The Trouble With Love (22 page)

Gabe shrugged
, but she saw the tension in his shoulders lessen,
then
he
looked up at the television mounted on the wall.  Some news program was on, and they had a news flash on, with live coverage from the compound in
Midland
.

The reporter on the scene was talking, but Sabrina wasn't listening.  All she focused on was the agents behind her in black windbreakers with bright yellow letters announcing they were with the FBI, and other
federal
agencies
.  They were
hauling handcuffed men to a white van
, and
black body bags were being loaded
into other white vans.

Sabrina let out a relieved sigh
, then
Gabe finally looked at her intensely,
before turning his gaze
back
to
the television.  "You did good today, Bri...I'm proud of you," he said
gruffly
then pointed to the television.  "Half of those assholes are dead because of you."

"Thanks.
..
I knew I had to do something to get free, in case you guys couldn't find me.
 
I was scared shitless
,
"
she said with a little laugh.

He looked back at her and his eyes glittered, "Me too," he said in a choked voice, and Sabrina knew he wasn't talking about being afraid for his own safety...he'd been worried about her.
 

She leaned over and kissed his cheek.  "I was worried about you guys too...thank you for
rescuing
me.
  I can always count on you to have my back.
"

Gabe snorted then said, "You saved yourself...we just came and pick
ed you up.  I'd be glad to have you
watching
my six anytime,
squirt
."
 

She knew
Gabe
meant his back
in military slang,
and his words touched her.  Her dad had never been proud of her decision to go into law enforcement...he'd been damned worried about her and let her know it every time she'd seen him
, before he died right after Kenny
.
 

"Thanks for telling me that...it means a lot."

"How did you escape anyway?"
Gabe
turned to her and asked.

"You don't want to know...
"
she shook her head and laughed
giving his hand a squeeze
.

A nurse in green scrubs came into the room and walked over to them
. 
Sabrina's heart clenched as she waited to hear the news about Cole.  When the woman smiled widely, asked her, "Would you be Sabrina?"
she let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Yes, that's me..." she told her then she and Gabe stood up.

"Sheriff Jackson is awake, and he's giving us hell...can you come with me?"

Sabrina smiled knowing that meant he was okay.  Releasing Gabe's hand, she gave him a little smile then followed the nurse out the door and down the hall. 

"He's on the medical-surgical floor now, and in a room.  He's been demanding to see you since we put him in there," she laughed and pushed the elevator button and they waited.

"I want to see him too...I was worried," she said when they stepped into the elevator.

The
older
nurse tilted her head and looked her over, "You guys married?"

"Nah...we're, um
friends
...
for now."
  What she and
Cole were was
complicated
.  She didn't know how to explain it
, or label it
.

"Well, the way he's been caterwauling in there, I thought you at least had to be
engaged
," she told Sabrina with a chuckle.

Sabrina chuckled too, even though her heart squeezed remembering Cole asking her to marry him when she was planning to leave.  She still had a hard time believing she'd turned him down.  It had been the right thing to do, but some times doing the right thing really sucked.

They walked into his room and Sabrina ran over to his bed and laid over his chest to give him a big hug.  She couldn't stop the sob that rose to her throat and escaped.  He put his arms around her and hugged her tight too.  "I'm so glad you're going to be okay..." she said soggily against his chest, then kissed him there.

"I told you I would, sweetheart," he said then hugged her tightly. 

She got up and wiped her eyes with her forearm then smiled at him.
 
"Yes you did...and thank you for keeping your promise
.
"

His
green
eyes darkened
to emerald,
then he told her, "I always keep my promises, sugar."

Sabrina walked to the foot of the bed and uncovered his injured leg, studying the thick bandage on his calf.  "No cast for you, I see...lucky you," she told him then lifted her cast in the sling.

"Yeah, the bullet missed hitting the bone...just went straight through.
  How's your arm?"

"Fine now that it's casted and I'm hopped up on pain meds," she laughed then pulled a chair over beside his bed and sat down.

"Bet they're giving you some good stuff too."

"Oh, yeah, the world is a beautiful place,"
he gave her a lop-sided grin,
then finished, "More so, now that you're part of the scenery.
..come give me a kiss, darlin'.
"

"Now, now...we don't want to get you in trouble with the nurses, like Cassie did Luke when he got hurt."

"Lov
ing you
isn't the kind of trouble I mind inviting, darlin'.  I need a kiss...it'll make my leg feel better," he told her then gave a little fake moan.

