Page 18 of Cross & Crown

“I mean, I thought all you police-type guys were these

brooding, stoic, ‘drink yourself blind to drown out the

ugliness of the world’ types.”

Nick barked a laugh. “You’re thinking of Vice.”

JD just shook his head. “This happy exterior is hiding

some deep, dark secret in your past, isn’t it?”

Nick shook his head in amusement as he reached for his

drink.

17

“You’re an alcoholic. You’re closeted. You obliterated an

innocent town while you were in the Marines. You’re a macho

cop who likes to shoot a pearl-handle .22.”

“I drink in moderation unless I’m pregaming, I’ve quite

openly liked dick for the past couple of years, I obliterated

a lot of things in the Marines, and the pearl-handle is a .38

Special with a pink tint to it,” Nick answered with a sly grin

before taking a sip of his water.

JD laughed, his eyes sparkling. “You’re not mysterious at

al . You should try amnesia.”

“I’ll leave that to you,” Nick offered with a mockingly

humble shrug.

JD rolled his eyes. Nick took the opportunity to study

him for a moment. He seemed better than he had, but that

wasn’t saying a lot. He still had dark rings under his eyes,

and prominent worry lines around his mouth and on his

forehead. He probably wasn’t as old as he looked right now,

maybe younger than Nick. He’d spent a lot of time in the sun,

judging by the difference in his blond hair versus the scruff of darker beard growing in. He had no visible scars or tattoos,

nothing to identify him with. And his strange blue eyes were

truly haunting.

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