Page 94 of Beyond the Badge: Crew

Like him, she was probably running on exhaust fumes. Only she’d been on her feet all night, while he’d been on his back in his comfortable bed, waiting for his phone to light up with each text.

She approached him where he leaned against her Audi. “What are you doing here?”

“Making sure you return the pool car. Someone might need to use it today.”

Her expression immediately told him she knew that was bullshit. Her words confirmed it. “You’re a bad liar, you know that?”

“Why do you think I’m lying?”

“Because I told you I’d drop it off this morning before heading home.” Her head tilted. “Unless you don’t trust me?”

“I trust you until you give me a reason not to.”

“Damn,” she whispered. “You have issues.”

He agreed, he did. His main issue right now was the woman standing before him. He shouldn’t be more worried about her than any of his other team members.

But,fuck him, he was.

He pushed off her car and stepped directly in front of her with her eyes following his every move.

He studied her face carefully when he asked, “How’d it go?” because he had a feeling she was going to downplay any problems she had. She was determined to prove herself to him and that stubbornness could make the whole situation even more dangerous.

“It went as expected when you have a bunch of bikers drinking and partying.” She lifted a finger. “I have something for you.”

She dug into the V-neck of her top and for a brief second he thought she was about to pull out a tit right there in the parking lot. He was relieved when she pulled out a baggy from her bra, instead, and held it out to him.

Proof of how lack of sleep affected him. It made him stupid.

“Looks like a gram. Did they charge you eighty again?”

She shook her head. “No. Believe it or not, it was payment for a job well done.”

She must have been making friends and influencing people last night.

It was good that the Demon in charge of the bar liked her. That could be beneficial to the investigation. The reason she was working at Hawg Wild in the first place, he reminded himself.

He took it from her and bounced the baggy in his palm. “I’ll take it upstairs to weigh and document it if you want to go home and sleep.”

“A shower and catching some shut-eye would be great about now.”

He nodded even though he wasn’t ready for them to part ways.

Not yet.

The next question out of his mouth surprised the hell out of them both. “What about breakfast?”

She tipped her head to the side and stared at him for far too long before she responded with, “I could use some of that, too. You buying?”

He took a deep inhale of the cool morning air. “I am.”

“That sounds tempting. Unfortunately, I need to go home and let Murphy out.”

“Already done.” She had no idea just how close he lived to Fletch. Right now, he’d keep that to himself.

Her eyebrows jammed together. “What?”

“Now, aren’t you glad I still have a key?”

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