Page 23 of Inferno

He might be acting all smooth about it, like it was no big deal. But she figured the first chance he got, Romeo would be looking up her next of kin trying to get her sister’s name. After that, he’d do a search on social media and promptly discover her sister ran a local group that connected members of the deaf community with services and events that were geared toward them.

She figured by Friday he’d have found her sister’s number without her giving it to him.

But he would still want to know if Bristol had asked about him.

Never in a million years would Samantha tell him that her sister had been asking about him daily since the diner.Questioning her about her new partner, and what he was like. If he was single.

“Jesse!”

Samantha glanced over at the open doorway.

Sergeant Megan Deerdan had one hand on the frame, only her head and the shoulders of her blouse out the door. “I’m losing you to Arson at the fire department?”

“I guess so, Sergeant.”

Deerdan nodded. “Good idea.”

Okay, then.

The sergeant started to go back in her office, but jerked her head back out. “Oh, and I got an email from the chief. You’re up for a commendation for your actions in the diner the other day. So good job.”

“Thanks.”

Deerdan disappeared back in her office.

“A commendation. That’s great.”

Samantha wasn’t sure she agreed with Romeo’s assessment.

“It’s…not great?”

She shrugged. “Can’t stop it. Can’t turn it down. Why worry about what will happen whether you like it or not?”

“It’s a good thing. You might get a medal.”

“I’d rather close this case.”

“So you’re the ultimate. A cop’s cop. Only in it for the satisfaction of justice. No glory, no recognition.”

Samantha pressed her lips together. “If you think about whether you might get a commendation or if you’ll end up in handcuffs, it affects your judgment. In the heat of the moment, you hesitate or choose differently than what training or instinct tell you to.”

“Okay, I get that.” He lifted his coffee mug, looking disappointed, then took a sip and set it down. “But don’t you want someone to tell you that you did a good job at least?”

“I’m the one that knows if I did a good job, or not.” Because she knew her own intentions. She needed to look in the mirror and see a person with integrity, someone she could respect.

“So you just work?”

“What else is there to do?”

“We need to go shoot some pool later,” Romeo suggested. “Something.Better yet, I’ll ask Julio to come. And you ask your sister. We’ll all go hang out.”

She focused on her computer monitor. “I’m busy.”

Romeo chuckled.

She smiled but didn’t look at him. So he’d figured it out. She wasn’t about to hang out with Julio just so Romeo could get to know her sister. If he wanted to do that, he’d have to learn sign language. She wasn’t going to interpret for him.

If a man wanted to pursue a woman, he had to do the work.

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