Page 51 of Forbidden Need

“What do you plan to do if you identify the perp first?” Lachlan asked, looking square at Connel. “I won’t let you drag my sister down to your level.”

“Don’t do that,” she said. “Don’t—”

“Hush,” Connel said in his usual unhurried manner. “As I told you before, your sister is a grown woman.”

“Yeah, and I didn’t know then you were screwing her. Do you have no shame?”

“Do you?” Connel asked. She prayed he didn’t stand up. If Conn got to his feet, his people would end this in a heartbeat. “Your sister showed loyalty to my family when she came to the precinct and told the truth. Will you punish her for that integrity?”

“You belong behind bars,” her father barked.

“Maybe,” Connel said, speeding her heart with his restraint. “But not for this.”

And he wasn’t the only one playing dirty. That her father could be so brazen in his judgment… Her eyes met Strat’s, sure he could sense her conflict.

“He’s supposed to be the angry one,” Strat muttered as though they were the only two people in the room.

“Sersha has a point,” Imogen said. “There are many skill sets in this room. You should play to that.”

“Won’t be long before the world knows about her relationship with Ire,” Ford said.

“If they don’t already,” Jagg added.

Chances were, word was out there. The precinct was a sieve; keeping a secret there was nigh on impossible. And why would they? They’d released Connel on her assertion of being his alibi. That information had to be shared to justify letting him go.

“Steeple knows,” Imogen said. “Which means the other papers do. Ours might not publish it out of respect for you, but—”

“They’ll have to follow suit eventually.”

The words in print didn’t concern her. The Chronicler couldn’t show too much restraint on her behalf. Not that it mattered. Steeple was in charge of his department, not the entire paper. Decisions like that were made further up the chain.

“You’re currency now,” Strat said like he had in the car.

“Increases her profile,” Imogen said. “You should get security.”

“She has security,” Daly said, perhaps offended his ability was being called into question.

“Didn’t make any difference to my grandfather,” she said. “He had security and they still got to him.”

“I’m betting he didn’t sleep next to a mob boss at night.”

Ford had a point. It would be difficult to take her off the board when Connel was so quick on the trigger.

“What do we have on motive?” Niall asked. “You have your theories, Detective?”

“All the standard theories have to be eliminated first.”

“Sex or money,” she said, recalling what Connel said about motives.

“Power. Revenge. Pride. Envy.”

“Can’t go wrong with the deadly sins,” Niall said to Lachlan. “We’re Catholic, Mr. McLeod. We’re familiar.”

She smiled, holding back her laugh, and cleared her throat when Lachlan turned back.

“Was the old man screwing anyone?”

Daly’s question hitched Lachlan’s chin just a little as his eyes rose.

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