Page 35 of Freedom to Love

Chapter Nine

“I suppose there’s a reason as to why you’re giving me a ride home?” Brynn buckled her seat belt and watched as Deputy Murphy turned down the volume to his radio, silencing the cop chatter. He accelerated and the Dodge quickened more than she expected. “You’re pissed aren’t you? You think she’s too good for me. Well, don’t worry. I won’t argue with you.”

They pulled onto the highway and he finally glanced over at her. “Why were you there then? Can’t you just leave her alone?”

Brynn crossed her arms over her chest. “As you wish, Deputy.”

He scoffed. “I’m supposed to believe that?”

She felt her face contort with anger. “Right, because Williams girls lie, right?”

He shrugged. “Your family’s not exactly known for truth telling, no.”

She stared him down and studied his face that looked younger than his years. But the gray coming through his closely shaved head gave him away.

“Go fuck yourself,” she said. She’d had enough. She’d given in, agreed to stop seeing Vander, but it wasn’t good enough. He had to add insult to injury.

He laughed. “Classy as always. Wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“You don’t have a clue who I am. You only know my name and you’re ignorant enough to think that that tells you all you need to know.”

“Ignorant.”

“Yes.” She stared back out the window. “I don’t know how Vander works with people like you.”

“People like me?” He laughed again.

“You assume too much. Assume the worst in people. It’s sad really. And I’m sorry you choose to live that way.”

He didn’t respond, and they drove in silence for a while.

“If I don’t live that way, if I don’t assume or expect the worst with the information I have, it can be dangerous. I could get hurt. Or worse, civilians could get hurt.”

Brynn glanced at him and loosened her arms a little. He had a point, but she didn’t like it. She wanted to be mad, to continue thinking he was an ignorant ass. Just another know-it-all cop. Cocky as all get-out, knew more than everyone else. She’d dealt with so many of them with the same attitude, it was difficult for her to try to see their side of things. But if she didn’t, then she’d be just as ignorant as she was accusing him of being.

“I guess I can see that,” she said softly.

He rubbed the back of his neck and breathed loudly. “You gotta see where I’m coming from here. You’re a convicted felon. Fresh out of prison. Your sister is wanted for questioning, got a rap sheet the size of my arm, been locked up for a few months at a time. Your brother gets arrested for stealing. Both of them are into drugs. Would you want someone with all that attached to them hanging with your good friend, one you consider to be a sister?”

Brynn’s eyes fell to the laptop attached to his dash. She thought long and hard. How could she defend that? She couldn’t. “You’re right.”

“I’m not trying to be a dick here. I’m just protecting my friend. My friend who’s been badly injured, my friend who might lose her partner. God, I don’t know. I know how I must sound. Just—I’m sure you’re nice. I mean you seem to be, but—”

“You just can’t bring yourself to trust me?”

He slowed and turned on his blinker. When he spoke his voice was lower, softer. “I was hoping I didn’t have to.”

“Hoping I was out of the picture now.”

“Are you?”

“I told her it wasn’t a good idea.”

His thumb jumped against the steering wheel as he rested his hand on top of it. “I think that’s probably good.”

“We’re just too different, from different worlds.”

“Right.”

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