Dare to Trust (2 page)

              “How did you end up out on the unit today?” Jason was referring to Mia riding on the rescue unit with Estes.

              She laughed, as he had asked as if the task had been a punishment. “I’m a second year resident. All of us take a turn for a month on rescue.”

              “Emergency medicine resident,” Jason stated. “So you’re smart and beautiful.” He grinned at her. “Those kids will be okay.” His voice was soft. He had seen the children as well and they had also pulled at his heart strings. He had already made an inquiry about where they had ended up. “I spoke to child protective services. The kids are already with their grandparents.”

              Mia let out a sigh. “Thanks for telling me that.” She smiled and he knew at that instant, as he studied her full lips and wide, expressive dark eyes, he had fallen for her. He hadn’t been with a woman in months and he had never felt such an intense, instant attraction and feeling of ease with any other woman. “I couldn’t accept that they were going to be with strangers after what they went through today.” She sipped her coffee. Mia noticed him staring at her. “And how is it that you became a homicide detective?” She was honestly interested. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually cared to hear details about a man.

He swallowed his coffee and paused. He usually didn’t need to think about his words; he rarely felt the need to make an impression. “Since I was a kid, it’s what I wanted to do. My family didn’t exactly agree with my career choice.” He took another drink. “I come from a family with a prominent history in and around Boston. I was bred and brought up to attend Harvard and go into politics. There was a lot of disappointment when I deviated from that plan.” His mother continually reminded Jason of that. Since he could remember his mother had always been critical and cool towards him. He gave her a wry grin. “But I don’t regret my choice. I love what I do.”

              Mia was embarrassed as she let out a yawn. She hadn’t slept in almost twenty-four hours. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I’ve been up a long time.”

              He nodded. “I’ll give you a ride home so you can get some rest.” He stopped, thinking she didn’t seem the type to do well with orders being given to her. “If you’d like,” he added.

              “Okay.” She stood up. “Your car back at the hospital?”

              “It is.”

              They walked back to the hospital and into the parking lot. Jason guided Mia to his car, a blue BMW that was a few years old, and opened the passenger side door for her. He closed the door and walked around the front, sliding in behind the steering wheel.

              “So where are we headed?” he asked as he started the motor.

              Mia gave him her address and let her body relax against the leather seat. She glanced over at Jason as he maneuvered the traffic-heavy Boston streets. He was a few years older than her and attractive. She liked the way his tall, muscular shape filled out his expensively cut suit. She imagined running her fingers through his thick, dirty blond hair, especially the way it was a bit long in the back, covering his shirt collar. Found the afternoon stubble that dotted his square jaw attractive. He had lost the suit coat soon after they had started to walk to the coffee shop. He had neatly placed it on the back seat. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing long, muscular arms. At first, Mia had been mentally commenting on his physical form as a physician, admiring a near perfect specimen , but she soon realized the man with the near-perfect body was more than attractive and making her realize how long it had been since she had been with a man. Too long.

              Jason delivered Mia to her door. He didn’t ask to go in, but walked her from the street, up the granite front steps, to the door of the brownstone she rented an apartment in. “I’d like to see you again,” he said to her before turning to descend down the stairs, back to his car. He gave her a perfect smile. Mia liked the way it lit up his face.

              “I’d like that,” Mia nodded her head. Instead of making his way back to his car, he moved closer to Mia, his pulse racing, and touched her cheek and then gently rested his hand on her jaw, bringing her lips to his. It was a slow, delicious kiss that was forever burned into his memory. There was no doubt there was hot chemistry between them.

              “Get some rest,” he said in a husky whisper before leaving.

              Although she was exhausted from the long work day, as soon as she got inside her apartment, Mia grabbed her phone and called her best friend. She and Kate Donovan, born and bred in Boston, had met their freshman year of undergraduate school at Boston University. They had been inseparable since. Once Mia had entered medical school, Kate had worked on and finished her MBA. Her family owned a popular Boston restaurant and Kate had wanted the business degree in order to assist with her dreams of expanding the restaurant to other locations.

