Page 32 of Burning Secrets

JoJo came down the steps, still dressed in his flannel shirt, her hair in a fresh braid, wearing her sooty pants, a smile on her face that seemed a thousand watts brighter than when they’d left the vet’s office.

“Peyton have good news?”

“Just that she located the pack and that they seemed to all be on the move. She thinks they’ve found new alphas and abandoned Cleo and Brutus after their deaths.”

“And that’s a good thing?” He leaned up from the truck.

“It means that maybe they’ve moved on from the death zone.”

He’d like to move on from the death zone. He turned to unlock his door when he spotted—seriously? His handler seemed to have radar on him.

Okay, not fair since he’d texted Rio and told him he was in town. Except Rio didn’t seem to notice him as he crossed the street, headed for the sheriff’s office.

Crew pocketed his keys. “How about some dinner?”

JoJo stood at her passenger door. Considered him. “That smoke from the Midnight Sun Saloon does smell amazing.”

He’d spent the better part of twenty minutes consuming that smell—barbecue, garlic, and smoky ribs from the smoker. He’d eaten there a few times over the past year, and now his stomach gurgled. “Let’s walk down there.”

She came back around, glanced at him. “Are you stalling?”

“Me? What?” And he even had the crazy urge to hold out his hand for her to take.

Nope. Too weird. They weren’t dating. Not really. And she might see people she knew here.

And it hit him then that anyone who saw him here knew him as an SOR member. So wasn’t that awesome.

He stuck his hands in his pockets, headed down the street, past the outfitters store, the sports store, the hardware store, the coffee shop. At the sheriff’s office, he slowed, glanced in through the glass.

Rio stood talking with Sheriff Deke Starr, who knew exactly what Crew might be up to, so…“Go get us seats. I’m going to talk to the sheriff.”

She eyed him. “Really?”

“He knows. And Rio is in there. But…just go, okay?”

She frowned but nodded.

And he hated that maybe she thought he might be lying. But frankly, he didn’t want Rio asking questions about why he was with JoJo…again.

In Rio’s eyes—and maybe his own—he was still a criminal. A felon.

Probably not someone who should be with a woman like JoJo. And that truth sat like a boulder in his gut as he waited until she crossed the street, then headed inside.

Rio glance at him. Frowned.

“I found the source of the poison,” Crew said, walking up to him. He glanced at Deke, who also frowned.

He’d met Deke. Liked him, but he never felt super comfortable around law enforcement. At least, not after his arrest.

Maybe it was in his head.

“What poison?” Deke said.

“We think the SOR is creating a bioweapon,” Rio said. He glanced out the window, then headed to a conference room.

Crew followed, and Deke shut the door behind him.

“You’re taking a big risk, Crew,” Rio said. “You should be in camp.”

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