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“Do not speak to my girlfriend that way. And keep your hands to yourself. Fed or not, I won’t tell you again. Stay away from my girl.”
Bryce took a step back and sneered. This was always his play. He used intimidation to get past those who stood in his way. With a chuckle, he scratched his chin. “Ooh. Your hick boyfriend is the possessive type.” The asshole feigned an exaggerated shiver.
I reached for my back pocket, wondering how long my sentence would be if I tased him. Could be worth it.
Paz pulled his shoulders back and straightened the cuffs of his expensive dress shirt. Sometime between his visit to Adele’s office and now, he’d rolled his sleeves down. Probably to endure the cold.
“We prefer hillbilly, actually.”
Bryce rolled his eyes and kept his focus trained on me. “Stay away from this investigation. You’re in over your head.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I spat.
“I know you. You’re up to some shit. Maybe you’ve fooled the inbred bumpkins up here, but you and I both know you’re a disgraced former cop looking for a big score to make up for the fact that you were shit at your job.”
Paz growled. He fucking growled.
I had to intervene. Otherwise, he was likely to commit a felony. There were still feds in the building, and we had come too far to let an asshole like this distract us from solving this case.
So I got in Bryce’s face. “Back away. You’re on private property. Unless you have a warrant.” I raised a brow, but I didn’t wait for a response. “Didn’t think so. You are a guest of Gagnon Lumber, and I’d hate for the employees here to file harassment complaints against you and your team. So. Get. The. Fuck. Out.”
For a moment, Bryce didn’t budge. He scrutinized me, his eyes filled with pure hatred, then he pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up to his ear.
“Jenkins,” he barked. “Round everyone up. We’re leaving.”
Without another word, he stomped away. Halfway across the lot, he turned back, wearing a douchy smile.
“I’ll have to tell your dad I saw you. Sure he’ll be interested in seeing how low you’ve sunk. We still have coffee every month. In case you were wondering, you’re still a complete disappointment.” Then he was heading toward his SUV again, leaving me standing in the cold.
Paz pulled me into his car, started the engine, and cranked up the seat warmers.
“Parker, you’re shaking. Are you okay?”
I nodded and took the coat he offered. “I hate him,” I said softly, my eyes filling with tears as I wrapped myself in expensive wool. “Is there a bear around here that can maul him?”
“Probably, but they generally don’t take requests.”
Shivering, I buried my face in his coat and breathed in deep, letting the comforting smell of Paz envelop me.
“Thanks for the save out there.”
He stroked my hair, his touch so gentle it sent tingles racing down my spine. “My pleasure.”
Peering up at him, I said, “He’s a federal agent.”
“And an asshole. I don’t care. You deserve to be treated with respect.”
I let out a laugh. “Really? Is that how you’ve been treating me? Is yelling at me about Post-it notes and stray bras respect?”
He ran his hands through his hair and sank back against the driver’s seat. “This whole arrangement has been difficult. I’m sorry I’ve been a dick. I’ve got a lot on my mind, and where I was used to going home and relaxing in silence, I’ve now got you gallivanting around my house in various stages of undress while singing and making snacks at ungodly hours.”
And there it was. Vulnerability and honesty. This situation was hard on us all.
Wringing my hands, I tucked my chin and murmured, “I’m sorry. Between running into Bryce and that note, I’m just a bit shaken up. But I promise my head is in the game.”
He straightened up. “What note?”
Oh fuck.I hated when my mouth was several steps ahead of my brain. “Nothing,” I murmured.
