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He stepped into the empty break room and relaxed a bit. The pot was full, and he borrowed a mug with the department logo on it and filled it as far as it would go. He took a couple of seconds to sip and let his mind think of nothing at all, just so he could get a break. The same peace and quiet he felt while running.
He should ask Roxie if she wanted to go for a run. After she no longer had whiplash from the truck crash.
Now that he knew Karina was fine, or as fine as she wanted to be, he could focus back on Roxie and what was happening with her. The fact she’d been in an abusive relationship with someone he’d known and allowed to watch his back, a guy he’d relied on, stuck in him like a piece of sour candy lodged in his throat.
It was a good thing the guy was dead, or he and Liam would be having words.
Which begged the question ofwhowas appearing in her life pretending to be Mark and terrorizing her. Causing that accident. Sending her that snake. Destiny’s house had full surveillance now, but Roxie wasn’t going to stay there in lockdown. He respected her need to feel free too much to ask her to do that.
He should chat with Gage, see what Clare had to say and find out if there was a plan in the works from Vanguard to get this guy.
Put a stop to the terrorizing.
Roxie needed the chance to heal and move on with her life.
“Hey,Sarge.” An older patrol officer strode in, followed by another. Both had gray temples. Rounder middles. The kind of guys who accepted all those free lunches the public liked to give to on-duty cops. Liam let Conrad give him the family discount at Backdraft, but he still paid his way. These guys were old school.
Like Liam’s father.
He lifted his chin. “How is it out there?”
The second officer said, “Had an interesting callout.”
The first guy poured two coffees, and they both leaned against the counter to shoot the breeze. No one sat at the round table covered with trashy magazines, or the couch that looked like it had been there since the seventies. If anyone tried to move it, the thing would probably spontaneously combust.
“Oh yeah?” Liam needed to get going, but cops liked to tell stories.
“Yeah,” the first cop said. “You should keep a tighter leash on your girl, Sarge.”
Liam frowned. “What’s that?”
“Rox-anne.” The cop smirked. “Sticking her nose into things, places it doesn’t belong. Hassling a sweet old woman and causing trouble.”
The other guy nodded, one elbow on the counter, the other hand holding his mug. “Her and that partner.” He raised his brows, as though something untoward was going on that Liam needed to get a clue about.
“So, she was just doing her job for Vanguard?” He wasn’t going to argue their definition of harassment. He could read the report himself and then talk to Roxie.
Both of them snorted.
“That company.” One shook his head. “They’re all the same. No offense to Lieutenant DeLuca.” The guy pushed off the counter and faced off with Liam.
His gut tightened. “They have their jobs; we have ours.”
“Yeah,” the cop said, his tone hard. “And ours is to keep them from harassing people and digging up stuff that needs to be left to lie, right, Sarge? Things that should stay dead.”
Like his father? Liam’s jaw hardened.
“You of all people should know that the past needs to stay where it is. Doesn’t help anyone if it’s all dragged up again, right?” The officer lifted his coffee cup. “The department doesn’t need another black mark.”
Liam turned to face the guy straight on, about to speak when Blake and Jasper strode in.
“Hey, Sarge, got a minute?” Blake led the way, an assessing expression in his eyes as his gaze switched between Liam and the two older cops.
They’d read the room and knew exactly what was happening. Liam stepped back and took a sip of his coffee. Then he nodded. “Sure. We can head down to the cave, get back to work.”
“Good deal,” Jasper said. “The coffee up here sucks.”
“That’s because you’re a snob.” Blake shoved Jasper’s shoulder.