Sabrina smiled, knowing he was playing her,
but
got up from the chair and leaned over him and put her lips to his lingering there.  He put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, then let her know that wasn't the kind of kiss he had been looking for.  His mouth moved over hers hungrily and then he demanded she open
,
so he could deepen it.

The drugging kiss swamped her senses
,
until
he
finally pulled back from her and looked deeply into her eyes,
and t
old her in a whisper over her lips,
"
I
love you, Bri
.
..and I'm so glad to have you back.
"

"I'm glad to be back with you...thanks for rescuing me," she told him, then kissed him again.
 
She stood back up
when
two men in dark suits walked into the room
and
flipped out badges
, before introducing
themselves. 

"Are you Sabrina Roberts?" the shorter of the two men asked and she nodded.  Then the other one looked at Cole, "Sheriff Jackson?"

"Yes, that's us," Cole said flatly, then asked, "What can we do for you?"

"We need to ask both of you some questions about what happened at the compound in
Midland
today and get your statements...separately."

"Why do we have to do it sep
a
rately?  Can't you just ask the questions here?"

"No ma'am.  What Sheriff Jackson and your brother did today, was obstruction of justice during a federal investigation.  He's under arrest,
as is your brother.  We
'll have an agent posted outside of the door."

Cole's face turned beet red then he vaulted up in the bed and shouted, "What the fuck?!?"

The shorter agent pushed him back in the bed, and said, "This might be
Texas
, but cowboy justice isn't approved of by the federal government.
  Just lay back and cooperate Sheriff Jackson, and we'll be done here shortly.
"

Luke came in the door then and his face was as red as Cole's.  He walked up to the shorter agent and glared down at him with his fists at his sides, then grated, "What the fuck do you think you're doing here?"

"Arresting Sheriff Jackson for obstruction of justice...and you are?"

"I was the fucking Sheriff of Bowie before Cole took over three months ago
," Luke grated then hissed, "
What you're doing here is not right!  This man almost got killed today doing
your
job!  If he hadn't done what he did," Luke
paused and
pointed at Sabrina, "
She
would be dead, and your ass would be in some serious hot water for dragging your feet finding her!"

"That's your opinion of course, and you're entitled to it...the federal government feels otherwise.  I'm just doing what I've been told to do
,
um...Sheriff."

Luke shoved his hand through his hair and mumbled, "What a fucking robot...
I
want to speak to your superior," he told the agent, then looked over at Cole and told him, "
Don't say a fucking word, Cole, until the attorney I'm contacting meets with you.
"

***

Sabrina went with the tall
dark-haired
agent, who took her arm.  The
y
walked down the hall and then into a small conference room, where he shut the door.  He leaned back against it and stared at her intently, then pushed off the door and went to the table and pulled out a chair for her to sit. 

He took
the
one at the head of the table, and she looked at his face thinking he looked familiar, but
couldn't figure out why.  She
blew it off because it
was probably
due to him looking
like every other FBI agent in
a
black suit
,
which hid
a
blacker heart.

Sabrina knew
why he took the seat at the head of the table.  She knew the tactic well, had used it may times herself in suspect interviews.  He'd done it
to assume control of the situation, exert his authority. 
She put her sling and other arm on the table and scooted her chair closer to him, before leaning forward toward him, a countermove that let him know she wasn't afraid of him.

"What's your name, agent?" She asked the first question, another move to let him know he wasn't going to bully her here.

"Agent Sanders, ma'am...I thought I introduced myself in Sheriff Jackson's room."

"You did, I just didn't remember it
,
I was a little shocked, to say the least."

"I would imagine..." He said then huffed out a breath and leaned back away from her and crossed his arms over his chest.  "Sabrina...you don't mind if I call you that do you?"

"Ms. Roberts, or
Detective
Roberts would be preferable," she told him with authority.

"Fine, Ms. Robert's I want to tell you that I don't agree with what my supervisors have asked us to do here...I agree with the other guy who was in the room.  It isn't right
,
and I voiced my opinion, but I'm the FNG in my department and don't have much weight."

Sabrina knew FNG was a nice way of saying
fucking new guy
, and she smiled.  "I know how you feel, I'm the FNG in my department too.
  B
ut
between us, I think we can
figure out what we
need to
do to help, Cole," she told Sanders holding his gaz
e
.
"He didn't kill anyone today,
and
in no way interfered in any investigation into weapons or drugs.  That wasn't his intention going in
there
, he went
in
to rescue me.
..and I'm glad he did
,
or I might very well be dead right now.
"