shook his head and laughed gruffly. “Well, I’ll be. You never know, do you? Do you want to take care of the case?”
“It’s not a case,” Riley said quickly. “I’m not staying.”
Charlie looked at her and actually smiled again. “Well, miss, I think you will be, even if it’s just while we straighten out this grand theft auto business.” He came around to undo her handcuffs, then tugged the metal bracelets off of her. “We’ll get these off, then get you settled in a cell until we can sort this out.”
“No,” she said quickly, pulling her freed hands to the front and rubbing at her wrists. “No.” She was ready to dig in and make them drag her to the lock-down area.
Joshua exhaled. “The cell is temporary, just until we see if you’re going to be booked or not.”
“No, please, just…” She looked around, the idea of being locked up making her physically sick to her stomach. “Can’t I just sit in a chair? I mean, you can handcuff me to the chair or the desk. You know, one of those bars you screw to a desk? Anything. Just put the handcuffs back on and—” She held her hands out to Joshua, wrists together. “Just secure me anywhere out here.”
“Sorry, you’ll have to go by our rules while you’re here,” he said, and slipped off his sunglasses.
Damn, she’d wanted to see his eyes before, but when she met his unprotected gaze, eyes that were green with hazel flecks, she tensed horribly. Her stomach clenched so sharply that she had to press a hand to her middle. “Oh, man, I’m going to be sick,” she said in a low voice.
“Don’t start histrionics,” Joshua said as he tucked the sunglasses into his jacket pocket, then looked at Charlie. “Is a cell ready?”
“No, I mean it,” she gasped, swallowing hard to keep the nausea at bay. She was going to be sick, right here and now. “I’m sick. I…”
She was looking at Joshua, the sickness coming in waves. Suddenly the world began to spin and blur, and before she could figure out what was going on, she was falling forward. She hit something solid, then she was being held and supported, but that didn’t stop her descent into a black void.
JOSHUA HAD BARELY put his sunglasses away when he saw Riley Shaw go horribly pale, then proceed to faint dead away in his arms. At first he thought it was a ploy of some sort, but the instant she was in his arms, he knew it was for real. He gathered her deadweight, shifted to lift her in his arms and spoke to Charlie. “Get the door to the cell open.”
“What’s going on?” Charlie asked as he rushed ahead of Joshua into the lockdown area.
“She fainted,” he said, following Charlie.
“Which cell?” Charlie asked.
Joshua looked down the aisle with its row of six cells. Most were seldom used, and they were cookie-cutter copies of each other, with cots, toilets, sinks and one table each. He opted for the closest one. “Cell One,” he said, and Charlie flipped the switch on the wall to release the lock. He pulled the barred entry open and let Joshua into the eight-by-ten-foot cell.
He carried her to the stripped cot along the back wall and eased her down onto the bare mattress. She fell limply onto the cot and he hunkered down to press the tips of his fingers to the side of her throat. She looked painfully pale, but her pulse was there, light but steady.
“I’ll call the clinic and ask Doc to come over and check her out,” Charlie said, and hurried back into the main room.
When Joshua touched Riley on her cool cheek, she stirred slightly and he eased back. Dark lashes arched on her pale skin, then they fluttered and her eyes opened. They were unfocused at first, but at the same time they started to sharpen, she jerked up, almost hitting Joshua in the process. He reached for her shoulders and tried to ease her back down. “Hey, take it easy,” he said.
She was shaking, but refused to lie down. Her eyes darted around the cell. “Oh, no,” she breathed, and twisted to face him as she swiped at his hands. “What happened?”
He pulled back, but stayed hunkered down and at eye level with her. “You fainted. Just take it easy. The doctor’s coming.”
“No, no doctor. I don’t need a doctor.” She shook her head. “I just need to not be here.”
He knew the feeling, but that didn’t change facts. “Charlie wants the doctor to check you out.”
She released a breath on a shuddering hiss. “I’m okay,” she said, and twisted, pushing with her hands to get to her feet.
He moved back as she stood, but he didn’t miss the unsteadiness in her stance. “I told you to—”
Charlie was back at the door to the lockdown area. “Doc’s on his way. Says to keep an eye on her, not to leave her alone.” The buzzer from dispatch sounded on the speaker. “Stay here with her,” Charlie said briskly over his shoulder as he took off on a jog to take the call in dispatch.
Joshua turned to Riley. She was very still, her arms clutched around her chest, and she was looking right at him with startling blue eyes. “Lie down. The doctor will be here soon,” he said, automatically reaching to help her sit.
Before he could make contact, she swiped at his hand, striking him on the wrist. “Don’t. You can’t do this,” she said.
“Miss Shaw, I’m not doing this because I’m enjoying it.” He rubbed at his wrist and stopped himself before he said, “I’m just doing my duty.” He remembered hating his dad saying that when he was growing up. “I’m just trying to make this as easy for all of us as I can.”
She bit her lip and slowly sank onto the cot, but she stayed sitting up and stared at the floor. “Listen, I didn’t steal that car. I really didn’t.”
“Okay. I’ll make inquiries, and if that’s true, I’ll apologize to you and fill your gas tank on the way out of town.”
Her eyes lifted and he met her blue gaze. Why in the hell did he feel like such a heel for only doing what he’d said he’d do?
“Well, polish up on your apology and find some cheap gas,” she murmured.
The vulnerability he’d seen in her when she’d fainted and after she’d come around was gone. It was replaced by a hard look and sarcasm. “We’ll see,” was all he trusted himself to say.
Charlie was back. “Got problems at the lifts. Kids getting out of hand. Rollie got the car and Wes is on his way to the lifts. You stay and cover the calls, and take care of Doc when he gets here.” Charlie glanced at Riley, then, with a nod to her, left.
Joshua looked back at Riley. “While we wait for Doc to get here, I’ll make some phone calls to see what I can find out.”
He moved toward the cell door, but as he turned back to say one more thing to her, he stopped. She was right behind him, reminding him of a puppy dog who wouldn’t stay put and insisted on being at your heels. “Don’t leave me here,” she said, that vulnerability there for a flashing instant in her blue eyes.
“Miss Shaw, you can’t—”
She lifted her chin with determination.
