[Three Days Later]
The air was fresh with the scent of cut grass and dew, the kind of clean crispness that made Rosa Diaz feel both restless and oddly grounded. While her body still ached, the rest, the medication administered on time, and Janice's tireless attention had worked wonders. Her limp was lighter now, her back pains had dulled, and she no longer woke up groaning in pain.
Breakfast had been a quiet affair. Janice had arranged a spread of eggs, toast, and fruit that would have been at home in a hotel buffet. Rosa, unused to eating much in the mornings, forced down enough to satisfy Janice's hawkish glances. She had noticed how Ray's mother never asked directly whether she was taking care of herself, yet her raised brow spoke volumes.
When Janice said that she was heading into town to visit the bank for some paperwork, Rosa felt a peculiar relief, though she did not admit it aloud. It was not that she disliked the woman. On the contrary, her care made Rosa happy, but she often scrambles her brain to find the right word before Janice.
The thing is, in front of Janice, Rosa couldn't keep up her tough act, not to mention that she was having a very hard time controlling her urges to break or smash something... anything. Then there was that thing about impressing her, which we all know Rosa wasn't good at. Still, she tried her best.
All in all, Rosa was trying to find a balance between her Classic Scary Rosa and Pacifist Peaceful Rosa.
Now it was just her and Ray.
They stepped out into the sprawling grounds, the crunch of gravel underfoot fading as they reached the softer grass. The sun sat low, golden light spilling over the fields where horses moved lazily. Ahead, the lake glittered with swans cutting serene arcs across its surface.
"Still feels weird," Rosa muttered, breaking the silence.
Ray looked sideways at her. "What does?"
"Being here. All this land, the house, the staff. It feels like I walked into a movie set. I keep expecting someone to yell cut."
Ray gave a small, amused smile. "That is exactly why I brought you here. To get you away from the noise. Somewhere you can breathe."
Rosa scoffed softly, though without her usual bite. "Breathing is overrated. Sleeping in that giant bed though? That I could get used to."
Ray chuckled, low and warm. "You did not toss once last night. That's an improvement."
"Maybe because you make a nice hugging pillow."
"Okay. I'll take that compliment."
They reached the lake's edge where the ground sloped gently downward. The swans lifted their heads at the approaching footsteps but, unthreatened, returned to their lazy gliding. Ray guided Rosa to a spot where the grass was dry and they sat.
The air was still except for the gentle lapping of water and the rustle of wings now and then. Rosa leaned back, propping her weight on her hands, and tilted her head toward the sky.
"Horses, lakes, swans..." She said after a pause. "Perfect place to settle down, don't you think?"
Ray's gaze remained on the water. "Yeah, maybe... someday..." He glanced toward her. "...with someone special."
The words hung in the air like a ripple on the water.
Rosa blinked once, slow and measured, but her pulse betrayed her. She was not a woman who liked being caught off guard. Her default reaction was always a scowl, a sharp retort, a wall slammed into place. Yet when Ray said "someone special," she didn't feel the usual instinct to run. Instead, she felt a strange warmth that settled under her ribs.
"Someday," she echoed, testing the word like she was trying out a foreign language. "That's a long way off."
"Maybe," Ray said, leaning back beside her, his weight pushing into the grass. "Maybe not. Depends on the person."
She shot him a sidelong glance... That infuriating poker face of his again. Rosa hated how good he was at keeping it.
"Are you saying you already found the person?" she asked, her voice deliberately flat.
Ray finally looked at her, and for once there was no mask. Just the smallest curve at the corner of his mouth, just enough to tug at her defenses.
"I think you know the answer to that."
Rosa's throat tightened. For a second she wanted to stand, walk off, distract herself with anything. A fight, a case, even an interrogation would have been easier than this. She was Rosa Diaz. She didn't do tender. She didn't do hearts and flowers. But Ray had a way of pressing right past her armor, like he knew exactly where the seams were.
She exhaled slowly, forcing her shoulders to relax. "Well, I hope she's ready to deal with your habit of being annoyingly calm all the time. It's borderline creepy."
