Chapter 27

TWENTY-SEVEN

A few feet from the line for security at the tiny airport to the west of Benson, Samantha hugged her sister tight. No matter that it wasn't even six in the morning. The quicker she could get Bristol out of Dodge, the better.

It wasn't like she would be asleep if she'd been at home.

She'd tried to rest last night and wound up barely dozing, interspersed with fitful dreams about dark enclosed spaces. Some of the times Julio had been with her—usually dead, leaving her alone with his battered body. Other times, some faceless shadow followed her.

She'd caught herself before waking up screaming. But still, her throat was raw.

Samantha leaned back as Bristol patted her shoulder. She signed, I'll be okay and gave her another hug just because.

Then Bristol tipped her head to the side. Samantha pressed her lips together. A few feet away, Romeo looked at his shoes, then back up. Right. Of course.

Samantha nodded, signing, I get the message.

She walked away, giving the two of them a moment to say goodbye to each other. To her credit, Bristol had barely argued when Romeo and Samantha stated their case. With things heating up, and the arsonist growing bolder, neither of them wanted Bristol around. Not because her deafness made her more vulnerable, though it did. It just wasn't about that—it was about the fact they cared about her.

Samantha would have made the case whether her sister was a hearing person, or not, and with Romeo backing her up, Bristol hadn't had good reason to turn down a trip to stay with their parents in Phoenix for a few days.

Just until they found this guy.

She checked her phone, but there were no new messages. Julio must still be sleeping. They'd planned to meet at the morning briefing, but Samantha wanted to head to the prison and see if they could talk to Richard Sylvana, since they were over on this side of town anyway.

Samantha quit resisting temptation and glanced over at her sister and her partner. Arms wrapped around each other. Lips locked.

She turned away, rolling her eyes. It had only been days. Days! Geez, Romeo moved fast.

"Jesse!"

Samantha glanced over again at Romeo's call. Her sister, red cheeks and a flushed face, waved at her. Samantha signed love you and waved goodbye. Her sister did the same and headed for the security line.

Romeo gave her a single glance, then headed for Samantha. "She'll be good, right? By herself?"

She eyed her partner. "She's flown plenty of times by herself. She'll be fine."

Romeo didn't seem convinced.

"Let's go." She told him her idea about swinging by the prison and talking to Sylvana.

"About this custard kid thing?"

She'd briefed him when he woke up. On the couch in her apartment, where he'd spent the night. Making sure they were safe. Julio had filled her in via text late last night. They'd seen each other briefly at the hospital. It hadn't made sense to leave together when Romeo needed to take her and Bristol to their place, and he lived in the other direction. Greyson had given him a ride.

She and Julio had chatted over text for a while. Easier than talking aloud on the phone when she had more smoke inhalation to add to what she already had, and a million scrapes and bruises from being blown up.

Again.

With their conversation rolling through her mind, she felt like she'd need a million hours to process it all. She'd asked Bristol what she thought about Julio insisting she needed to figure things out on her own. That she needed to let go of the hurt and pain she'd been carrying, which her sister thought she'd hung on to because she needed to nurse the pain to keep from getting hurt again.

If she was damaged, she had an excuse to keep her broken heart to herself.

Bristol had told her to give the pain to God. To let Him take it away, rather than continue to allow it to hold her captive. But she'd also said that giving it up would leave a void, which she needed to then fill with hope and peace she could only find in God.

Her sister was turning into a minister. Samantha hoped Romeo was ready for that in his life—and that his presence in her sister's world didn't mean her sister lost some of the vibrant faith she had.

In the end it was no surprise her sister had agreed with Julio, wanting her to make peace with God first. On her own. She needed faith not interconnected with her romantic relationship. She had to be solid on her own. For herself.

Bristol had always been number one in the Julio fan club. Okay, maybe number two. Now, she'd hung her star on someone else.

Speaking of…

Samantha slid into the car and buckled her seatbelt. When Romeo did the same, she said, "So that was pretty intense between you two."

She had no idea if it was their first kiss or not, but she watched the way Romeo reacted. The pull of a smile on his lips. The almost-shy way he said, "Bristol is amazing." He turned to her. "Guess I'm learning sign language. My mom already started, and Catalina—that's my sister, the one that's an SRO at the high school—she said she would, too."

"You already told your family about Bristol?"

He nodded, realizing what he'd indicated telling her that. "Yeah…Sorry. I know you didn't want me to meet her." He winced. "I can't help how I feel. She's amazing, and I guess it was the same for her. Like lightning."

Love at first sight.

"But if you think I should break it off," he continued, "'cause you think I'm not good enough for her—which I can be, I will be—I guess I can accept that."

