Page 58 of Rescued Faith

Once they reached the police station, Tony brought them in through the back entrance.

“I’m going to change. Meet up with you in a sec.” Olivia veered off from the group.

“What now?” Izan asked.

“You two should go home.” Penny faced them.

Yeah, right. “What are you going to do?”

Anthony tilted his chin toward a short hall. “Jude is getting set up to interrogate Emma. There’s nothing else you guys can do.”

“Aw, come on. Why can’t we sit in on it? We helped you guys find her.” Bryce didn’t know the last time he’d seen Izan so worked up.

“You’re not cops. We can’t have a watch party just for kicks.” Anthony moved closer to Penny as if it were a showdown. If he touched her, there were going to be problems.

“She’s not a cop either.” Izan pointed to Penny. “No offense, Mitchell.”

“I’m not a cop, but I’m working with them and hired by the ATF, who is paying the bill. I may not have authority to do anything, but she has valuable information we need for me to close this case. I have to figure out who her boyfriend is and what they’re up to.”

“Shouldn’t being part of the city task force give us some clout here? This might affect my family.” Bryce took a step closer.

“Sorry. I can’t have you guys sit in on this. It’s up to you if you wanna wait around, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night. Might as well go home.” Anthony escorted Penny away. He didn’t seem too upset at leaving them out in the cold, either, and having Penny to himself.

“You know, I pictured tonight going a lot differently.” Izan sighed and walked toward the direction of the lobby.

“You and me both.” Bryce cracked his knuckles and followed. He might not be in on the interrogating, but he wasn’t leaving this place until he had some answers.

NINETEEN

This was turning into a disaster. Penny slipped into the room adjacent to where Jude was interrogating Emma.

“You all right?” Tony asked her.

“Of course.”

His eyes narrowed, like he was studying her. “You know, Bryce Crawford might not be the guy I thought. At least, not with you. You said there was nothing between the two of you, but it sure feels like there is.”

“We have a history. That’s probably what you’re seeing.” She stared down at her boots, arms wrapped around herself to ward off the chill in the room.

“Penny, is he the one?”

Her head snapped up. At one point, she’d wondered. That night in the mountains, looking up at the stars. But then she woke up. Remembered the promise she made to herself to never give that much of her heart to anyone. One look at Ashlee Featherwood in Bryce’s arms was all she needed to douse any romantic daydreams she had about settling down and happily ever afters. It wasn’t only that she’d thought he’d cheated. Thathad been bad enough. It was the fact that she’d let herself go that far. Let herselfdependon him.

She didn’t say a word out loud. But Tony nodded slowly, gave her a sad sort of smile. “I think you two need to talk.” He moved toward the door. “I’ve got to get some paperwork started. I’ll be back.”

As soon as he left, she allowed herself the luxury of leaning against the door for a moment.

But just a moment.

She closed her eyes and breathed deep, letting her shoulders relax, shaking out her hands. She could do this. She could pull herself together. Finish this investigation and not let Bryce get to her.

Shehadto do this. It didn’t matter that Bryce had kissed her. That she’d kissed him back. It was only a momentary lapse of control.

A lapse like opening Pandora’s box, but she could stuff it all back to where it had been tucked nicely away and shove a lid on it all again. She had to. Everything depended on it.

Ugh, why had she let him get to her like that?

She couldn’t let her emotions get the best of her again. Letting things get personal was what got her into trouble. She knew better.

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