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I shook my head in disbelief. Even if things did have their place, I doubted Colt was able to find anything in a hurry. But it made me feel better because it showed that Colt was human. “It’s good to know you aren’t as perfect as you seem. Colton Jordan has a fatal flaw: he’s a secret slob,” I said as I began to laugh.
“Wait, you thought I was perfect?” Colt teased but I wasn’t letting him off that easily.
“Thoughtbeing the imperative word. I think secret slobbiness is enough to drop you from perfect to decent guy,” I shot right back.
“Decent guy? That feels like a lot of tiers to fall for a messy desk,” Colt quipped as we passed a group of other officers. They called goodbyes to Colt and he waved back.
“It is. I told you, fatal flaw,” I said with mock soberness.
As we walked out of the precinct doors Colt moved to put his right arm around my shoulders and then his left hand found my left side.
“I guess it’s only fair that you know my fatal flaw, since I know yours,” Colt said as he tickled my side.
I squirmed but couldn’t move quite out of his grasp since he had his arm around me. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to move away from him.
Colt’s tickling subsided and so did our laughter.
I looked up to say something stupid, anything to keep myself right where I was, when Colt’s face froze. He pushed me behind him as he stared down something emerging from the dark.
From the side door of the precinct, two officers led a prisoner. Even from our distance I recognized the suit and graying hair. Detraux.
Colt’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he considered his options. I saw his car on the other side of the lot. We’d have to pass Detraux to get there, because he was undoubtedly being led to one of the marked cars we’d just passed. Unless we turned around, we were on a direct path to Detraux.
And as much as I loved Colt for wanting to protect me—whoa, wait, I did not love Colt. Appreciated. Right, appreciated was the word. As much as I appreciated Colt for wanting to protect me, I could face Detraux. That man held nothing over me.
I stepped around Colt and squared my shoulders as Detraux drew closer. I knew he recognized me. The disdain in his eyes was impossible to miss.
The officers moved Detraux so that he had to pass us in the grass, leaving us the sidewalk as each of them guarded their prisoner closely.
“I had hoped to see you again,” Detraux said as they neared us.
“Shut up, Detraux,” warned the officer holding his right arm.
“I just have a message for my friend,” Detraux said as if we were having a pleasant conversation over tea rather than an encounter between a cuffed criminal and the agent who’d caught him.
“Just keep walking,” the officer said as Colt sent fiery darts from his eyes. If looks could kill, Detraux wouldn’t still be talking. And yet he opened his mouth one more time.
“October 30th,” Detraux said with a smirk.
Chills ran over my body. What had he said?
I tried to swallow but my throat wouldn’t move. My entire body felt frozen and my brain couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
“What do you mean by that, Detraux?” Colt asked, halting the officers and their prisoner’s progress.
Colt knew exactly what that date meant to me.
“Just a lovely date, don’t you think?” Detraux said, his smirk growing wider at Colt’s protectiveness.
“Didn’t realize you had such a loyal watchdog,” Detraux added, this time speaking directly to me.
I shook off the fear that pierced through me at the mention of that date and pretended to the best of my ability that it meant nothing. Detraux knew something. He had some kind of connection to my ex. But I wouldn’t let him know the date meant anything to me, because I had a feeling my ex would be hearing about my reaction.
“Colt is good at his job. You know, protecting the people of this city. Whereas I guess you aren’t so good at yours, considering where you are right now.” I spoke with a confidence I didn’t feel but seeing Detraux’s smirk fall from his face told me I’d made the right move.
“Colt, huh? Not Officer Jordan?” Detraux cocked his head, catching onto the fact that I was closer to this officer than the others.
I didn’t answer. I wasn’t going to let this snake of a man get to me.
