It was like when someone said the night had been slow or smooth. Only a dumbass issued that challenge to the universe ’cause without fail, shit would go off the rails.
In my case, the night went from bad to worse thanks to that happy little puppy cop Lo left with the night of the shooting. I’d watched her grab his shirt and drag him to the car.
The kid looked like he’d swallowed his damn tongue when he came into my office and stared at her. I got it. Fuck, did I get it. I had a soft spot for those shapeless suits she wore, but her in the casual jeans and tight top? No one stood a chance. It was a shock he hadn’t offered up his shirt again so she could pull him wherever she wanted, an eager pup on a leash.
It also made me wonder if that was a frequent occurrence. Maybe he was someone she fucked around with in her real life. Someone without old man knees who could keep up.
Every shared look or whispered comment between the two of them had me giving serious consideration to breaking his jaw under the claim it was part of the undercover shit. Even if no one bought the bullshit excuse, it would’ve been worth it.
Since the dynamic duo in uniform knew who she was and had clearly been tipped off about what was happening, their investigation into the call about us being overcapacity was quick and surface-level. To be fair, there wasn’t much for them to even pretend to do. Tumbleweeds might as well have been rolling through. They’d still interviewed everyone to make it seem good and legit.
It’d been late enough when they left that I’d told my crew to close up early and get some rest.
That was what I should’ve been doing, too.
Instead, I was staring at the unread text on my phone.
Me:
You good?
Could be Lo was sleeping. Hell, that was likely the case.
But after our conversation followed so closely by the fake call, I wanted to be certain.
Slipping my boots back on, I didn’t bother with the laces as I walked outside. I’d expected her townhouse to be calm and dark. Or at least dim.
Instead, the living room light shone brightly through the curtains.
Shit, that’s not a good sign.
I might’ve been able to see through the gap in the window, but I wasn’t stupid enough to creep outside of a woman’s house. Especially when that woman was a badass who paired her cute pajamas with deadly weapons. For all I knew, her house was as booby-trapped as her personality.
A fact that shouldn’t have made me hard, yet there we fuckin’ were.
I’ll knock real quick and make sure she’s okay.
My steps faltered at the bottom of the stairs that led up to her stoop when she yelled, “Give it to me!”
And then I’ll kill whatever motherfucker is in there with her.
“I can take it,” she added, just as loud. Frantic.Desperate. “Yes, I can. Now give it to me, or I’ll take it away. And you willnotlike how I do that!”
I stormed up her steps and was about to beat the door down when it was thrown open.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, not waiting around for my answer. She stepped onto the landing, gun raised as she scanned the area. “What’s happening?”
“I could ask you the same damn questions.” I walked into her house without hesitation or invitation and looked around for a man.
A sorry bastard.
A future dead body.
I moved toward the hallway. “Where is he?”
What kind of pussy hides and leaves her alone? Getting rid of him is doing her a favor. She should be thanking me.
Lo rushed to keep up with me. “Who?”
