Page 94 of Burning Justice

“I am not ignoring the personal side of things,” Gemma countered, squeezing her arms tighter across her chest. Point of fact, she’d stared them in the face last night, which had led to sex, and look where that had gotten her.

Bonnie shook her head, much as Gemma had also witnessed her friend doing to her daughter. Who was thirteen years old. Then again, she was acting like a recalcitrant child.

Bonnie smiled calmly, another reason she was such a good counselor. She’d not only been through her own personal hell during college, but she had an innate skill for helping others to help themselves. “You are the smartest woman I know, and you work harder than any five people I know. I know you do that, because you think you have to in order to earn respect. You don’t. People will see you for the intelligent, sensitive, and successful person you are. Brett does.”

Gemma shook her head in disbelief. “Haven’t you been listening to anything I said?”

“You have eyes, but sometimes you don’t see. You have ears, but sometimes you don’t hear.” Again, Bonnie smiled. “From what I saw and heard the other night after you were attacked, that man cares for you. A lot, and not just as a partner. What you described is an alpha male in full-on protective mode. He’s doing this to protect you, not to hurt you. It’s clear to me,” Bonnie continued, putting a hand on her chest, “that Brett has his own demons to slay in more ways than one. He’s trying to distance you from whatever’s coming next so you don’t get hurt again. I also think he’s doing this because he does respect you.” She winked. “And maybe more than that.”

“I really don’t think what he did has anything personal to do with me.” Again, she shook her head, more forcefully this time. “Or to protect me. I think he used me to get what he needed, and now that he’s got it, he’s leaving me behind in the dust.” Just like what had happened to her four years ago.

“I know you.” Bonnie sent her a look filled with compassion. “You’re thinking about what your colleague at the NICB did to you. He stole your case and took full credit for it.”

“How could I have been so stupid?” Gemma uncrossed her arms and began massaging her forehead with both hands. Freaking history was repeating itself, and it was her fault for falling prey to it again. Hadn’t she learned her lesson?

Apparently not.

“You know what makes me feel even more stupidly pathetic about this?” She let her hands fall to her lap. “I told Brett about that incident. He knew how much it bothered me, and he obviously didn’t give a crap, because he just did the very same thing to me.”

Gemma twisted the belt on her robe around her fist. Brett had hurt her, more than anyone ever had.

The bitter taste of disappointment filled her mouth. She really was weak where he was concerned. Because she loved him. Damn her treacherous, foolish heart.

Bonnie’s brows drew together. “My impression of Brett is that he isn’t that kind of man.”

“I know you mean well,” Gemma said, grateful for her friend’s input, even if she was dead wrong. “But that’s where we’ll just have to agree to disagree.”

“Okay, okay.” Bonnie sighed, holding up her hands in defeat. “So what’s your next move? I mean about the case.”

“I don’t know.” Normally, case-related decisions came easily to her. For the first time in her career, she didn’t know which direction to go in.

“Please promise me something.” Bonnie reached as far as her belly allowed to clasp Gemma’s hand. “Take a step back. The people you and Brett have been investigating are dangerous. There must be someone else who can help you. Baby Tucker here”—she gently rubbed her belly—“needs his aunt Gemma around to whip up her famous grapefruit margaritas when his mama can finally have one again.”

That drew a reluctant smile from Gemma. She really had missed drinking those with Bonnie. “Okay, I promise.”

“Good.” She gave Gemma’s hand a quick squeeze, then released it and began massaging her lower back. “Now for the reason I came over here in the first place. You gave Sally Nash a business card for Hands of Hope, and she’s actually been in to see me twice to get some help managing her situation.”

Gemma smiled grimly. “I’m glad she reached out to you. I wasn’t sure she would, and you might as well know that her brother died recently. She’s going to need your help even more now.”

Bonnie nodded. “She did mention that when I spoke to her this morning. She actually called the main number looking for you. Apparently, she lost your business card and was hoping I’d know how to get in touch with you.”

“Why?” Something about Bonnie’s delivery made the hackles on Gemma’s neck stand straight up.

“She was very upset and said that she had something really important to tell you and only you and that it’s urgent. It concerns her brother.”

…

“Are you sure she said ten thirty?” Gemma rechecked the time on her phone as she paced around the modestly furnished Hands of Hope lobby. Sally was already ten minutes late.

Several wood chairs with brightly colored cushions lined one wall, while an emerald-green sofa sat against another. A few framed prints of flowers and gardens hung on the walls. The atmosphere had been designed to be calm and soothing. Right now, it wasn’t doing anything to calm her nerves.

“She’ll be here,” Bonnie said from where she sat on one edge of the sofa with her feet up. “You should have heard her over the phone. She’ll be here.”

Gemma made another circuit, passing the receptionist desk, manned, or rather womanned, by another counselor named Maddie, whose kind expression was just the sort needed for a job like this.

She couldn’t imagine what Sally had to say that was so important and so urgent, yet when she and Brett had first interviewed her, they’d both gotten the impression she’d been holding something back.

A small, beat-up sedan drove into the lot and parked. Gemma recognized Sally as she got out of the car, then gathered the baby in her arms. “She’s here.” Gemma held the door open for Sally, noting the woman’s red-rimmed eyes.