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“You can take my office,” Adele said, already striding toward the door, her long legs easily keeping up with her brother’s.
I paced around for a while, making small talk with some of the mechanics working on the other side of the open area. This place was spotless. Every single tool was hung with precision. Soft music played over speakers mounted in the corners, and a handful of mechanics worked quietly and efficiently.
She was clearly an excellent boss.
Since I was stuck here for the time being, I figured I might as well learn more about the trucks and tools. While I was asking some of the mechanics what amounted to very basic and probably annoying questions, Paz came through the doors. His eyes were red-rimmed, and his shoulders were slumped in exhaustion, but he was as handsome as ever in an expensive dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
I jogged over to him and dragged him into Adele’s office. “What happened?”
“Drug arrest. Not a major player, but he had enough product on him to entice the feds. They’re upstairs finishing up with Henri.”
“Any new details?”
He shook his head. “Not that they’re sharing. They’re heading over to interview Hazel, see if she recognizes him.”
I nodded. Hazel had encountered a team of drug traffickers in the woods last summer. She had narrowly escaped, but in typical Hazel fashion, she’d taken photos and had gotten a good look at several of them.
“I need to head home,” he breathed. “It’s been a hell of a day.”
He had probably been expecting so much more from the news. One lousy arrest wasn’t going to solve this murder.
“Let me grab my laptop, and I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”
The sun was starting to set, and it was damn freezing. I had my head ducked and my shoulders pulled up to my ears, and I was cursing myself for not breaking out my winter coat, when a hand wrapped around my bicep.
“What are you doing here?”
I pulled my arm away and spun while taking several steps back so I could put distance between myself and my potential attacker. It took me half a second to recognize him. Fuck. It was Bryce. He looked even more smarmy and entitled than I remembered.
“I was trying to catch a ride home with my boyfriend before you grabbed me.”
“Boyfriend? Home? You live in Portland. In that sad, weird house with your weirdo friends. You should not be sniffing around up here, Parker.”
I glared at him. He was so pompous.
“I don’t want you fucking around. We’ve been working this drug trafficking operation for months.”
“Really?” I said, sarcasm dripping from the word. “Clearly, you haven’t accomplished much.” I twirled my hair and narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t going to let him push me off my case.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into.”
“I’m not getting into anything. I’m just visiting my boyfriend.”
Movement in my periphery caught my attention. It was Paz, and he was striding toward us with a look of annoyance on his face.
He didn’t stop until he was in my space and pulling me close. When our bodies were pressed together from clavicle to knee, he dropped a chaste kiss on my lips. I stiffened, completely surprised by the gesture, but immediately relaxed, because although it had been a shock, I was desperate for it to happen again.
“Agent Portnoy,” he said, his voice deep and serious. “Everything okay here?”
“Only trying to figure out why my ex-girlfriend is sniffing around my case.”
Paz pulled me tighter. “Parker? That’s… interesting.” He gave Bryce a slow once-over, feigning ambivalence, though tension radiated from every inch of him.
Agent Bryce Portnoy wore his hair cropped military short. He had a thin mustache and the sneer of someone who was really, really insecure about his manhood.
“I was just telling Parker to stay the fuck away from my case.” Bryce stepped closer, pointing a finger in my face.
Paz dropped my arm and stepped in front of me. Bryce didn’t stand a chance. Paz had several inches and probably fifty pounds on him. And his red ears and clenched fists indicated that he was ready for a fight.
