Page 52 of Crossfire Creek Vengeance

Jessa swallowed, her relief tempered by the sight of how deeply this had hit him. Roman didn’t just feel attacked. He felt violated. And whoever had done this had just made it personal.

Roman finally turned his attention to her. The fury in his expression softened just a fraction. “How are you?” he asked.

She was well aware that he already knew. About Noah. About what she had told him. Roman always knew. He read between lines that other people didn’t even notice.

“I’m fine,” she said.

It was easier than saying I don’t know. Easier than admitting that the ground had shifted under her feet and she was still trying to find balance. She didn’t want to give Roman one more thing to worry about when he already carried too much.

Roman studied her for a second longer, then nodded again.

“Someone leaked those documents,” he said, turning back to Deacon’s desk. “The obvious answer is Wynn.”

“Agreed,” Deacon replied.

“But I’m not ruling out Corbin,” Roman added. “Or Shade. Any one of them could have done this. Wynn wants chaos. Corbin likes pulling strings from the shadows. And Shade has more reasons than we know.”

She was thinking the same thing. “Corbin knows our history. He knows exactly how to hit us where it hurts. And he hates us enough to do it.”

“And Shade has the skills,” Roman added. “He could fabricate every line of those files, route them through ten different relays and make it look like they fell out of the sky.”

She met his eyes and saw the promise there. Roman would not let this stand. Neither would she. They just had to figure out which enemy was after them.

And fast.

“Wynn gave us forty-eight hours,” she reminded them. “Find Lauren’s killer, or he releases everything else he has.”

Roman shrugged. “If he does, fine. Let him. I want the truth out there. I don’t want lies buried or twisted anymore. But I’m not going to let Wynn bully us into making bad choices.”

Deacon made a sound of agreement.

Roman’s gaze dropped to her hands, to the coat she was still holding. His eyes lifted again, sharp with concern. “You’re leaving?”

“Yes. I’m going to Deacon’s.”

Roman made a low sound that could have meant anything from irritation to resignation. “I hope you both know what you’re doing.”

She tilted her head. “About what?”

“About mixing this,” he said, gesturing vaguely between her and Deacon, “with that.” His eyes hardened, protective brother mode fully engaged. “Tempting lust isn’t always a good thing.”

Jessa fought the urge to bristle. “We’re aware of the risks.”

Roman held her gaze for a moment longer, then sighed. “Just be careful. Both of you.”

She nodded. She didn’t promise anything she couldn’t keep. Tomorrow, the truth would start coming out. And tonight, she needed somewhere solid so she could steel herself up.

They said their goodbyes to Roman in the hallway outside Deacon’s office. Roman pulled her into a brief, tight hug, murmured for her to be careful, then gave Deacon a look that carried about five different meanings before turning and walking away.

Jessa followed Deacon out of the sheriff’s station, the night air cold against her flushed skin. The lot was nearly empty now, lights buzzing overhead as they crossed to Deacon’s new cruiser. Once inside, the doors thudded shut and the quiet settled in around them.

As they pulled onto the road, Deacon cleared his throat. “I’m sorry if I caused tension between you and Roman.”

She turned toward him, surprised. “You didn’t.”

He glanced over, skeptical.

“Roman doesn’t hate you as much as you think he does,” she said.