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“Linc!” She throws herself at him. “I’m so happy you and Remy are home for good!”
He catches her, spinning her in a graceful hug and then sets her down gently. “I know. It was time to come home.”
“Yeah, I bet.” Avery shakes her head, still smiling. “I’ve been hearing a few rumors about Kennedy and one of the teachers at the high school.”
Linc’s expression turns thunderous. “Me, too. Gotta let her go, though. It’s what she needs.”
Avery pats him on the arm like he is a lost little puppy. “Just keep telling yourself that.”
He glances at Casey, then at me before asking, “So, what happened?”
“Karen Zucker,” Avery answers for me. “She’s whatalwayshappens.”
Linc visibly flinches before taking his cap off and putting it under his arm. “Girl. You know you have to stay away from her crazy ass.”
Avery nods. “She showed up at Rett’s birthday party last week, and your boy here—” Avery nods at me. “Almost arrested me as a result.”
“What?” Linc’s confused expression is almost comical. “What are you talking about?”
“She broke Leroy Grimes’ nose,” I offer by way of explanation. “The day… Keegan.” I trail off, not knowing how to even bring it up. Despite that, Linc understands. He lost his brother overseas. So he really does understand the pain I’m going through.
“I followed up, after. Leroy insists that he ran into a wall. Even though I watched her assault him.”
“I mean,” Linc sniffs. “Leroy’s a dirtbag. But if you saw her do it, you can arrest her.” He crosses his arms, clearly wanting to find out where I’m at with it.
Avery stiffens at my side.
“Although, if he insists that it didn’t happen, and there’s no body cam video of it happening, the charges won’t stick. Plus, you’d have arrested an elementary school teacher.” Linc holds up his hands, one with the cap, the other empty, like he is weighing scales.
“Oh,” he adds almost dejectedly, except I see the smile on his face while he says it. “And she’s also the fire chief’s niece, so there’s that too.”
“I see what you’re doing, and I don’t like it.” I stare pointedly at him, trying to get him to shut up before he says something truly embarrassing and I have to shoot him with my off-duty weapon.
Turning to Avery, I take a deep breath. “Look,” I say on the exhale. “Rules and laws exist for a reason. I understand that you don’t believe that, but they do. And I won’t apologize for doing my job. I can’t tell you how many times I get lied to on a regular basis by suspects.” Explaining it to her makes me feel like a jackass, especially in front of my brother and another cop, but I won’t let anything get in the way of honesty.
“Law and order, everything has its place. I watched it happen, so I had to act. It’s that simple.”
Avery swallows, and tears well up in her eyes. Just like they had the first time I had tried to arrest her. My chest clenches, reminding me that she hadn’t been the one in the wrong.
“I’m not arresting you. Neither is Linc. But you have to get yourself under control. You’re a teacher, for fuck’s sake. You’ve gotta stop resorting to violence.” My tone is a little more harsh than I mean it to be, and from the way her spine bristles at my words, Avery won’t be crying in front of me again.
When she opens her mouth, the fury written on her face clearly shows what she thinks of me in that moment. I expect hate—for her to spit vitriol at me, for her to give me a reason to walk away, to take my brother home.
Instead, her shoulders slump and she turns partially away from me. Even though I can still see the look on her face, the resignation. She is beating herself up, and I caused it.
Avery’s lips barely move as she whispers, “I’m leaving.”
I watch her take her phone out of her bra and start tapping on the screen, completely dismissing me while she walks away.
Casey laughs suddenly, drawing my attention away from Avery’s ass. “Oh, shit. This is too good.”
I roll my eyes before turning to Linc. “Take Casey home. Before he says something stupid.”
“What about you?” Casey smiles like a lunatic as his eyes dart between me and Avery. “We rode together, remember?”
I shake his keys at him. “I’m sober. And I’ve got your keys.”
Casey pats the pockets of his slacks. “Oh, what the hell?” Then he straightens up. “I am, in fact, drunk. Maybe I shouldn’t try to get Bria back just yet.”
