Chapter 2: Aftermath
Chapter 2:
Luis turned around to see who had grabbed his arm. It was Sheridan. Her eyes were a little red and he could tell she had been crying.
“Don’t,” she whispered pulling his arm down to his side.
“You should try out your handcuffs on her officer,” Antoine said, “she’s really feisty when she’s tied up.”
Sheridan stepped in front of Luis and punched Antoine across the face.
“You’re just going to stand there and let her do that,” Antoine said to Sam.
“Yep,” Sam said, not making any move to prevent Sheridan from getting to Antoine.
“What’s the matter Antoine,” Sheridan said glaring at him, “you said you wanted to play rough with me, or don’t you like it when you’re the one who’s tied up and at MY mercy.” She grabbed his shoulder and Antoine let out a cry of pain. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said sarcastically, “did that hurt? Oh, yeah, I shot you didn’t I.”
“Jones, why don’t you take the prisoner to his cell,” Sam said, deciding to step in before things got out of hand.
Sheridan sat down on a bench as the officer took Antoine away and Luis sat down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
“Sam told you?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah, sort of, he added the charge to Antoine’s arrest report,” Luis said.
“I really don’t want to hear any of your I told you so’s right now.”
“Sheridan I wasn’t...”
“Look Luis, I really just want to go home,” Sheridan interrupted.
“I’ll go and check with Sam and see if you can go yet.” Luis got up and went over to Sam. “Sheridan wants to go home now.”
“She’s done here,” Sam said, “but I’ve decided to assign her a police bodyguard.”
“Good,” Luis said, “she needs someone protecting her that she can’t fire.”
“I’m glad you think so because you will be moving in with Sheridan until further notice.”
“What!” Luis said shocked, “I can’t move in with Sheridan. We’ll just end up fighting constantly.”
“Listen Luis, you’re the only one who can do this,” Sam said, “you’re the only one she’ll let near her.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Earlier she freaked out with Hank and in the interrogation room I touched her hand and she jerked it away. Just a minute ago one of the officers brushed against her arm and she jumped. But I have seen you touch her several times and she never gets upset or pulls away. I think she would be uncomfortable with anyone else.”
“Ok, but you have to tell her,” Luis said and they both walked over to Sheridan who was standing at the window.
“Sheridan you can go home now,” Sam said, “but I have decided to assign you a bodyguard, so Luis will be staying with you.”
“But…”
“No buts Sheridan, it’s for your own protection,” Sam said. He put his hand on her arm, but she quickly moved her arm away. “If those French drug dealers haven’t already sent other hit men after you they will as soon as they learn that we caught Antoine.”
Luis noticed the way Sheridan reacted when Sam touched her arm and decided to see if Sam was right. He stepped up right next to Sheridan and put his hand on her back. He half expected her to jump away or yell at him but she didn’t. In fact, she seemed to relax and lean back into his touch.
“Why don’t I just get someone from Crane Security,” Sheridan said.
“I think you need someone you can’t fire,” Sam said, “and Luis seems to have an uncanny knack of always knowing when you’re in trouble. Luis why don’t you take Miss Crane home now, I’m sure she’s tired.”
“I’ll go grab my stuff out of my locker and then we can go,” Luis said to Sheridan. He returned a few minutes later carrying a small gym bag and he and Sheridan left the station.
“Aren’t you going to yell at me?” Luis asked as they walked in the Sheridan’s front door, “I thought you would be mad about me being your bodyguard.”
“I am mad,” Sheridan answered, “I just don’t feel like yelling right now.”
“That’s got to be a first,” Luis said sarcastically.
“Very funny. Are you hungry?”
“Actually I’m starving,” Luis said.
“Have a seat and I’ll go see what I can find.”
“How do I know you’re not going to sneak out the back door?”
“Good grief Luis, if you’re that paranoid you can come in the kitchen with me.” They both walked into the kitchen and Luis sat at the table while Sheridan looked in the refrigerator.
“Hey, we’re in luck,” Sheridan said, pulling a dish out of the refrigerator, “Pilar was down here today.”
