Rigsby

The next day, I take my rage to Cy.

I can't disobey Grace. She controls me completely, my love and my respect for her creating counterweights in my arms and legs. If she tells me to stop holding her, they pull away. If she tells me to hit the road, they walk.

I hate it, but they do as they're told.

Cy? Has no such fuckin' sway with me.

I took a rare trip upstairs and found him at his desk.

"We need to talk." What's the point of preamble?

He looked up from his file, his dark eyes sizing me up from behind his glasses. His studious air made me want to mentally mock him as dorky, but I found that I couldn't. His academic slant looked good on him. Plus I knew he wasn't a slouch when it came to physical fitness. I just hate him so much that I cling to anything that might humble him.

Dork, my mind spat childishly.

"Sure. Jenkins is on vacation. Let's take it to his office." His rose from his bullpen desk and led the way.

Once inside the empty room, he closed the door behind us and sat back against the desk. "How can I help you, Rigsby?"

Cute. Very fuckin' cute. "You can help me by staying the hell away from Grace Van Pelt."

He squinted a bit, cocking his head to one side. "Beg pardon?"

"Did I stutter?"

He snorted. "You must have. Because I could have sworn that you just told me to stay away from a woman you have no business making claims over. Did I hear you correctly?"

"Damn right, you did," I growled loudly. "And let me be clear as crystal by telling you that I'll fuckin' kill you if you touch her again. You hear me?"

The threat surprised both of us. I was a junior agent and I'd just threatened a technical superior with bodily harm. Fatal harm. But that didn't stop my shoulders from rolling back, ready to back that threat to the letter.

He appraised me for a very long time before sighing and dropping his eyes. My knuckles popped in rage. I knew pity when I saw it.

At length, he spoke softly.

"I'm going to let that go, man. Mostly because you're hurting, but mostly because if I were you, I'd be pissed off for letting her go, too."

I huffed in disbelief.

"She dumped me, Decker. Or didn't you get the office-wide email?" I snort derisively.

He blinked impassively. "You offered to leave for her. Why the fuck are you still here?"

"She wouldn't let me!"

"She was your girlfriend, not your boss. You should have left anyway. Show her you meant it. But you were a chickenshit about it, and now you have to watch her move on with her life."

"I want you to stay away from her." I try to sound menacing, not pleading.

"No." His answer comes back strong, but not angry.

"I mean it, Decker. Just back off."

"I said no. You're not the only guy who thinks Grace is a smart, beautiful woman. We all kept our distance and watched you take your sweet time, but you've had your shot and you blew it. It's Grace's call now, and if she'll allow it, I'll keep seeing her." He paused, taking in my rather desperate appearance before he added. "You behaved like an idiot, sneaking around like that. You had something great and you let a bunch of meaningless shit avalanche until you crushed it. I'm not saying she wasn't right there with you, but you were the senior agent. This is your native state. You've got so many contacts it's ridiculous." He paused again, sighing and pushing his glasses up. "You should have protected her better than that."

He turned and walked out of the office, his mild irritation wafting in his wake.