Page 127 of Trigger

“Thank you for staying,” she said, wrapping her arms around myneck. “I don’t know what I would have done without you guys.”

I hugged her tight, realizing she had showered while we wereasleep.

“How are you feeling, Shel?” I said, not bothering to hide theworry in my voice.

She made a face. “Not good, Carter. And I probably won’t be for awhile. I fucked up, and I know it, but I’ll try to fix it.”

“You can do anything you put your mind to,” I said, caressing herhair. “And whatever you need, I’m here for you. You know that, right?”

She nodded, wiping away a stray tear. “I know. Now eat yourbreakfast before it gets cold.”

At that point, Tye returned and sat beside me, smelling liketoothpaste and soap. When his leg brushed against mine, my face warmed, but Ikept my eyes on my plate.

“I slept like the dead,” Shelly said, looking at us from under herlashes. “How did you two sleep?”

I choked on my eggs as Tye chuckled, throwing a piece of toast ather.

“Probably not as good as you, vixen.”

“I bet,” Shelly murmured, pouring maple syrup over her pancakes.“You lucky son of a bitch.”

Tye glanced at me, but I wasn’t lifting my gaze off my plate, notin this lifetime.

Or ever.

After breakfast, I went to the bathroom to get dressed. I wastrying to button up my shirt, which wasn’t easy with all the buttons missing,when Shelly threw another shirt at me.

“It belonged to my ex. You can’t go to work with your shirt rippedto shreds.”

I bit my lip, trying not to think about how it came to that.

“It’s not exactly in shreds,” I muttered, looking for the nearestexit.

“Right,” Shelly said, smiling widely. “Of course not.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling awkward.

“Look… I… I can explain.”

She laughed. “And I would love to hear it, because whatever youtwo were doing sounded hella hot.”

She left before I could find an appropriate answer, but what wouldbe the point anyway? She wasn’t stupid. And Tye and I weren’t exactly quietlast night.

Lastnight. Fucking hell.

Thorsen

After breakfast, we dressed in a hurry because Chief Bibb onlyneeded an excuse to fire someone, so we didn’t want to be late. Once on thestreet, Shelly sped off in her car, while I walked up to Carter just as heopened the car door.

“Mind if I ride with you, partner? My car is still out ofcommission.”

That piece of crap was still in the shop after it broke down, butfor once I didn’t mind.

“Sure,” Carter replied, looking at the sky with a frown. “Fuck,it’s going to be a hot day today.”

Last night was hotter, I thought, but I kept it to myself. I alsoreminded myself to turn it down a notch, hoping that one of my functioningbrain cells would pick it up.

Once in the car, I reached for the seatbelt and tugged, only torealize it was stuck. Either that, or my brain was so fried that I forgot howto use the damn thing.

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