Page 115 of The Locksmith's Promise

I offered him a brief nod before barging inside.

The anger ignited at the docks had only grown.

Ignoring the officer manning the counter as well as Eric’s startled gaze, I stalked down the hall toward Sergeant Elliott’s office.

Miller ran in front of me, bodychecking me into the wall before blocking the hallway. “Take a fucking breath, man.”

“Move,” I snarled, my hands fisted at my sides.

He laughed and widened his stance. “You brought me with you for a reason, Bax. This is it.” Leaning toward me, he stared into my eyes and lowered his brow. “Take. A fucking. Breath.”

“Easy, man,” Eric soothed behind me.

My neck snapped around to take him in, decked out in his firehall uniform.

With his hands out in front of him, he continued, “It’s all good, man. Jenny called ahead to let us know you might be coming in. I don’t know what went down, but whatever it was, it had to come out. Now you can deal with the past.”

He paused, slowly dropping his hands. “Before it dictates your future.”

I heard the buzz of a phone coming from the office in front of me.

And the voice of the officer behind me. “He’s here, Sarge.”

A cold sweat broke out over my back.

A wave of dizziness weakened my knees.

How many people knew about this? About me?

Sergeant Elliott swung his door open and waved Miller and me forward.

As soon as he closed us inside, I shoved my pain away and whirled on him. “Is it true?”

He tilted his head to the side and settled back in his chair. “Is what true?”

“Don’t fucking play with me, Sarge,” I snapped, bracing my hands on his desk. “Did Jenny drop the charges so I could be free?”

Miller blew out a harsh breath beside me and seemed to deflate before my eyes.

It must have killed him to hold that inside.

Sarge nodded shortly, eyes steady on mine.

I gripped my hair and stepped back as much as his tiny office allowed. “My God. How could you let her do that?” A sound like that of a wounded animal broke from my throat. “He deserved to rot in prison for what he did to her.”

“He’s rotting in hell for what he did to both you.”

“You should have made her press charges,” I snapped. “She had to live here, face him all the time.”

He shook his head, slightly bemused. “That girl ensured he never knew a moment’s peace.”

His mouth twisted to the side as he leaned forward, folding his hands on his desk. “Our Jenny is the loyal sort.” He paused. “She’s also as stubborn as a moose.”

My chin hit my chest.

I didn’t deserve it.

Not any of it.

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