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She shook her head.
“Was there a note that came with it? A return address on the envelope?”
“Neither,” she said, showing him the plain envelope. “Look, it’s probably nothing. I’m tired, and I’m probably blowing things out of proportion. Like usual. Making it all about me like I always do, right?”
His default accusation echoed in his head.Everything always has to be about you, huh, Roxanne?
Joe cringed. He really was an asshole.
“I mean, really, Joe, it’s just a picture. A flattering one, actually. I’m sure whoever sent it was just being nice.”
Right. With no return address, no note, no nothing. A picture that had been taken before the ass crack of dawn. In the dark. Without her knowledge.
He could see that while she was talking a big game, even she wasn’t buying her bullshit.
Restless, he rose. “Let’s go.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, let’s go.” He motioned toward the door. “Now.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and she crossed her arms in indignation.
Fuck. What was it that Alex had told him earlier? Oh yes, his execution sucked.
Fine. He could play nice, dammit.
He looked up at the ceiling and counted to ten. Then, flashing her his sweetest grin, he said, “Roxanne, baby? Will you please close up shop and come with me? I promised Alex that we’d be over for dinner tonight.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s two o’clock, Joe. Try again.”
The corner of his lips twitched. “I swear, Alex does want us over for dinner. Apparently, she has some big announcement to make.” That caught Roxie’s attention. Score one point for Alex. “Also, before we head over there, I want to swing by Quinn’s office. I know he has a meeting at three, and I need you to show him that picture. Maybe he has some ideas about what’s going on.”
“Fine.” She stood and began gathering her things, heaving out a dramatic sigh.
He bit back a smile because that dramatic sigh?Thatwas the Roxie he knew and lov—
Whoa, Buchanan. What the fuck?
Storming past him, she grumbled, “And stop calling me baby.”
As much as he tried, he couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped. Holy shit, this woman. She had him not knowing which way was up.
CHAPTERSEVEN
Roxie shot a save-me look at Alex in the hope that her friend would rescue her from Quinn’s interrogation. God help the people of Hudson Island should they ever be on the wrong side of the law.
She rose from the table to pace the length of the O’Conners’ kitchen. “Enough with the twenty questions already, Quinn. Didn’t we already go over all this at your office?”
Frustration had the groove between his brows popping. “This isn’t a game, Roxie.”
“I know that,” she snapped. Jerking to a halt, she took in a deep breath. The fact that Quinn was concerned made her even more scared. She didn’t need to be more scared right now. “I don’t know what else to tell you. The picture came in today’s mail without any hints as to who the sender was.”
“You’re sure it was taken this morning?”
She nodded, and her stomach twisted. “I haven’t run out to that lookout spot in a long time.” God, how she wished that wasn’t the case. But there was no doubt. “And my running jacket’s new. I got it last week.”
Fighting a shiver, she stole a glance at the kitchen table. Three worried faces looked back. Well, Alex’s face was worried. Quinn and Joe had their somber law-enforcement-officer masks on. The last thing she wanted right now was to be the center of their attention. Oh, what she would give to be baby Annie, tucked away asleep upstairs.
