One Tough Cop Page 2

  A knock came and Karen poked her head through the open door. “Hey lady, are you awake?”

  Nicole smiled. “Yes I am. Hey do you know who paid for my hospital stay?”

  “It was the same benefactor of Haven Hope,” Karen explained. “He saw the news and immediately called to pay for the cost of cleaning up the building, adding more security and your hospital stay.”

  “I wish there was a way I could thank him,” Nicole said.

  Karen sighed. “He wants to stay anonymous, he has his reasons to so we’ll just send him good thoughts and blessings.”

  Nicole nodded in agreement to Karen’s statement. Two days after the hostage situation and Karen’s face held the purple bruises from where Walter hit her, and her arm was in a cast. That didn’t stop the plump, stubborn brunette. She had the shelter running in tip-top working condition. She was back helping victims of abuse and Nicole was so happy that she wasn’t injured any worse. There was a point where she thought Walter would kill Karen that night.

  “I have the lease for your new apartment and all your things are being taken out of storage,” Karen said with a smile. “Don’t worry, my husband Bill and our nephew are taking care of it.”

  “Karen you shouldn’t have,” Nicole said. “How much do I owe them?”

  Karen gave her a stern look. “Bill owns a moving company and can work for me since I cook him meals every day. You just had a baby and shouldn’t have to go unpacking things. They’re even putting together the crib and bassinette. I’m going over later to put away your clothes and the baby things.”

  Nicole felt tears threaten to spill. “You guys are so great! Sorry, the tears are from the hormones.”

  Karen patted her hand. “Honey, you got caught up in the wrong situation, we all make mistakes, but you took the right steps for you and Jules. Helping is part of my job and pleasure. I’ve seen so many women come through my door and go right back to abusive relationships. You came in and said you’re done and what do I do next. I’ve never been worried less about a person. I’ve known you for three months and I already consider you a good friend.”

  Nicole sniffed. “You’re going to make me cry, again. Jules is going to have great godparents in you and Bill.”

  Karen wiped her eyes. “See, now you’ve made me do it too.”

  Another knock on the door made them both turn their heads. When a man’s head peeked around the doorframe, apprehension made her chest tight. She barely recognized the cop who helped her deliver Jules without all his gear on. He looked almost embarrassed as he stepped into the room.

  “Hi, um, I’m Sergeant Maxwell Kincaid, I, um, delivered your baby ma’am,” he said hesitantly.

  “Sergeant, nice to see you again outside being held at gunpoint,” Karen teased. “You just caught us at a teary moment.”

  Nicole noticed the mention of tears made him look even more uncomfortable. Why is he here? she wondered. She never expected to see him again.

  “I can come back and—yeah I can come back,” Max said.

  Karen looked from him to Nicole and smiled. “No you don’t, you have gifts and balloons. You visit with our new mommy. Nicole, I’ll see you later this evening when we check you out.”

  “Don’t go.”

  “You can stay.”

  The spoke simultaneously and Karen smiled wider. She waved and walked out of the room, leaving them in uncomfortable silence. Nicole looked down at the blanket over her lower body and wondered what the heck should happen next.

  “Um, the guys in my unit, well we all got you some gifts for Jules,” Max said and approached the bed. “Is it okay if I sit? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable after all you’ve been through.”

  “I’ve been beaten for two years, held hostage, and had a baby. I don’t think you sitting there will make me too scared,” Nicole replied. But still her hand tensed in the covers. She repeated her internal mantra fiercely. You will remember who you are and you will learn not to be scared of every man, they are not all Derek.

  “You should tell me the name of the guy who hit you,” Max said.

  She looked at him, startled. “Why?”

  “So he can pick on someone his own size,” Max said bluntly.

  More tense silence until he handed her a box. “This is for Jules.”

  She opened the box on her lap. Inside was a green boy’s outfit with the Jets logo on the front, a baby size football, and Jets socks and bib.

  She pulled them out and laughed softly. “Let me guess, you guys favor the Jets.”