“Oh yeah, what’s so lucky about that?”
“She left us lasagna. She knows I don’t like to eat in the mansion that much, so every so often she brings food and leaves it in the refrigerator.”
“Can’t you cook for yourself?”
“Yes I can,” she said putting the lasagna in the oven, “but Pilar always gives me a hard time about what I eat. She says I don’t eat enough, or I eat too much junk and not enough nutritious food. I usually come home and order Chinese, so this is her way of getting me to eat what she wants.”
“She does the same thing to me,” Luis smiled, “I bet there’s a salad in there too. ‘You have to eat your vegetables,’” Luis said mimicking his mother’s voice.
Sheridan opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bowl. “Here it is.”
“Speaking of my mother, I should probably call her and let her know what’s going on.”
“Ok, the phone is over there.”
“Hi mama, it’s Luis. I’m going to be staying at Sheridan’s for a while. Sam assigned me to be her bodyguard. Yes she’s ok. No we’re not fighting, at least not right now,” Luis laughed, he paused every so often to listen to Pilar. “Would you mind bringing me some clothes in the morning. Thanks Mama.”
Then Luis started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Sheridan asked.
“She told me to make sure you eat something.”
“I told you,” Sheridan laughed.
“We found the lasagna Mama, it’s in the oven now. Yes we are going to eat the salad too. No I don’t think so, I’ll ask her,” Luis said turning to Sheridan, “Mama wants to know if you found the dessert.”
“No, where is it?”
“She said it is on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.”
Sheridan looked around in the refrigerator for a second and then a big smile appeared on her face. “I found it, but I don’t think there is enough to share, sorry Luis,” Sheridan said with a sly smile.
“What Mama,” Luis said into the phone, “oh really, ok. Well I should go now. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Luis hung up the phone and looked at Sheridan. “So you are planning on eating an entire cheesecake all by yourself huh.”
Well, I suppose I could be persuaded to share a little piece with you. It’s my favorite dessert, turtle cheesecake from this little restaurant in New York.”
“Do you always have your dessert flown in?”
“No this is a gift from Ethan. See there’s a card.”
“Is it a special occasion?” Luis asked.
“No.”
“Then why did he give it to you?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Yes I do. Tell me.”
“Ok,” Sheridan said and she handed Luis the card.
Luis read the card. ‘I know you were upset about Luis giving you a hard time and I thought this might make you feel better.’ “You know Sheridan, since I’m the reason you got this I think I definitely deserve a piece.”
“I’m not sure you should get a reward for irritating me,” Sheridan sighed pulling the lasagna out of the oven. “Grab some plates, dinners ready.”
They both sat down at the table and ate dinner and each had a piece of cheesecake for dessert. Some how they managed not to argue the whole time.
“Wow that was really good cheesecake,” Luis said.
“I told you,” Sheridan said, “but you stay out of my cheesecake. With you being my bodyguard all the time I may need a lot of cheering up.” Sheridan got up from the table and rinsed her dishes off and put them in the dishwasher.
“Sheridan Crane actually does her own dishes,” Luis teased, “will wonders never cease.”
“I’m getting really tired of you thinking you know everything about me just because my last name is Crane,” Sheridan yelled.
“I’m sorry,” Luis said, “I was only kidding. Why don’t you let me finish the dishes. You’ve had a long day, you should relax.”
“Fine,” Sheridan said, calming down, “I’m going to take a bath. Make yourself at home.”
Sheridan slowly lowered herself into the warm water of the freestanding bathtub in her bathroom. The soft foamy bubbles covered her body all the way to her neck. She sighed as she laid her head back against the side of the tub. She hoped the warm water would wash all her troubles away. Her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.
Luis put the last dish in the dishwasher and then he noticed some sauce from the lasagna on the sleeve of his shirt. He took his shirt off and washed off the spot and laid the shirt on a chair. He decided to check the doors and windows in the house to make sure they were all secure. While he was checking the window in Sheridan’s bedroom he heard her scream. He ran to the bathroom, flung the door open and ran in.
“Sheridan are you okay…AHHHHHH!”
To Be Continued...
