed at home so all the hawks

a
round you will piss off.  Stop

f
ucking flirting!

Oh
dear, he is pissed.  Maybe I should cancel that drink if he’s
going to get like this.  I quickly chastise myself.  No, I
have to show him that I won’t bow down to his demands.  I put my
phone down on the desk choosing to ignore his text message and try to
get back to doing some work.  It is really hard with everything
flowing through my head at the moment, what with Jake and this killer
out there doing god knows what.  Concentration seems to be my
weakest point going for me at this present time, the mind is everywhere
but work.  Maybe I should have taken more time off, but Jake
wouldn’t have allowed that.  He wants me here where he can see me
at all times.

Chapter 20

Time
at work seemed to drag on and at lunch I was about to head out and grab
something, when Tom came running over with some salad for me.  He
then told me that he had been given orders from the highest authority
and to please not leave the building or he will get into a lot of
trouble for letting me go.  I had sighed in exasperation but did
as I was told as it would have caused Tom some heartache if I
did.  Jake is a smart ass douchebag using other people to enforce
his will on me.  He thinks he’s being a clever dick, but I’ll show
him later.  The little imp inside me is fisting the air and I’m
suddenly feeling a little turned on by Jake’s possible reaction, once
he finds out where I am.  Damn that Jessie. 

Later
on in the afternoon the forensics report came back from the scene of
the crime, which concluded that the victim had been stabbed 27 times
with a kitchen knife.  The knife found at the scene had
unfortunately been wiped clean and so had the room.  This meant no
fingerprint evidence again.  The upside to all this was that in
his frenzied attack a hair had come loose on to the victim, which did
not belong to the woman.  This will hopefully give them some
direction now, as before we had nothing to go on.  The bad news
though, was that Marcos is ordering that everyone in the station be
tested, people at the party first to eliminate them all from their
enquiries.  I felt terrible for that, but there was some hope that
we may be a step closer.

As
5 o’clock came around Jake quickly peeked out of his office door to see
if I was still at my desk.  I looked at him like I wasn’t amused
and he quickly retired back to his office.  I rapidly gathered my
things and turned to Jessie, “Right, Jessie, are you ready because I
certainly am?”  She shuts her computer down and gathers her
things.  

   “Sure thing missy, let’s go.”  

    I grab her arm and practically drag poor Jessie out of the station and into Sam’s bar.  

   “Wow girl, I guess you really need that drink.”  

 
 I let go of a breath I didn’t realise I was holding and we both
start laughing hard as we make our way to the bar.  

 
 “Nice to see such beautiful happy smiling ladies enter my bar for
a change.  I’m guessing gin and tonics for both?”  

   “Yes please,” Jessie says.  

   “I’ll have a double brandy on the rocks please Sam.”  Jessie looks at me baffled and Sam smiles.

   “I love a girl that likes her hard liquor.”  

 
  He gestures with his thumb up, and winks at me.  After
placing the drinks on the table, I quickly swig it back and order
another letting the burning sensation in my throat die down.  

   “Jesus Ana, what’s gotten into you?”  

 
  Sam grabs my glass to pour another shot seemingly impressed that
a girl can handle the hard stuff.  “Just letting off some steam a
bit Jessie.  My minds going crazy what with this killer out there
somewhere.  It’s just a moment's release from it, that’s
all.  Let me be please?”  Jessie squeezes my arm and turns to
Sam.       “I’ll have the same as Ana then
please.”