Page 4 of Baked

CHAPTER TWO

Rachel had been tryingto fix her frazzled brain ever since Hunter had stuck his big, dumb, handsome face in hers. It wasn’t working. She spent the drive to the police station stressed, pissed, and completely turned on.

Yeah, that’s totally normal, isn’t it?

She didn’t know why she was surprised. Nothing made sense when Hunter was around. For nine months now, every time the man was near, her usual cool composure was quickly replaced with a version of herself she didn’t like. A bumbling hot mess version. The fact he barely spoke more than a few words to her only seemed to make it worse. She found herself overcompensating. Having whole conversations with herself, like a psychopath.

Now here he was, stringing whole sentences together. Calling her things like “honeybun” and “baby” and getting close enough to turn her mind to mush. Talk about mixed messages.

Though it was true when he’d said he was the first person she called when things went down. They might have spent the past few months circling each other, but there was no use denying their connection. Or what he made her feel.

Safe.

And hot.

She thought for sure he’d make a move on her when the sparks started flying, but he hadn’t. To be fair, she hadn’t either. Suddenly having the same friend group when two of their friends became couples made things awkward. She wasn’t about to put herself out there, only to be rejected and then have to face him regularly. There was clearly a reason he’d not made a move. One she had a feeling had nothing to do with their mutual friends.

Yet he was here now. Refusing to leave her side. His dark brown stare on her, concern creasing his brow. She really didn’t have time for the mind-fuck that was Hunter Campbell today. She had bigger things to worry about. Like her asshole father. Just knowing he was locked up in the same building where she now sat wasn’t exactly helping her stress levels.

They’d been escorted into an empty interrogation room ten minutes ago. Again, not helping her now very anxious stomach, which had just started growling. Excellent. As if her embarrassment hadn’t already reached new heights as it was.

Her eyes swung to the door just in time to see Cody finally enter.

Thank God.

“Thanks for coming down, guys.”Uh-oh.He had his cop voice on. This can’t be good.

Greetings exchanged, he sat himself down opposite them and didn’t waste any time getting right to it.

“A few things came up in your dad’s interview that I wanted to discuss with you.”

His amber eyes were focused completely on her now, making her squirm. She wasn’t used to seeing Cody in cop mode. He was normally the joker of the men in their friend group. But right now, there wasn’t the slightest trace of humor or even a hint of a smile on his face.

Not a good sign.

“Okay ...” she answered slowly.

“Your father has an outstanding warrant in the next county over, so the plan is to keep him here until he can be transferred over to them. With your charges and the offenses that he’s accused of committing in Clarke County, there’s a good chance he’s going away for a while darlin’.”

Good.

He continued, “That said, after speaking to him, I have reason to believe that your safety may still be compromised.”

Hunter’s chair scraped along the floor as he dragged it closer to the desk and leaned over the metal frame, getting right in Cody’s face. “What the hell do you mean her safety iscompromised?”

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