              “I didn’t expect to hear from you tonight,” Kate commented as she answered the phone. “You worked a twelve hour shift, didn’t you?”

              “I did.” Mia yawned. “I’m really tired, but I couldn’t wait to talk to you.”

              “Okay. And?” Kate prompted her, intrigued by the excitement in Mia’s voice. Obviously something good had happened.

              “I met a guy.”

              “Are you going to expand on that?” Kate asked, waiting for more.

              “Yeah, he’s a cop. Homicide detective. And really sexy.” Thinking about Jason left a smile on Mia’s face.

              “He must have been something. You haven’t given a man a second glance in months. It’s been over two years since you broke up with…what was his name?”

              “Paul. I can’t believe I even dated him.” Paul had been attractive, successful and a mistake. Mia had spent several weeks with him. She had realized Paul cared only about Paul and she had broken it off. Until meeting Jason, Mia hadn’t met a man she wanted to spare a second glance, let alone think about dating.

              “Well, you are due for a good guy to take care of you, Mia. Keep me posted. I’ve gotta run.”

              They had seen each other sooner than either had anticipated. Jason and his partner, Keith Grimes, had gotten a break in one of their cases; they had driven to an apartment in the North of Boston to apprehend the suspect. Instead, Jason had ended up in the emergency room.

Their suspect had a long, violent arrest record. Both Jason and Grimes were prepared with their weapons drawn and bulletproof vests strapped to their chests. “Police! Open the door!” Grimes barked while pounding on the door of the twelfth story apartment. After a moment of silence, Jason kicked in the door. From the corner of his eye, he saw the suspect jump through an open window, out onto the fire escape. Jason silently motioned to Grimes, pointing to the window and then followed.

              As the suspect raced down the fire escape, he eyed the detective in pursuit. He had to get rid of the tail to escape---no way was he going back to prison! He raised his gun and shot off a few rounds in Jason’s direction thinking it would be a deterrent. He didn’t bother to check to see if any of the bullets had hit the intended target as he leaped down onto the pavement of the alleyway. Jason had not been hit but his adrenaline was pumping after being fired at.

              “Son of a bitch,” Jason growled as he jumped down from the fire escape the remaining ten feet, aiming to tackle his suspect. He didn’t wait for the back-up of the units on their way, even though the noise of the sirens cut through the serenity of the neighborhood.

Jason landed on top of him, both men feeling the jolt and pain of hitting against the unforgiving cement sidewalk. “Drop the gun!” Jason ordered the suspect, catching his breath as he started to get up, hauling the guy up with him.

              Instead of complying, the suspect resisted and kicked out at Jason’s legs, sending the detective sprawling. He glanced up and saw Grimes almost to the bottom of the fire escape now; realizing his window of opportunity to escape was slim. As Jason got up onto his knees, the suspect slammed the butt of his pistol into the side of Jason’s temple. Jason felt the sudden burst of pain in his skull and everything went black. He slumped against the pavement.

              “Jason! Open your eyes.” Grimes knelt at his partner’s side, checking for a pulse. He found one as he looked up and watched their suspect run away. “Officer down, need medical assist,” he yelled into his radio. As the additional units arrived and uniform officers descended on the scene, Grimes barked at them to follow down the alleyway after the suspect. “Buddy, can you hear me?” He was staying with his partner.

              Grimes’ booming voice cut through the pain and confusion in Jason’s brain. He tried to raise his head up but couldn’t coordinate the effort. He couldn’t even flicker open his eyes, all he managed was a groan.

              “Don’t move,” Grimes told him. “Shit, you’re bleeding a lot.” Jason had an inch, deep jagged laceration to his right temple that was oozing at a good clip. He felt Grimes put pressure on the wound, slowing the sticky flow. He tried to get up again without success, his limbs heavy and a sharp pain zinging through his head. “Stay still! Ambulance is coming.” Jason had heard Grimes say something but couldn’t decipher the words before blacking out again.