  This time he grinned. “How’d you guess?”

  She held up her thumb and forefinger with a small space between. “Just a tiny clue.”

  He smiled. “There’s something else in there.”

  She pulled a book out and read the title. “The literary works of Jules Verne.”

  “Every kid should have a copy of his namesake,” Max said.

  She ran her hand over the leather bound book. It had to be expensive and she put it back in the box. “I can’t accept this.”

  Max looked at her curiously. “Why not?”

  “It’s expensive for one and usually when men give you expensive gifts they’re expecting something in return,” Nicole answered bluntly. “I’ve learned the pattern.”

  “There are no strings attached to this and I will swear on my badge I expect nothing from you,” Max replied. “He had a hard start. I hope he looks at this book through his life and sees that even though life isn’t always easy, if it’s worth fighting for it’s worth keeping.”

  Nicole looked at the man sitting by her bed. He had a military cut hairstyle and his hair was as black as a raven’s wing. His eyes were light blue, almost smoky in a rugged face with a strong jaw line. His shoulders were broad under his leather jacket and even though she knew it was chilly outside he wore a Kiss T-shirt that stretched across his hard chest. He was handsome, of that there was no doubt, but she didn’t understand his motivation and that bothered her.

  “Why are you here?” she asked without hesitation.

  He met her eyes and admitted, “I don’t know.”

  “All this stuff is from you, isn’t it?” Nicole searched his face expecting a lie and then a reason not to trust him.

  “Yes.” He gave an uncertain smile. “These are gifts for him, please accept them. Besides, they can’t fit me anyway.”

  Nicole laughed. Just then, Jules began to fuss in the bassinette and she swung her legs over the opposite side of the bed and lifted him out. She shushed him gently. He wasn’t hungry because she had breastfed him just before Karen came in for a visit. He wanted to be held and Nicole had no problem cradling her son. She looked over to where Max sat, watching them with interest.

  “Do you want to hold him?” Nicole asked.

  He shook his head. “I’ve never really held a baby.”

  “You did when you delivered him,” she pointed out.

  “That was just for a second before the EMTs came in,” he said.

  “Come over here and hold Jules, you brought him a book,” Nicole said and then teased. “He won’t bite, he has no teeth yet.”

  He laughed as he stood. “Okay, I’ll give it a whirl.”

  When he stood she handed him the baby. “Support his head in the crook of your arm,” Nicole explained softly and watched as he did.

  She watched him hold her tiny son and the baby looked so small in his arms, yet so very protected. Max reached out a finger and ran it over Jules’s hand. He made a soft sound when the tiny fingers tried to hold on to the tip of his large hand. It was a picture seeing him hold her son Nicole felt some sadness because Jules wouldn’t have a daddy to hold him like that. It was better that it be just them. When she found out she was pregnant she realized she couldn’t raise her baby with Derek. She ran away so many times but he brought her back each time. The last time he hit her she was six months pregnant. He never touched her belly and she was grateful for that.

  “He’s amazing,” Max
whispered and then cleared his throat. “You should take him now.”

  “Don’t you have sisters or brothers that have children?” Nicole asked.

  She met his eyes as he said, “There’s just me.”

  At that moment she felt a shift and found common ground with the large, silent cop who read Jules Verne and knew her child’s namesake from the moment she said his name.

  “Same with us,” Nicole said and looked down at her son. “But that’s okay because we’ll be just fine, right my sweet baby?”

  She kissed his head and looked at Max as he pulled a card from his pocket.

  “If you ever need anything please call me and I will be there,” he said. “Or just call me, just because.”

  She watched him leave her room without another word and felt her stomach clench in anxiety… or was it excitement? She couldn’t trust a man right now and didn’t know if she’d ever get over the fear of being hurt. Still, there was something about him that intrigued her and she thought about Max the cop long after he was gone. In the end she convinced herself he was just being nice because he pitied her in some way. It was easier than thinking he was interested in her as a woman because, like a scared rabbit, she’d have to find somewhere to hide.

