I'll Take Care of You
Nick walked past the quiet cafe where a blonde woman on a laptop sat in the sunshine. They made eye contact for an instant and shared the smallest of smiles. The woman nodded before returning her attention to her computer screen.
He entered the warehouse across the street and took a deep breath. In the exhale, he transformed himself from Detective Senior Constable Nick Buchanan into hardened assassin Nick the Butcher. It was the stupidest name, but Matt was running the op and he seemed quite pleased with himself for coming up with Nick's undercover identity.
Jen was seated at the cafe, monitoring the surveillance camera feed to make sure Nick was alright. She and the rest of the team were prepared to rush in to rescue him if things got bad.
But things did get bad. Nick maintained his cover and got the evidence they needed to make the arrest, but they hadn't counted on the suspect having their own surveillance. Someone saw Jen's computer screen and hauled her into the warehouse with a gun to her head.
"Found this one watching us on a camera feed," the armed man shouted, shoving Jen inside.
Nick put all his energy into keeping his face neutral as his heart was racing. Thinking quickly, he grabbed her arm and pulled out the switchblade he had kept concealed. He held the knife to her throat and growled, "I'll take care of you."
"Do it," she spat. "And you'll never know who I'm working for."
The suspect laughed. "Doesn't matter, does it? Kill her, Nick. Slice her open like you did with that last one."
"I won't fight you," Jen said calmly, daring her would-be assailant to finish her off.
"It would be stupid if you did," he replied.
And in one swift movement, Nick shoved Jen to the floor, releasing her from his knife-hold and grabbing her gun concealed under her jacket. He let off two rounds, one for each criminal they were tracking.
Sirens and shouts entered the warehouse. Matt and the rest of the team arrested the injured suspects.
Nick ran to Jen. "Christ, are you alright?"
"I think you could have done that a little gentler. You got me!" she complained, holding her neck as she stood up.
He examined the rather deep cut he's inflicted about two inches below her ear. "Oh god, Jen, I'm sorry!"
"I'll be fine. Nowhere near the carotid. Better than dead. But if I get a scar, I'm going to kill you," she grumbled.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, if you get a scar, you can kill me."
Jen looked at him with a small smile. They watched each other silently for a moment.
Matt ran over to make sure they were alright. Nick and Jen didn't have a moment alone for a while. But they sat in the back of Matt and Duncan's car, holding hands where no one could see. Jen knew that Nick would take care of her at home, once she got patched up. And she would thank him for saving her life, even if she hadn't gotten out completely unscathed. She'd make sure he knew how much she appreciated him.