Ray chuckled. "I'll take my chances."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. Rosa caught herself watching the water again, watching the way the swans moved. Their necks curved, graceful, like they owned the lake and knew it.
"You think they're judging us?" she asked suddenly.
Ray raised an eyebrow. "The swans?"
"Yeah. Look at them." She gestured toward the birds, her face serious. "They've got that superior vibe. Like 'Oh, look at the humans, pretending they know how to swim.'"
Ray smirked. "I think you're projecting."
Rosa turned to him, eyes wide. "No. That one right there is giving me side-eye."
The nearest swan indeed glanced in their direction, its black eyes beady and intense. Ray shook his head, amused. "They're not judging. They're just swans."
"Swans are like geese with better PR. Everyone acts like they're elegant, but deep down? They're just jerks with necks."
Ray laughed outright at that, the sound rare and startling in its warmth. "Want to test your theory?"
Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by test?"
"Feed them."
Rosa sat up straighter. "What? No. I am not hand-delivering breakfast to the Swan Mafia."
Ray stood, brushing grass from his pants. "Come on. I'll grab the seed from the basket. They'll like you."
"They'll peck me to death."
"They won't." He offered a hand to help her up.
She eyed it like it was a trap, then grudgingly let him pull her to her feet. "If I get mauled, I'm haunting you forever."
"Duly noted."
They walked back toward the small shed-like sitting area with a big table, where a small seed basket had been left by staff earlier that morning. Ray took a fistful of seeds and put it into his pocket.
Rosa also took a fistful of seeds. "This feels like bait in a horror movie."
"Only if you scream dramatically while running in slow motion."
"Don't tempt me."
They returned to the lake, the swans immediately gliding closer as if summoned by some invisible bell. Rosa stiffened.
"Okay," she muttered. "They're organized. They're flanking."
The swans advanced in formation, their wings folded like they were concealing tiny feathery weapons. Rosa narrowed her eyes.
"They've got strategy," she whispered. "That one's the leader. You can tell by the shifty eyes."
Ray looked at her like she had just accused a bookshelf of espionage. "They're birds, Rosa. They want food."
"Yeah, and bank robbers want money. Doesn't mean you hand it over with a smile."
The closest swan honked. Rosa took a half-step back, clutching her handful of seeds like a defensive grenade. "See? That was a threat. I know a threat honk when I hear one."
Ray remained perfectly calm, crouching down and scattering a few seeds onto the grass. The swans surged forward, heads bobbing.
"They're moving too fast," Rosa hissed, edging sideways. "Too coordinated. This is exactly how Jurassic Park started."
"Pretty sure that was dinosaurs," Ray said, still maddeningly unbothered.
"Yeah, and these are like… neck dinosaurs."
Ray chuckled. "Neck dinosaurs?"
"Don't mock me while we're under attack."
The swans lowered their long necks to peck at the seeds. Rosa's shoulders tensed as if she expected them to suddenly form a circle and chant in Latin. She stood stiffly, seeds clenched in her hand.
"Just toss it," Ray advised.
Rosa's jaw tightened. "What if I miss and hit one in the face? Then it's war."
"They'll be fine."
"Fine? Have you seen their wingspan? That one could block out the sun if it wanted."
Finally, Rosa flung her seeds in an arc across the grass like she was throwing ninja stars. The swans rushed after the food, squawking. Rosa folded her arms, scowling.
"There. I fed them. Happy?"
Ray bit back a smile. "Very."
"I didn't enjoy that. Not even a little."
He glanced at her sideways. "You screamed internally, didn't you?"
Her glare sharpened. "Don't push it."
One particularly bold swan waddled closer, eyeing Rosa's empty hands. She froze, then whispered, "Ray. It's targeting me. I knew they could smell fear."
The swan stretched its neck and hissed softly. Rosa immediately took three large steps backward. "Nope. Not today. I've been stabbed, shot at, blown up. But I refuse to get assassinated by a goose in disguise."
"It's a swan," Ray corrected.
"It's a liar," Rosa snapped.
The swan advanced another step. Rosa instinctively reached for her hip like she expected her holster to be there. When her hand found nothing but fabric, she swore under her breath. "Of course. The one time I don't carry."