  * * * *

  Max sat at his desk and looked at the file in front of him. On the computer screen was the arrest record of Derek Pallone. He was bad, and Max wondered how Nicole got involved with such a man. But there was a pattern with Derek that Max knew well. He hid his illegal activities under the guise of a respectable business but the man was as guilty as the devil. A tip came and his club was raided. Max smiled, knowing that while they never listed the unnamed source it probably was Nicole. She got him out of her life the only way she knew how, by using the law.

  Smart girl, Max thought. He closed his eyes and could almost smell Jules’s baby scent. He had to admit he was hooked. He wanted to know Nicole, the woman, the mother, everything about her. In the hospital her hair was neatly pulled back in a ponytail and he wanted to open it up and watch it fall to her shoulders. He wanted to kiss that sweet, full mouth that curved into an easy smile even though there was hesitancy and some fear in her eyes. How do you approach a woman who was hurt so many times? Max decided that the only thing to do was to ask for help and for him that was a tough choice since he never asked for anything. He’d go to the one person who could give him answers on Nicole and how he should act. He’d get advice from Karen on how to approach Nicole. He had her number for his police report that had to be filed. Max picked up the phone and dialed the number. It rang twice before it was answered.

  “Karen Brady, how may I help you?” she said.

  Brady. He grinned at the name. “Hi, this is Sergeant Max Kincaid, I was at Ms. Henry’s room today and…”

  “Yes, the hostage situation and so forth, I know who you are, Max,” Karen replied and there was humor in her voice. “What can I do for you?”

  “Do you have time to meet for a cup of coffee?” Max asked.

  “Is there something wrong with my statement about that night?” Karen asked.

  Max cleared his throat uncomfortably. “No, that’s all squared away. I wanted to ask you about Nicole and some other stuff… I’m not good at this, so can you give me a small break and let me save the explanation until we meet?”

  Karen was silent for a moment. “She’s been through a lot, Max, I don’t think she can handle any more.”

  He understood her meaning and respected her for stating it.

  “That’s why I’m coming to you for…um…. help,” he said. “Please.”

  “You don’t ask for anything too often do you?” Karen said knowingly.

  “No.”

  “I’ll meet you. How about the diner across from the precinct?” Karen said.

  “Is six okay? We’ve got training for new SWAT recruits all day,” Max said.

  “That works. Benita will be here for the night shift with the ladies and I’ll be heading home to Mr. Brady. See you then,” Karen replied.

  “Thanks.”

  Max hung up the phone and picked up his bag to head to the training center. Mr. and Mrs. Brady. He chuckled softly to himself. He’d take that as a lucky sign because he needed all the help he can get. He could face a gunman or a hostage situation, and he was trained to react to various forms of terrorism with ease. Trying to get a woman with a child to accept him seemed like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. But since he’d met Nicole, she was in his dreams each night. He never walked away from a challenge and didn’t plan to start now.

  It was a hard workout they put the recruits through, but Max and his unit trained with it as well. It wasn’t a stand-and-yell-orders, but hands on training. His method was a kind of we-do-it-now-show-us-you-can-do-just-as-good-as-us kind of scenario. There were ten new recruits and they were only going to pick two. Max had already scoped out who they would be, and Jones agreed. The two at the top of the pack were a woman and a guy, both in peak fitness who rated off the charts in written testing. He knew there would be griping when he picked the woman. It wasn’t a minority issue, she was just damn good and would fit in well with the team. She had training in victim psychology that was an asset, especially after the women’s shelter incident. After a long day he had twenty minutes to get showered and changed before he met Karen at the diner. He was there with five minutes to spare before she came through the door. He never had his back to a door, an old cop rule, so he saw when she entered. Max held up his hand to show her where he was sitting and she walked over with a smile.

  “Hey Max, how was the day?” Karen slid into the booth seat.

  “Long, tiring, the usual,” he answered. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

  “No thanks, I eat at home with the hubby in a few,” Karen said. “Don’t let me stop you though.”

