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She nods, sniffling again.
“Then take it, baby. Take some time. Deal with your loss. I know it’s not simple, but you’re entitled to it.”
“I’ll think about it, Miles. I’ll tell Peterson he can come back in.”
Sadie leaves the room, and all I want to do is run after her, hold her, promise her that no one will hurt her ever again.
But I need to stay here with my brothers. With our attorney. With the detective on this case.
Peterson comes back in, takes the seat he vacated earlier. “All right. What do you gentlemen have to say?”
Shankle coughs into a handkerchief and then clears his throat for the zillionth time before he rattles off the same story he just told us.
“Interesting.” Peterson scribbles some notes.
“Are you ready to let Chance Bridger off the hook?” Shankle asks.
“Why would I do that?”
I stand, my hands curled into fists. Between my need to run after Sadie and make sure she’s protected at all costs and this bizarre need to protect my newfound brother, I’m ready to fight. Fight like I had to when I was a schoolkid and my mother was married to Chris Ciancio, the Mafia dude from Hell’s Kitchen. Husband number four.
“You’re supposed to be a detective, damn it. How can you not see what’s going on here? Joey Hopkins was hauling hazardous chemicals across the border, only he didn’t know it. He probably went to the authorities, and Bridger had him taken care of.”
I wince at my own words, but even though Sadie is safe outside this conference room, I still don’t like to think of her brother as beingtaken care of. Reminds me again of Ciancio.
“If that’s the case, I’m sure it will come out of the investigation.” Peterson doesn’t meet my gaze.
“Look at me,” I say. “Look me straight in the eye, Peterson.”
He glances up, and I don’t like what I see in his eyes.
“Watch your tone, Bridger.”
“Fine. Do your fucking investigation. But when you’re done, expect a lawsuit filed by the three of us for malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and anything else our team of highly paid attorneys can think of.”
Yeah. My mom married an attorney along the way too, which blessed me with a little legalese.
With that, I whisk out of the conference room.
I’m not sure which one is Sadie’s desk, or if she has an office, but I don’t see her anywhere. I head to the reception desk. “Did Sadie Hopkins leave?”
The receptionist nods, batting her eyes. “She did. She said she was going to take a few days off.”
“Thank you.”
Good. Sadie took my advice. Now I just need to find her so I can take care of her.
I do feel a responsibility to my brother, but Chance can take care of himself. Plus, he has Austin and Shankle. And Shankle will set him up with the best criminal attorneys in the state of Montana.
Right now? I need to see to my woman.
I laugh out loud at my own words.
My woman.
I’ve been thinking of her as my woman all this time.
Hell, I never even wanted a woman of my own. I was happy with many women and no commitment. I got all the pussy I wanted back in New York, and I never had to pay alimony. Lesson learned from every husband my mother dragged to divorce court.
