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“That was good, thanks.” Sophia balled up her wrapper with half the sandwich still inside.

“Don’t lie. You couldn’t even taste it, could you?”

The corner of her mouth tucked in, once again revealing a cute side to her that surely never saw the light of day around any other “criminal.”

“I’m sure I would’ve tasted something if it was gross,” she offered.

He shrugged. “Makes sense.”

Suddenly she bolted forward, stretching her belt. “Is that him?”

A dude who looked to be in his mid-forties and had a beer belly hanging over his jeans waltzed up to the tattoo joint and pulled a set of keys from his pocket.

“Looks like it.” He opened the photo on his phone and showed Sophia. He’d already made the match.

“Yeah, that’s Lawson McDougall for sure.” She unclipped her belt. “I’ll do the talking.” Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her badge.

He snorted. “Put that thing away.”

Her brow wrinkled with annoyance. “What do you mean?”

“You said you wanted to keep the police out of this—that includes you.”

Her mouth opened and closed. “You can’t seriously expect me not to question this guy.”

“Do you want this to come back on you? That you didn’t report this to your boss?”

“I really don’t care. I want answers.”

He bit back the harsh comments burning his tongue. He couldn’t exactly point out that the whole reason Bella had been kidnapped was because of her career. Doing so would cut her too deeply. “Flashing your badge will do the opposite of make someone talk. If you want results now, we need to do this my way.”

She pursed her full, sexy lips. “Fine. And that is?”

“Nothing you’re going to want to see. Wait here.” He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, but she was on his ass by the time he reached the curb.

“I’m coming with you.” Her voiced teetered on shrill.

He didn’t have it in him to argue. “Suit yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She guffawed. “I think I can handle it.”

He grabbed the door to the parlor and swung it open. “After you.”

CHAPTER 10

Cole had a lot of nerve. She was a cop. A detective, as a matter of fact. She’d probably questioned just as many people as he had, and equally as successfully.

She breezed into the tattoo shop, and Cole stepped in behind her. The space was quiet. The shop had opened only moments ago. Framed designs, ranging from a simple heart to complex characters, hung on the wall around the till.

One thing she wouldn’t dispute: this was Cole’s territory. She didn’t have the parlor owner in her custody, didn’t have the law at her back right now. She’d made the choice to do things the dirty way, and it was too late to back out.

Forcing those creeping thoughts from her mind, she eased her hoisted shoulders down a notch. No need to give the owner any idea things weren’t peachy.

The perp, Lawson, stepped through a doorway of dangling beads and beamed. “Morning. Looking for matching tattoos, I take it?”

Sophia didn’t even try to hide the curl of her lip.

“Not exactly.” Cole reached the counter, where the man met him. “You’re Lawson, I take it?”

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