Page 75 of Armed ’N’ Ready

“Andi, I—” He took a step toward her, then stopped. Exhaling a ragged breath, he shoved a hand through his hair, looking as if he wanted to finish his thought but couldn’t. It didn’t matter. His expression said it all. Nick had just used her ass again and felt like crap about it.

She didn’t. The man was out of her system. Forever.

Without looking up, she shoved her feet into her sneakers. “Don’t even think of saying you’re sorry about what just happened.”

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

“Bullshit.” This time she did look at him. “I can see it on your face, so don’t say another word. Just let it go. Please.” She swallowed the sob rising in her throat. If he apologized, she’d lose it, she was sure of it.

Mercifully he didn’t respond, and the second she had her sneaker laces tied, she bolted to her feet and took off down the path. There was no need to check behind her. He was there. He and Saxon would watch her back until Joe was safely ensconced in police custody.

A stronger breeze had kicked up, rustling the trees overhead. She picked up her pace, running faster, her heart pounding so fiercely she thought it would explode. Or break. Again.

By the time they made it back to her house, she’d gotten control of her emotions. Or so she thought. Tess and Eric were waiting in her kitchen, a stack of café receipts piled high on the table.

“Andi?” Tess threw her a concerned look as she buzzed past the table. “Andi?” she repeated, following her upstairs into her bedroom. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes dipped from the top of Andi’s head to her sneakers, then back up. She reached out to pluck something from her hair. “Did you know you have moss and stuff in your hair? You were gone a long time for a run. What else did you—”

Her eyes widened, and she gasped. “You didn’t. You did! You had wild, unbridled sex in the middle of the woods.” She giggled. “We were about to send out a search party, but no wonder you guys took so long. That is so hot. It’s beyond hot.” Then her countenance turned serious. “What’s wrong?”

“He doesn’t love me. He was only using me and I—” She covered her face with her hands. “Oh God,” she muttered through her fingers.

“You’re in love with him.” Tess pulled Andi’s hands from her face. “You think that’s news? Any moron can see that. And I’d bet he feels the same about you. Granted, guys like him and Eric don’t exactly wear their hearts on their sleeves. It’s a cop thing. I’m not a fan of cops, but even I have to admit the way he is around you, and the way he looks at you… He cares about you. A lot.”

“He doesn’t.” She then described in painful detail what she’d heard about the award-winning role Nick played to get close to her and convince her to talk Joe in. “They were practically slapping him on the back and high-fiving him for a job well done.”

Tess shook her head. “I don’t believe it, and neither should you. All those long smoldering looks he throws your way are definitely not made up. So, he acted in some musicals. Doesn’t mean his feelings aren’t real.”

“Nick didn’t deny it.”

“Did you ask him if it was true?”

“Yes. Later, when we were alone.”

“And?”

“He admitted it was true.”

“Whaat?” Tess’s brow wrinkled. “This doesn’t make sense. There has to be something else going on here.”

“It doesn’t matter whether there is or isn’t. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” She toed off her sneakers and began peeling off her sweat-soaked shirt. “I’m going to drown myself in the shower.”

“Don’t you want to know what Eric and I discovered in the receipts?”

She paused at the bathroom door. “What did you find?”

“Nick’s hunch paid off. Both Frank Feldman and the chief of the Springfield Police Department were at the DPC between the hours of three and four on August thirteenth. The same day as the date stamp on that photo.”

Chapter Seventeen

Nick punched the pillow on Andi’s living room sofa for what must have been the hundredth time. Not that the sofa was uncomfortable, but he’d much rather have slept upstairs. In her bed.

He’d hurt her. Badly. There was no doubt he was going straight to hell for what he’d done.

Though he hadn’t spoken out loud, Saxon lifted his head, skewering Nick with his golden stare. Groaning, Saxon lowered his head and went back to sleep on the floor beside the sofa. Nick dropped his hand to the dog’s back and ran it along the smooth coat. He glanced at his watch. Six o’clock, two hours before they were scheduled to leave for the courthouse.

He wanted to get Andi into the building early, then patrol the perimeter, checking for signs of early surveillance by gang members or anyone else who might have been hired to take Myer out before he could set foot inside.

Nick yawned. Markus and Dayne had kept watch over Andi last night while he and Eric had gone out and interviewed Frank Feldman and Chief Nelson. Seemed as if he’d only closed his eyes ten minutes ago when, in reality, it had been around eleven when he’d returned to the house. But he hadn’t gotten much sleep. Instead, he’d relived every second of making love to Andi in the woods yesterday.