Page 106 of Thirst Trap (Carter Brothers)

“Knee,” I grumbled. “Knocked it wrong on the concrete when I tackled that kid.”

We walked into the station via the side door.

I veered right when he veered left.

I was just entering my office when I heard a woman’s throaty laugh.

That laugh wasn’t from the woman I wanted to hear it from, though.

“What are you doing in my office?” I snapped, seeing Elliette there shooting the shit with a man I didn’t know.

“This is my lawyer, Tim.” She pointed at the man beside her.

He didn’t look much like a lawyer. In fact, he looked more like a criminal than he did an upstanding member of the law.

I would know. I had to see these kinds of people every single day.

Hell, one even tried to shoot me today.

“And,” I said stiffly.

“I want my job back until the investigation is over,” she ordered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Instead of answering, I went out of my office, across the hall, and down another hall until I got to a door that said ‘Chief’ on it.

I’d go to my dad, but he wasn’t at work today.

So Chief Austin it was.

And when I got there, I wished I didn’t have to interrupt him, because he looked angry as fuck.

“I don’t want that bakery in my town, Seymour,” Chief Austin snarled.

I wondered idly if the ‘bakery’ in question was the one owned by his daughter, who’d just said that she was getting harassed by the city, courtesy of her father.

I decided to keep my nose out of it, because despite everything I had to deal with, I liked my job.

Even more, I’d just built a new house.

I wasn’t poor, but I wasn’t rich, either.

I had a good sized nest egg, but it wouldn’t stay ‘good sized’ if I didn’t work.

Maybe I could sell feet pics…

“Can I help you, Carter?” Chief Austin snarled.

I hated that I was going to have to make his mood even worse, but it wasn’t like I had a choice.

“Elliette Garrison is in my office with a ‘lawyer’ requesting her job back,” I said with little fanfare. “Would you mind…”

Chief Austin stood up, and his rolling chair went slamming against the plate glass window behind him.

I inwardly winced.

“Fuckin’ A,” he growled. “Like I have time to deal with this bullshit today.”

He stomped his way toward my office, and I followed in his wake, making eye contact with three of my brothers who, might I add, were gathered around a desk eating my donuts.

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