Ray crouched again, tossed a few more seeds directly in front of the swan, and it happily bent down to eat. Rosa released a breath like she had just survived a hostage situation.
"That's it. I'm never going near a bird again. Not pigeons, not parrots, not Thanksgiving turkeys. Nothing with feathers."
Ray straightened, brushing off his hands. "You know, most people find swans peaceful."
"Most people are wrong," Rosa muttered. "They're like the rich jerks of the bird world. Pretty on the outside, but if you cross them, they'll sue you for emotional damages."
Ray laughed, which only irritated Rosa further. "Glad my trauma entertains you."
"Alright, I'll let you pick tonight's movie and a nice shoulder massage?" He offered.
"You better," Rosa said, still glaring at the swans as they gobbled the last of the seeds.
They turned back toward the mansion, Rosa walking a little faster than usual to put distance between herself and the feathery menace.
Halfway across the lawn, Rosa muttered, "I swear, that leader swan winked at me. Like it was planning revenge."
Ray's lips curved. "Want me to assign you a detail of bodyguards?"
"Don't joke. If I disappear mysteriously, tell the squad to check the lake first."
Ray's chuckle followed her all the way back up the slope.
...
Inside the mansion, Rosa dropped heavily into one of the overstuffed chairs near the fireplace, rubbing her temples. "I can't believe I survived shootouts, car chases, and a mall siege, only to get menaced by poultry."
Ray sat across from her. "Swans, not poultry."
"Don't get technical. Evil is evil."
She leaned her head back against the chair, finally allowing herself a laugh. The ridiculousness of it all: the swans, Ray's deadpan calm, her own over-the-top reaction. It all hit her at once. She laughed harder than she had in weeks, shoulders shaking.
"See, I'm laughing. How do people do that all the time?" She said.
Ray watched quietly, a soft smile playing at his lips.
When Rosa finally caught her breath, she wiped at her eyes and said, "If you tell anyone at the precinct about this, I'll deny it. Then I'll kill everyone, stab you, and then kill myself."
"Understood," Ray said smoothly. "Your secret's safe."
Rosa narrowed her eyes. "Too safe. That calm face again. I don't trust it."
"I think it's cute that you were scared," Ray said evenly.
"Cute?" Rosa repeated, like the word was foreign and mildly offensive. She tried to put on her stoic face, but failed miserably. She loves it when Ray calls her cute or beautiful. "No one calls Rosa Diaz cute... Excepto tú. Siempre sigues haciendo eso y me encanta cuando me dices cosas bonitas." The last part, she spoke in Spanish. [Google Translate 😬]
[Eng: ...Except you. You always do that, and I love it when you say nice things to me.]
"¿Eh? ¿Qué ha sido eso? No he entendido bien la última parte." ["Huh? What was that? I didn't quite catch the last part."]
Rosa's left eye twitched. She froze for a moment. "You speak Spanish?"
Ray tilted his head slightly, his calm expression never faltering. "Yes."
Her glare sharpened. "You mean to tell me… you understood everything I've been saying in Spanish for the last few days?"
"Yes," he replied evenly, as if announcing the weather.
Rosa sat forward, incredulous. "Including last night? When you were reading that book and I was mumbling to myself while writing in my diary?"
"Yes."
Her jaw clenched. "So you heard me say I wanted to have sex in the barn."
Ray raised an eyebrow, but didn't look away. "Yes."
"And that I actually went out there to check the door locks… but had to cancel because there were too many mosquitoes."
Ray blinked once, then allowed himself the faintest smirk. "Yes."
Rosa groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Kill me now."
---
[POWERSTONES AND REVIEWS PLS]
Support link: www.patr eon.com/UnknownMaster
[25 advance chs] [No double billing.]
---
Spoilers. Upcoming chapter names. Click to read.[1]
[1] Ch: 31 [Emma Watson's crisis] Ch: 32 [High profile celebrity case] Ch: 33 [Two Emmas & one threat] Ch: 34 [Blood on Asphalt] Ch: 35 [Unofficially Involved] Ch: 36 [Jake: The Decoy]