“I don’t want to hurry,” Bri gasped, grasping Carre’s hand as it slid down her belly, stopping her.

“I can’t do slow right now,” Carre muttered, opening her legs as Bri fit her thigh between them. “I’m already too excited.”

“So am I,” Bri groaned, her lips moving over Carre’s neck, bracing herself on one arm as she squeezed a stone-hard nipple with her other hand. “I’m so ready it hurts.”

Carre arched her hips, pressing hard against Bri’s thigh. “I wanna come.”

“Me too,” Bri gasped, but she rolled off her lover, breaking the exquisite contact.

Carre cried out in protest and turned on her side to face Bri. Her pupils were huge, unfocused, hazy with need. “Please, baby.”

Bri stroked a finger down Carre’s cheek. “Let’s hold on…as long as we can.”

“I can’t,” Carre pleaded, her lids flickering as her breasts heaved with each erratic breath.

“Kiss me for a while,” Bri urged as she brought her mouth to Carre’s. The heat sent a jolt of pleasure down Bri’s spine and her hips jerked in response. Carre was whimpering steadily, writhing against Bri frantically as they drank one another’s passion.

Abruptly, Carre pulled her head away and grasped Bri’s hand, forcing it between her legs. “I have to. Oh, I have to.”

“I love you, babe,” Bri cried as Carre thrust against her palm, hot and hard and wet.

“Oh, I’m coming,” Carre cried.

“Yes, yes,” Bri whispered urgently, pressing hard with the heel of her hand as she slid her fingers into Carre’s depths.

Carre cried out again, and her head snapped back, her body jerking. Bri stroked her through her climax, then stayed inside her, thrusting gently as the internal spasms gradually abated. Eventually, Carre quieted in Bri’s embrace, her head tucked into the crook of Bri’s neck.

“Oh my god,” Carre murmured. “You’re so good.”

“I love you so much,” Bri gasped, her voice choked and rough.

“Good.” Carre was barely moving, almost stuporous in the aftermath of her orgasm. “Did you come?”

“No.”

Carre tilted her head back, her eyes cloudy and her lips smiling softly. “Playing hard to get?”

“I wanted to watch you.”

“Wanna now?”

“Oh man, yes,” Bri moaned, shivering as Carre licked her neck.

Laughing softly, Carre slid her fingers between Bri’s thighs, gliding under and around and over the blood engorged tissues. “You’re so hard.”

Bri couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even breathe. When Carre touched her in just the right place, with just the right pressure, as only she could do, Bri gave one hoarse shout and came. The near crippling waves of pleasure seemed endless, and by the time she could think again, her body was slick with sweat and her face wet with tears.

“Oh baby,” Carre crooned, pressing Bri’s face to her breasts. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“I was so scared,” Bri gasped. “I was so scared.”

Carre wasn’t sure what Bri was talking about, but she could feel Bri tremble, and that was enough to scare her. She had no idea what to do, so she stroked Bri’s hair and face, kissed her forehead, wrapped her arms and legs around her so that every inch of their bodies touched. “I love you, I love you,” she said over and over and over.

Eventually, Bri quieted and managed a long shaky breath. “It happened so fast. So fast.” Bri shuddered. “One second I was running, and the next thing I knew, there was a shot…Christ, it sounded like a cannon…and Reese came flying back through the doorway. I thought she was dead. She wasn’t moving, and there was a hole right in the middle of her shirt.”

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Carre murmured, running her fingers through Bri’s hair, petting her.

“I couldn’t think. I forgot all about the guy in the building. All I could think about was Reese. Ashley shot Morris as he was coming through the door with a fucking automatic in his hands. If she hadn’t been there, he would’ve killed me and Reese.”

“Oh my god.” Carre’s heart almost stopped beating then, and everything inside of her turned to ice. “Is he…dead?”

“Yeah.”

“And Ashley and your dad are all right?”

Bri nodded, sighed, and closed her eyes. “I’m so tired, Carre.”

Carre shifted a little and cradled Bri’s head against her breast. Most of the time Bri held her while they slept, and it felt so special to hold her protectively now. “I love you, baby. Go to sleep now.”

When Reese awoke, it was night. Tory lay close to her, her hand resting on Reese’s hip. Slowly, Reese drew a deep breath. It hurt, but she could manage it.

“How do you feel?” Tory asked from out of the dark.

“Sore, but nothing feels broken.”

“I’ve been lying here listening to you breathe. You sound okay.”

“I can’t believe I slept more than twelve hours.”

“You needed it.” Tory softly stroked the length of Reese’s thigh. The silence stretched between them, and finally she said gently, “I know you were trying to protect me.”

“Yes.” Reese found Tory’s hand and linked their fingers. “Are you still angry?”

“Mostly still scared.”

With effort, Reese rolled onto her side, ignoring the shaft of pain that started in her breast bone and penetrated through to her back. In the pale moonlight, she could just make out Tory’s face, luminous in the silvery shadows. “I told you I wouldn’t take any chances, and I didn’t. I wore the vest.”

“I know,” Tory whispered. “And we both know if it been a few inches higher, it could’ve been your throat.”

“Tor…”

“It’s just that I love you so much,” Tory murmured. She kissed her with the gentle, tentative touch of a first kiss, amazed at how precious their love still felt. “Can you tell me about it now?”

“Tor,” Reese said tenderly. “You might not want…”

“I want, Reese. Knowing is always better than wondering.”

After another kiss, Reese proceeded to outline the morning’s events. She spoke concisely, as if she was giving report, until she reached the point where she went through the door. Then her tone grew guarded.

“When I was first hit, I wasn’t entirely certain what had happened.” Reese’s voice trailed off, and for the first time, she considered her words before speaking.

“Go ahead, sweetheart,” Tory said gently. “I’m okay.”

