The Detective and the Rockstar

Chapter 10

         Her head was throbbing even worse than it was before being head-butted in her face. The whirring of the fan in the stuffy office took her back to the embarrassing first moments of her relationship with the man holding an ice pack on her cheek.

          She concentrated on the smell of the perfume he was wearing and the warmth of his body. Her legs were between his as he held his body in a position she knew was making his back hurt.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"A little. I've been punched in the face before. You don't have to make such a fuss."

"It was a head-butt, not a punch. You're lucky it's just a cut, and he didn't break your cheekbone." He moved the ice bag to examine the injury. "Have you ever thought about a different career? One less dangerous."

"Have you?" she asked with a dry smirk.

He chuckled. "Point taken, detective." He pushed himself back and stretched his back. "Let me see your hand." He took her hand and squeezed the ice bag against the crimson-colored knuckles. "Does it hurt?"

"I've..."

"...punched a guy before." He cut her off and finished her sentence with annoyance. He rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah, I know. I only wish you would try to be a little less aggressive. You make me worry."

"You don't have to worry about me, Rio."

"Why? Are you going to stop me?" He looked her in the eyes with an intense stare and then squeezed her hand tightly. "It's hard to stop worrying about someone when you care about them."

"You don't mean that!" She snorted cynically and averted her gaze to the window. His eyes were making her nervous.

"Believe whatever you want. I can't change your mind. You're a stubborn girl."

The door opened, and Matt walked in carrying a folder. He smiled like he always did and closed the door behind them.

"Can't connect the dots?" Annika asked before he had a chance to start speaking. He looked at her, curious to know why she said what she did. "He's a tough man. If he was the one who attacked Rio, he'd be dead right now, not making virgin panties wet."

Rio squinted his eyes at Annika, then shook the thought from his head.

"What do you mean?" Matt asked.

"I watched the video from Rio's house. When the guy slugged him on the staircase, Rio took it like a pro. If that man from the greeting thing had punched him, he would have been knocked from those steps. That man is a strong dude! Look at his knuckles; he's no lightweight."

"You're correct," Matt said. "It turns out he was telling the truth. His daughter is in the hospital. Attempted suicide. It's not an easy life when Daddy is a career convicted criminal, and Mommy is a drug addict." He shook his head. "Anyway, he had a warrant for battery against a store clerk. He's in the process of being booked."

"So, no dice? You still don't know who attacked me?" Rio said. The expression on his face betrayed the frustration he was feeling.

"We're working on it, Rio. Every lead we have gotten so far has led us nowhere. Even this one."

Rio groaned, throwing his head back. "This is killing me. I've been looking over my shoulders ever since that night. I can't live like this! It feels more like someone is trying to mess with me than kill me."

Annika felt genuinely bad for him.

"Rio, I know you're upset, but believe me, I'm trying my best," Matt said.