  “It’s okay.” Max thrummed his fingers against the table and blurted, “I want to ask Nicole out, but she’s coming off a bad run, new mom, and I feel like I’d scare her to death. But I feel something, you know? I looked at her and her baby and somehow it feels like they’re supposed to be mine. Which is unusual, because I’ve never been inclined to thinking about family life, let alone this. I’m a street kid. I raised myself so I’m tough around the edges. How do I show her my feelings without scaring the crap out of her?”

  Karen blew out a breath and smiled. “All that, huh?”

  He gave a swift nod. “I guess that’s it.”

  “Max, let me be blunt. She was beaten even while she was pregnant,” Karen said gently.

  “And if the guy wasn’t locked up I’d be kicking his ass,” Max practically growled.

  “By that statement I assume you’ve read the report, the arrest record, and figured out she turned him in,” Karen stated.

  “Yes.”

  Karen gave him a curious look. “I’m sure you could find other dates, other conquests. I don’t want to see Nicole hurt.”

  Max gave her a direct stare. “I’m not that kind of guy and but you don’t know me from a hole in the wall. I understand you are looking out for a friend and client, but if I felt I would cause her more pain I wouldn’t be meeting you here right now. I want to do this right and that’s why I’m asking what to do.”

  “Be patient, be kind, and be gentle,” Karen stated. “If you hurt her I will personally rip your cock off and throw it under the A-train at rush hour.”

  He winced. “Ouch, understood.”

  “Nicole is strong and stubborn, even after all she’s been through,” Karen explained. “This isn’t going to be easy and I want you to know you are fighting an uphill battle, especially being the first guy to show interest after her abusive relationship. It will be hard for her to trust and she will question everything and anything. In any new relationship after abuse the victim tends to want to take the dominant, almost bullying role, so they don’t get hurt again. The slightest infraction is going to be ‘my way or the highway buddy I don’t need you.’ That’s not h
ealthy but it does happen. I do believe that she needs to move past Derek and she needs someone strong. To show her ‘hey you don’t need to beat me up, I’m not Derek.’ That may be you and if you’re not up to the challenge it’s best you don’t even try.”

  Max met her gaze readily and said with firm assurance, “I’m more than up to the challenge.”

  Karen took his hand and squeezed it. “I think you are, now it’s time for me to go home to the mister and have dinner.”

  “Thank you, Karen. I really appreciate this,” Max said gratefully.

  “No thanks necessary, I’m looking out for both of you,” Karen said. “Don’t go to her place unless invited, she will be very sensitive about her space, her things. She will need more counseling and if you make it to the couple stage so will you, both of you together, and some things about your own demons may come out. Like I said, an uphill battle. Bye Max.”

  Max raised his hand in a small wave. “Bye Karen, and thank you again.”

  He watched her as she walked through the door and into the New York night, all the while continuing to ponder everything she said. Eventually he got up and shrugged on his beat up leather jacket before stepping out of the diner and heading home. Should I let her make the first move? he thought and decided against it. She may never make a move and he’d be on pins and needles waiting for her to call. No, he’d make the first move and keep everything Karen said in mind. In his gut he knew this was right and he hoped that she would feel the same way too. It would suck if he were falling in love all by himself.

  Chapter Three

  Ten days had passed since she got out of the hospital. Nicole sat in her apartment and looked around the space. It had all her old stuff, and she was sitting on the sofa she bought years ago. Derek said her things were trashy and commercial and wanted her to throw them out. She instead had put them in storage, paying for it every month in secret. The afghan she made was thrown over the lounge chair and in her hand she held one of the mugs she picked up from Target. Everything was hers and it felt good to be home, but she still felt unsettled. The TV was on and she was watching an X-Files episode. The baby was asleep in the bassinette. She set up the second bedroom as a nursery but she preferred him to be close by. Even in her bedroom his bassinette was right next to her bed. She was safe, Derek was in jail, but any little sound made her jump.