“I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t get a breath, and I wasn’t sure how badly I was hit.”

Tory struggled to keep her voice even. “Were you frightened?”

“Not for me, so much,” Reese said quietly. “I was worried about Bri, because I couldn’t see her. I was worried about you, because…”

“Because?”

“I didn’t want to leave you alone.” Reese sensed Tory tremble and moved closer to her. “You know I never would, right?”

“I know that,” Tory whispered, blinking back tears that she didn’t want Reese to see.

“When I finally realized I was pretty much okay, the only thing I could think of was that I didn’t want an officer showing up at our door, because I knew what you would think.”

“If you’re hurt,” Tory said firmly, “I want to know about it.”

“I don’t want anything to upset you. Not now,” Reese admitted fervently. “I just want us to get through the next few months, and for you and the baby to be all right.”

“We will be.” Tory kissed Reese again. “I promise, sweetheart.”

As Reese sighed and closed her eyes, Tory desperately hoped that she could keep her promise.

July, Provincetown, MA

“I don’t think spending the evening in town is exactly what Wendy meant by bedrest,” Reese said pointedly. She was in uniform, having stopped home in the middle of a Saturday to see how Tory was doing with her new routine.

“She didn’t say strict bedrest,” Tory pointed out irritably. She got up from the couch and started to pace. “She didn’t even say bedrest. What she said was ‘rest at home’.”

“I know what she said,” Reese said, leaning against the counter and trying not to raise her voice. “She said your blood pressure had edged up another five points, and it was time for you to cut back on everything.”

“I’ve agreed not to work for the rest of my term. I can’t be any more sedentary without risking a psychotic break.”

Reese felt like she was living with a ticking bomb. The visit to the obstetrician two days before had scared the hell out of her. The preeclampsia was worsening, and Wendy said that they couldn’t wait the full term. As soon as there were clear signs of fetal maturity, Tory would need a Caesarian section.

“I know you won’t take chances.” Reese rubbed her cheek against Tory’s hair, then kissed her temple. “But it’s going to be a mad house with the fireworks at the monument tonight.”

“I feel fine, sweetheart. Since I haven’t been going to work this past week, my pressure has really settled down. I don’t have any new symptoms. Let’s just go out tonight, okay? I promise just for a little while.”

“Sure.” Reese wrapped her arms around her lover from behind.

“I promise I’ll let you do all the shopping and the barbequing for the Fourth of July, okay?”

Reese laughed. “Now there’s a deal.”

Laughing, Reese stepped away, collected her keys, and headed for the door. One she had gone, Tory stretched out on the couch with a sigh and put her feet up. She hated to admit how tired she was, even to herself. Within minutes, she was asleep.

Reese slid in behind the wheel, started the engine, and pulled out of the department parking lot. Glancing at Bri, she asked, “Are you and Caroline pretty much settled in the new place?”

Bri grinned.“ Other than the fact that we don’t have any furniture, we’re doing fine.”

“So you’re all right with Paris?”

Bri shrugged. “It still…scares me some. But I love her, and I know she loves me.”

“You must be really proud of her.”

“Yeah, I am,” Bri said, meaning it.

Reese watched the road, scanning passing cars, checking out the yards that they passed, looking over the pedestrians crowding the sidewalks. “Have you heard from Ashley or Allie?”

“I talked to Ashley the day the final report on the shooting was filed. She said she was headed back to Rhode Island.” Bri grinned.“She also said she expected to be around a fair amount this summer, because Allie is going to be stationed permanently in Wellfleet.”

“Huh. Guess that worked out too, then.”

The radio crackled to life, and Gladys’ voice filled the car. “Reese?”

“Go ahead.”

“There’s an emergency call for you. It’s Tory.”

“Patch her through to my cell phone,” Reese said sharply, pulling the mobile from her belt. It rang an instant later, and she snapped it open. “Tor?”

“I just called the paramedics,” Tory reported, her voice tight. “I’m having some bleeding.”

“I’ll be right there.” Reese tossed the phone onto the seat, flicked on the lights and siren, and slammed her foot down on the gas pedal.

CHAPTER FORTY

When Reese careened into her driveway, the EMT van was already there. The door to the living room was open, and as she pushed through, the paramedics were just strapping Tory onto a stretcher. Just seeing Tory like that made Reese’s stomach twist, and for one terrible second, she thought she might be ill. Then, Tory turned her head, their eyes met, and everything inside of Reese settled.

“Hey, love,” Reese said gently as she reached for the hand that Tory extended. “How are you feeling?”

“You need to call Wendy,” Tory said urgently. “She’s going to need to talk to whoever is on call at the local hospital, because I can’t make it to Boston.”

“Tell me what’s going on so I can tell her.”

Tory bit her lip and squeezed Reese’s hand so hard that the band on Reese’s ring finger pressed painfully into the bone.

“Tor?” Reese asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep the panic from her voice. “Baby? What is it?”

“I’m having…some pain.”

Tory’s face was white and her skin clammy.

Reese looked at the two men. “I think we need to hurry here.”

“Don’t worry,” one of them grunted as he pulled open the back of the ambulance. “We’ll be flying in just a minute.”

Once the EMTs had Tory secured inside the van, Reese knelt by Tory’s side on the corrugated floor, one hand cradling Tory’s head and the other gripping her hand. Within seconds, they were rocketing east on Route 6.

“Put the fetal heart monitor on now,” Tory instructed the EMT.

“Let me get you lined up first,” he said calmly.

“Check the baby’s heart rate first.” Tory gasped as another wave of pain began. “Hurry.”

“Sure, Doc. Just try to relax, okay?”

“Then call ahead and tell them…you have…an abruption coming in.”

The EMT hesitated, his expression darkening. “You sure?”