              Mia could barely hide her surprise as she met the stretcher rolling through the ambulance bay, when she realized her next patient was Detective Howard. She quickly swept her eyes up and down the stretcher, assessing his condition. He was breathing but pale. His eyes were closed and she noted the bleeding laceration that would definitely need to be sutured. She also noticed his bullet proof vest, still on, and wondered if he had been shot. An IV was dripping normal saline into his left hand.

              One of the paramedics gave Mia a quick report. “Thirty-one year old cop, struck in the head with blunt object. Unconscious at the scene for a few minutes. Pupils round, equal and reactive to light. He’s lethargic but arouses to verbal stimuli, alert to person, but not to time or place. His partner is on his way.”

              Once Jason was situated on a gurney, she started her exam. “Detective Howard, do you know where you are?” Her voice was soft and low.

              His eyes fluttered open and Jason was surprised how much fluorescent lighting could induce such a headache. His eyes adjusted and he focused on the figure beside the stretcher peering down at him. He was supine and on a hard, unforgiving surface. And he couldn’t move his neck. What the hell? He started to feel panic overtake him. And then he recognized Mia. Was he in the emergency room? What the hell had happened? He had no recollection of how he had gotten here. Jason wished he could remember. “Mia,” he whispered, not sure if he had said it out loud or not.

              Mia saw the confusion in his eyes. She couldn’t deny the relief that had washed over her when Jason had recognized her. “You were hurt and you’re in the emergency room, detective. We have you on a back board and a collar on your neck to keep you still until we check you out for spinal injuries.” She smiled at him with an attempt to put him at ease. It hadn’t worked. Jason was confused and his anxiety was coming back. He didn’t remember anything after entering the suspect’s apartment. His jaw muscles tightened and his breath hitched in his chest. He couldn’t make any sense of what was going on. He didn’t recall chasing the suspect or getting hit over the head. And he didn’t like his movements being restrained, even if she had told him it was a precaution.

              “Grimes?” Jason croaked, wondering if his partner was alright. Had his partner been hurt, too? He had some vague recollection of a chase and then a struggle.

              “Right here,” a male voice answered. Grimes had arrived a few minutes prior. He stood on the outskirts of the exam room, giving Mia and the nurse plenty of room to take care of their patient.

              “Okay, Jason,” Mia used his first name in a second attempt to help him start to relax. “I’m going to check your extremities. Does anything hurt?”

“No. Yes. Just my head.” He glanced up at the doctor from his supine position, remembering taking her to coffee; he knew he had wanted to see her again, but not like this. Jason felt like he had been run over by a Mac truck.

“Okay, then tell me if anything hurts.” Mia palpated down Jason’s right arm and then the left. She couldn’t help but notice the defined muscles of his biceps. She started to repeat the same exam of both of his legs, starting with his hip joints and pelvis. Jason sucked in his breath when he felt her gentle palpation near his groin. His pants started to feel tight and he prayed she didn’t notice. “Good,” she told him. If Mia had noticed, she ignored it. “Can you move your arms?” He did so. “Legs?” He flexed both his knees and moved his legs. “Any pain?”

“No, not there.”

“Good. Jason, we’re going to roll you and try to get you off this board. Don’t move, let us do the work,” Mia instructed. Two nurses assisted.

“What about this collar thing?” Jason asked once the backboard had been removed. Jesus, even talking hurt.

“You’re going to get a head and neck CT,” Mia told him as she shined a penlight into his eyes, glad to see his pupils equal and responsive. “Once we get the collar off, you need sutures for your head.” Mia had bent down so Jason could see her. He was still lying flat on his back. “You’re doing okay. Just a little longer. I know the collar isn’t comfortable.”