I convinced myself that my obsession with Nina wasn’t me catching feelings. I also told myself that I could erase all thoughts of Nina as a person, rather than a case number, from my mind.
Who am I kidding?Nina lived rent free in my mind, and it’d take a miracle to change that reality.
“You good?”
“I’m fine, why?”
“Because, Winchester, your knuckles are white and your breathing is erratic.”
Fuck.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re too observant?” I forced a laugh while changing the subject.
“All the fucking time. What’s got you freaked?”
“Family shit.”
“This is gonna get ugly, isn’t it?”
“I don’t see how it can’t.”
I couldn’t shake the need to protect Nina. John and the SSI team would feel the same. Hell, I’d put money on them already assigning her a detail.
“Doing my job means lying to my family, and that’s going to piss them off.”
“What should I expect?”
“Expect SSI to research Nina’s background.”
“Any chance you can stop them?”
“What do you think?”
He laughed. One meeting was all it took for the average person to size up John Sheppard. Ryan Gibson was anything but average.Exceptional comes to mind. He’d sized John up before a word was spoken.
John Sheppard. Marine. Parker County Detective, retired. Started Sheppard & Sons Investigations with Jamie and Jack after Jamie’s first wife was murdered. Married with four kids and three grandchildren.
“I think this case just took FUBAR to the next level.”
He wasn’t wrong. The case was fucked up from the beginning, but now it was one-hundred percent fucked up beyond all recognition.
“Are you ready for the challenge?”
“Always.” He turned toward me. “Are you?”
If he’d asked before I’d realized the curvy, coffee spilling woman from Madi’s party was the key to my current cases, my answer would be a resounding yes.
Everything’s different now. My worlds had collided, and the fallout would claim more than one victim.
“Yeah.”
“Fuck,” he grunted, understanding what I hadn’t said.
“Fuck is right.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and listed the states from Z to A to clear my mind.
Chapter 19
Nina
