Page 53 of All Wrong
Nick tightened his hold on Candace, and Nicki mirrored the move on her other side.
“Not happening,” he said at the same time Nicki said, “We’re not going anywhere.”
Torres clearly wasn’t happy about that, but hecouldn’t do much without making a scene. He asked a bunch of questions, his expression darkening with every answer. Candace confirmed that AJ had been staying with her. That AJ, underage, was often without adult supervision while Candace was working.
“Where do you work?”
“Afternoons at the Grassroots Café. Evenings at Angels.”
Torres’s eyebrows rose. “Are you his legal guardian?”
“Not yet. I’m trying but my petitions have been denied.”
“Can’t imagine why,” Torres muttered.
Candace stiffened. “Before you judge me, Officer, know this. I’m the one who makes sure he goes to school. I’m the one who puts food on the table, clean clothes on his back, and gives him a safe place to sleep.” She inclined her head to where his partner had walked her mother out. “Not her.”
“That’s for the social workers to sort out.”
Candace scoffed and pointed at his badge. “Protect and serve, my ass. Tell me, how do you sleep at night?”
“I think we’re done here,” said Nicki, tugging Candace to the side when Torres’s eyes narrowed.The last thing she needed was for Torres to slap a disorderly conduct or public nuisance charge on her, and he was enough of a douche to do just that. “Come on. Let’s grab a cup of coffee.”
Torres waited until the two women rounded the corner, then pinned his glare on Nick. “Something going on with you and the sister, Milligan? Kinda young for you, isn’t she?”
Nick clenched his jaw and said nothing.
“Maybe someone needs to take a closer look at what’s happening at The Zone,” Torres commented. “All those young, impressionable kids. Some people would take advantage of that, don’t you think? Befriend them, make them think they’re special …”
Nick had been right there while Torres gave Candace the third degree, and it had only been through force of will that Nick had managed to keep his mouth shut. Torres was a condescending, arrogant, judgmental, sanctimonious prick. But this? This was too much.
Curling his hand into a fist, Nick drew back, ready to pop the guy right in the mouth. Fortunately, Sean’s heavy hand on his shoulder and a sudden tug backward kept him from following through.
“Officer Torres,” Sean greeted.
Torres scowled. “Callaghan.”
“Glad to see you’re on the case. Got any leads?”
Torres folded his notebook and put it back into his pocket. “I can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.”
Sean’s hand squeezed Nick’s shoulder, warning him to keep his cool.
“Is that what you’re doing? Investigating?” Sean’s tone was mild, but there was no mistaking the intensity in his icy-blue eyes.
Nick had been around Sean long enough to know he might as well have hung a flashing neon warning sign on his chest. Torres must have picked up on it, too, because he stiffened and glared back at Sean, his face darkening.
It was almost comical to watch the cop face off against the likes of Sean Callaghan. Sean might be ten years Torres’s senior, but he was also six inches taller, a good seventy-five pounds heavier, and built like a tank. As intimidating as that was, Sean’s aura was even more so. The guy exudedbadass.
“Watch yourself, Callaghan. I know you and your brothers think you’re hot shit around here, but you’re not above the law.”
“Neither are you,” Sean said easily.
Torres opened his mouth to respond. Nick almost wished he would because the Callaghanshad a lot of pull in Pine Ridge, and Torres’s badge didn’t make him untouchable. But just as Sean had stopped Nick from making a poor decision, Torres’s partner did the same for him.
He strode up to the standoff, took in Sean looking calm and Torres looking like he was going to pop a gasket, and said, “Is there a problem here?”
Sean didn’t take his eyes off Torres. “I don’t have a problem. Do you have a problem, Officer Torres?”
