Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 51803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“It’s not the permanent record I’m worried about, Captain,” Valenti said quietly. “If O’Brian told you anything at all, then you should know that I ought to be buried under the jail for what I did to him. I ... Captain, I can’t stay here anymore, not with O’Brian for a partner. And if O’Brian was honest, he’d probably tell you he doesn’t want me for a partner, either. He doesn’t need me around here reminding him of what happened between us.”
“That’s not the impression I got at all. Why don’t you go home and sleep on this, Valenti? It’s only been a week since you and O’Brian came back from Frisco,” Harris pointed out. “I know this last assignment strained your relationship with your partner, but give it some time.”
“All the time in the world won’t help,” Valenti said in a low voice. “Some things, when you break them, can’t ever be put back together again. This is one of those things, Captain.”
“Valenti, I can’t believe this is really what’s best for you and your partner. You and Detective O’Brian are two of my finest. I refuse to lose you over a stupid misunderstanding. Now, go home and get some rest. That’s an order,” Harris said sternly. “It’s clear to me that I asked you to come back to active duty before you were ready. Sleep on this --” He waved the transfer form. “-- and talk to me again on Monday. All right? Dismissed.”
Valenti got up and left silently. He gathered his things from his desk and, ignoring O’Brian’s worried questions, headed for home.
Chapter Sixteen
“Valenti, open the door. Damn it, I know you’re in there. Open up!” The loud pounding on his door resumed, and Valenti reluctantly acknowledged to himself that O’Brian wasn’t likely to give up anytime soon. He had moved the key from its usual position over the door specifically so his partner would take the hint and leave him alone, but O’Brian had never been one to take a hint if he didn’t want to.
“What do you want?” he asked through the closed door. He had been avoiding a scene just like this all week, trying to keep a safe distance between himself and his partner, and O’Brian had seemed willing to let him -- had seemed willing to give him space. Valenti had been hoping that the uneasy truce between them would last until his transfer came through, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen. “What do you want?” he asked again, one hand on the knob.
“What do you think I want, Valenti? To talk, damn it! We gotta stop tip-toin’ around each other and talk this out.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” Valenti opened the door a crack to look out at his partner, and that was all the encouragement O’Brian needed. He pushed his way into the house and slammed the door behind him. With one hand on Valenti’s shoulder, he propelled the taller man to the couch and pressed firmly until Valenti dropped unresisting onto the cushions.
“There’s a hell of a lot to talk about, and you know it,” O’Brian snapped, standing over him, scowling.
“Maybe I just need some time,” Valenti offered weakly, not meeting O’Brian’s eyes, which had turned a hard, sharp emerald with frustration.
“I’ve tried to give you time, Valenti. Tried to leave you alone while you thought it through -- what happened between us, I mean -- and look where it got us. You askin’ Harris for a transfer. Why would you go and do that?”
“You know damn well why!” Valenti snapped back impatiently. “And what the hell business of yours is it, anyway?”
The expression on O’Brian’s face was both frustrated and tender as he sat beside Valenti and looked at his partner for a long moment before replying. “It’s my business the same way everything that affects you is my business. Because we’re partners. Because we’re friends. Come on, Nick, you know that. Don’t be like this with me.”
“I don’t know any other way to be since ... what happened. What I did to you.” Valenti looked up briefly and then down again at his hands.
“What we did to each other, you mean.” O’Brian took one of Valenti’s hands, dangling limply between Valenti’s legs, and entwined their fingers. “You didn’t hurt me, didn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to do.”
“How can you say that?” Valenti exploded, angrily pulling his hand away. “I fucked you. And goddammit ...” His voice dropped as the anger suddenly fell away, leaving only pain and shame behind. “I enjoyed it.” Valenti looked up, searching the sea-green eyes for a moment before dropping his own.
“I enjoyed it, too,” O’Brian said quietly. “Is that really such a problem?”
“You don’t understand. You couldn’t.” It felt like ripping his heart out to say the words, but Valenti couldn’t stop them coming. “It was like even if I hurt you, I couldn’t stop. Couldn’t ... couldn’t get enough of you. I wanted you so bad. It was like a sickness in me -- like a hunger I couldn’t control. I hate myself for doing that to you.”