Page 93 of Thirst Trap (Carter Brothers)

Garrett stopped and Boss, his K9 officer, sniffled at my table before I pushed him back, unwilling to have him mess my pieces up. No matter how cute the big bastard was.

“Why?” Garrett asked.

“Because she loved it,” I said simply. “You heading home?”

Garrett had come over to sleep off the night shift in my guest room.

As of two days ago, it officially had a bed, sheets, and even pillows.

Pillows and sheets that I’d tried, and failed, to get Shayne to help pick out with me.

In the end, she’d pointed innocuously at the screen, and I’d gotten the sheets she’d indicated, even though she put absolutely no thought into it.

“You gonna get her out of the house tonight like you said?” Garrett asked, pulling his utility belt from the table and wrapping it around his waist.

Boss’s ears perked up and he started to wag his tail lazily, excited for a night of work.

I was.

“I am,” I confirmed.

I was just waiting for Garrett to get out of my house.

I didn’t want him to witness what was about to happen.

“I’ll get out of your hair, then,” Garrett said as he whistled at the dog. “Let’s go, Boss.”

Boss charged out of the house, Garrett following much more sedately at his heel.

I waited until I heard the cruiser start before I got up and steeled my belly.

Enough was enough.

It’d been three solid weeks since she’d spoken with the DEA agent and given her sworn statement about what had gone on at the Rodriguez household over a twelve-month period.

With that information, as well as Gable giving a sworn statement that Shayne had no ties to what her brother was doing, he’d declined to press any charges.

Which had, in turn, caused the DA to get fuckin’ pissed. But in order not to look like he was an asshole and handing out punishments that weren’t fair, he’d had to pull back on his investigation, too.

I pulled up my phone to check the time, nervous all of a sudden.

My sister’s face popped up on the screen of my phone moments before the thing started to vibrate in my hand.

I answered it, glad that she was returning my call now, instead of a couple of minutes from now when I finally stopped being a little bitch. I was slightly irritated that it had to be a Facetime call, however.

I hated Facetime.

I wasn’t sure why Ande loved it so much, but she was literally the only one besides my niece and nephew who used it.

“Hey,” I said carefully. “You called back.”

“In the middle of a call, though.” She paused. “I love working with Cleo, but we don’t mesh like Shayne and I do. Any luck?”

That luck being getting her to go back to work.

“That’s what I’m about to do,” I offered.

Either I was about to piss her way the fuck off, or I’d pull her out of the funk.

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