And ruin what her sister had?

He was honest, at least, and it told Samantha how much respect he had for her as his partner that he'd offered.

"That lightning?" Samantha said. "Julio says it was the same way for him. When he met me. Though, we were in middle school at the time."

"Then you know how it feels."

She nodded. "It's different with her, though?"

"I didn't believe I could feel this way about someone. I guess with all the other dates I've been on, women I was attracted to"— you mean, a lot of women? —"it's like I had no idea what real feelings were. Your sister just…line drive. Right out of the park. I'm mixing metaphors. But it's like one hit and you're in the stratosphere."

"If you hurt her in any way, I will kill you and make it look like you ran off after embezzling money from the department. In reality, you'll be buried in a shallow grave somewhere no one will ever find you. Probably multiple graves, because I will cut you into pieces."

Romeo stared at her.

" If you hurt her," she emphasized. "For the record, Julio will likely help me pull it off. The perfect crime."

He swallowed.

"Scared?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now drive."

Romeo gripped the wheel with both hands and drove to the prison.

"Thanks for driving, by the way." Samantha kept her voice light, aware of the effect her words had just had on him. Not completely pretending it had never happened but close. At least, now he knew where she stood. "I'm beat. I slept horribly, and I feel like I was hit by a bus."

"Just a building."

She smiled.

"Close your eyes. I'll wake you when we get there."

Samantha drifted for a while and woke when Romeo pulled into a space outside the prison. She drank a couple gulps of water from the bottle in the cup holder she was pretty sure was Bristol's and got out of the car to fix her hair. She tipped her head forward to gather up her hair, then secured it in a bun.

Romeo came around the car.

"Not a great solution, but I feel better at least." She figured she looked like she'd been hit by a building. "We should get coffee before the briefing."

"And you can take another nap on the way."

As they walked together to the front doors, he had a very brotherly look on his face, like he wanted to swing his arm around her shoulder the way Julio did with her sister. Guarding her. Keeping her safe in a comforting way.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have him as her brother-in-law.

One day.

"I called while you were asleep," Romeo told her. "Warden Bernstein should be expecting us."

She must've been out to not have heard that or have been awakened by the conversation.

Sure enough, the warden was at the front desk when they got there. Standing behind it in a way that gave the impression his presence made the employees nervous. Like a demanding boss. He rounded the desk as they approached.

"Thank you for letting us in." Samantha shook his hand.

Bernstein winced. "Right. I'm afraid it may have been a wasted trip."

"Why's that?" Romeo asked.

Bernstein ushered them to a side room, off the main waiting area. He shut the door, closing the three of them in a quiet space not as cool as the entrance. He sat on the edge of a metal desk, some kind of maintenance office.

Probably not what the person who worked in here intended their office to be used for.

"When you said Detective Alvarez, I wasn't sure who you were coming to see. But when I saw you"—Bernstein motioned to Samantha—"I realized this was about Richard Sylvana. Right?"

Samantha nodded.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to talk to him. Sylvana was found dead in his cell earlier this morning. Looks like a heart attack, but I'm not sure if there will be an autopsy or not." Bernstein shrugged. "Sometimes families don't care enough to ask for one. Or the state won't pay for it if there's no sign of foul play."

"But they'll run a tox screen, right?" Romeo asked. "Make sure he wasn't poisoned?"

"They might not know what to test for specifically," Samantha said. "Something that wouldn't show up on the standard tests."

Romeo didn't look pleased.

She turned to the warden. "Did he share a cell?"

"Not last night," Bernstein said. "His cellmate has been in solitary the last week. He's due back tonight."

"Anyone come to see him recently who might've slipped him something? Or is there anyone in the inmate population you think might have reason to end his life?"

"All part of our investigation."

That was fair enough. Samantha didn't intend to step on his toes—or babysit a case not in her jurisdiction. Especially when it was unlikely their arsonist had come here and killed Sylvana. "Thank you for letting us know." She shook Bernstein's hand again. "We'll get out of your hair."

"Anytime." He led them to the door.

They headed back to the car. She called Julio and filled him in.

He let out a frustrated noise when she was done, which she agreed with. And it was better than letting loose a curse word—even if he wanted to.

Her phone buzzed against her ear. "Bristol is boarding her plane. Where are you now?"

"Walking to my car, outside my house. Quick breakfast with a buddy of mine from church, and then I'll be at the briefing."

She pictured him outside. In the open. She turned away from Romeo and managed to say, "Be careful. Stay safe."

"Sammy." He said her name in a soft voice. "I could get used to that again." Then he added, "I'll be all right."

She bit her lip. "See you soon."