‹ Prequel: Race Against Time
We'll Be Okay
Everything To Me
I watched her leave, stunned. I knew we'd been having problems, but I never dreamed she'd break up with me. I opened the door and went after her.
"We'll talk about this later", I said to her in a low voice. She gave me a venomous look before returning to her paperwork. Every eye in the precinct was on us. I gave them a hard stare until one by one, they looked down. I walked into the meeting room and sat down, resting my head in my hands. Mac was sitting across from me.
"You okay, Don?" he asked. I looked up at him.
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine", I lied. What was I supposed to say? 'No, my girlfriend just broke up with me after getting in a fistfight with the new detective on my team and now all three of us are being called into question'?
"I'll talk to her. Most likely, Isabella's just feeling like no one has her back", Mac replied. He had a point. Not even Levi was on her side. Sythe and Sinclair walked in and sat down. I knew Sinclair didn't like Isabella. Like Danny, Mac had been strongly cautioned not to hire her. Her Mafia ties made her a target and her temper sure didn't help anything.
"Alright, so IA doesn't get involved, they've decided to let us talk this out. We'll talk to the witnesses one by one and get their account. We've already spoken to Suarez and Pacino", Sythe said. I knew he was fond of Isabella, so this was in our favor.
"No one is innocent in all of this, that's the issue. Suarez goaded Isabella, I believe that. I also believe Suarez bet on Isabella's short temper and retaliation. It's no secret that they're at each other's throats constantly", Mac said. He was going to stick up for Isabella. Something I should be doing too, but Ariana Suarez was on my team, therefore, my responsibility.
"Did Detective Suarez admit to starting the fight?" I asked.
"She said Detective Pacino threatened her", Sinclair replied.
"Isabella said that Ariana got in her face", Sythe said, looking at the paper.
"Until we get the other accounts, we can't do anything. Flack, this is personal for you, as Isabella and you are involved. You'll need to sit this one out". I nodded, even though we weren't involved anymore.
"Okay, so if the witnesses' accounts corroborate with Suarez's and Pacino's story, at least three days suspension on Suarez, a week on Pacino's?" Sinclair said. Mac stood up.
"No. If the stories are consistent, I will deal with Detective Pacino. She's my employee and she's just as much a part of the NYPD as you and I are", he said.
"A member of my team is threatened and gets into an altercation that a member of your team started. She shouldn't be punished longer than the assailant. I don't care what your vendetta is against the Pacino crime family, Isabella is not part of it. She's a damn good detective and a damn good CSI. We've put a lot of criminals away because of her", he continued. Not even Isabella's brother was on her side.
"I agree with Mac. It may seem like a conflict of interest, but Isabella is not an instigator. She is threatened, she lashes out. Ariana is constantly on Isabella's case and will not leave her alone. I agree, she should at least be suspended two days at least for throwing punches", I said. Time to stand up for her.
"We'll get back to discussing punishment after we get witness accounts", Sinclair replied. We all left the room and Mac went straight for Isabella.
"C'mon, you're going to the lab with me", he said. She nodded, glancing at me. I walked up to her.
"If the witness accounts corroborate with your story, you won't be suspended. Mac and I stood up for you", I said in a low voice to her. She looked up at me.
"Really?" she asked. I nodded.
"If we don't get this worked out, just know I'll always have your back", I replied. She turned and ran after Mac. We weren't back together yet, but my heart was hurting. I realized then that I really do love her. Isabella Rae O'Malley Pacino was everything I'd ever wanted in a woman. Smart, funny, sarcastic, witty, a good heart. She was definitely the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on and the day I met her, I knew my life was never going to be the same. Danny was right. Isabella and I were made for each other. I just had to prove it to her. I had to prove to her that I was the man she needed.
"We'll talk about this later", I said to her in a low voice. She gave me a venomous look before returning to her paperwork. Every eye in the precinct was on us. I gave them a hard stare until one by one, they looked down. I walked into the meeting room and sat down, resting my head in my hands. Mac was sitting across from me.
"You okay, Don?" he asked. I looked up at him.
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine", I lied. What was I supposed to say? 'No, my girlfriend just broke up with me after getting in a fistfight with the new detective on my team and now all three of us are being called into question'?
"I'll talk to her. Most likely, Isabella's just feeling like no one has her back", Mac replied. He had a point. Not even Levi was on her side. Sythe and Sinclair walked in and sat down. I knew Sinclair didn't like Isabella. Like Danny, Mac had been strongly cautioned not to hire her. Her Mafia ties made her a target and her temper sure didn't help anything.
"Alright, so IA doesn't get involved, they've decided to let us talk this out. We'll talk to the witnesses one by one and get their account. We've already spoken to Suarez and Pacino", Sythe said. I knew he was fond of Isabella, so this was in our favor.
"No one is innocent in all of this, that's the issue. Suarez goaded Isabella, I believe that. I also believe Suarez bet on Isabella's short temper and retaliation. It's no secret that they're at each other's throats constantly", Mac said. He was going to stick up for Isabella. Something I should be doing too, but Ariana Suarez was on my team, therefore, my responsibility.
"Did Detective Suarez admit to starting the fight?" I asked.
"She said Detective Pacino threatened her", Sinclair replied.
"Isabella said that Ariana got in her face", Sythe said, looking at the paper.
"Until we get the other accounts, we can't do anything. Flack, this is personal for you, as Isabella and you are involved. You'll need to sit this one out". I nodded, even though we weren't involved anymore.
"Okay, so if the witnesses' accounts corroborate with Suarez's and Pacino's story, at least three days suspension on Suarez, a week on Pacino's?" Sinclair said. Mac stood up.
"No. If the stories are consistent, I will deal with Detective Pacino. She's my employee and she's just as much a part of the NYPD as you and I are", he said.
"A member of my team is threatened and gets into an altercation that a member of your team started. She shouldn't be punished longer than the assailant. I don't care what your vendetta is against the Pacino crime family, Isabella is not part of it. She's a damn good detective and a damn good CSI. We've put a lot of criminals away because of her", he continued. Not even Isabella's brother was on her side.
"I agree with Mac. It may seem like a conflict of interest, but Isabella is not an instigator. She is threatened, she lashes out. Ariana is constantly on Isabella's case and will not leave her alone. I agree, she should at least be suspended two days at least for throwing punches", I said. Time to stand up for her.
"We'll get back to discussing punishment after we get witness accounts", Sinclair replied. We all left the room and Mac went straight for Isabella.
"C'mon, you're going to the lab with me", he said. She nodded, glancing at me. I walked up to her.
"If the witness accounts corroborate with your story, you won't be suspended. Mac and I stood up for you", I said in a low voice to her. She looked up at me.
"Really?" she asked. I nodded.
"If we don't get this worked out, just know I'll always have your back", I replied. She turned and ran after Mac. We weren't back together yet, but my heart was hurting. I realized then that I really do love her. Isabella Rae O'Malley Pacino was everything I'd ever wanted in a woman. Smart, funny, sarcastic, witty, a good heart. She was definitely the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on and the day I met her, I knew my life was never going to be the same. Danny was right. Isabella and I were made for each other. I just had to prove it to her. I had to prove to her that I was the man she needed.