Page 8 of Marked for Danger

His partner smirked. “Glad to see you have your priorities in line.”

With a chuckle, Grady slapped Declan’s arm. “Ah, come on, brother. You know I’m just playin’. I can’t wait to see you and Skye tie the knot.” He swallowed. “I’m happy for you, Dec. Still not sure how you landed such a great catch, but….”

“Youtryingto get your ass uninvited?”

“Never gonna happen. That pretty fiancée of yours loves me too much.”

Mouth open, Declan was clearly preparing to let loose of a witty comeback when his phone began to ring. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he pulled the device from his jacket pocket and checked the screen.

“It’s Riedell.” He slid his thumb across the screen and put the phone on speaker. “Hey, Sarge. Got you on speaker. Thorne and I are almost to Torres’ apartment. Everything good with the warrant?”

Alvaro Torres was a person of interest in their unit’s latest unsolved homicide investigation. One of three that had recently dropped into their laps. All three men were of Hispanic descent. All of various ages. But there were two distinct connections linking the three dead men to each other.

One was they all had each been definitively tied to the Los Reyes. Spanish forThe Kings, the criminal faction was the largest Mexican gang currently active in Denver.

The other connection shared by each of their vics was cause of death. All three men had been executed by way of a single gunshot to the back of the head. Abrasions found during autopsy suggested the ill-fated gang members had been on their knees at the time of their deaths.

And Alvaro Torres was spotted by an eyewitness—and CCTV cams—running hella fast a block away from their latest crime scene.

“That’s why I’m calling,” Sergeant Riedell’s raspy voice came back through the phone’s speakers. “Eden and Archer are headed your way with the papers.”

“You want us to wait?” Grady posed the question to their boss.

“No need. Judge Mitchell signed the warrant, and it should be there in ten. But if you get there and smell something off, go ahead and wait for backup.”

“Copy that, Sarge. I’ll let you know when we’re headed back to the district.”

“Watch your backs.” The stoic man ended the call.

Declan slid the phone back into his jacket pocket. “One less thing to worry about.”

Grady nodded in agreement. “Good to know the judge has our backs with this one.”

“Mitchell’s as solid as they come.” The other man slowed the car to prepare a right-hand turn. “She has a passion for justice, and it shows. More importantly, Judge Mitchell never lets politics or money sway her decisions in the courtroom.”

“Sounds like my kind of woman.”

The comment was meant to be flippant, but his partner used it as an open invitation to move their topic of conversation to Grady’s personal life.

“Funny. I thought tall, dark, and sexy psychiatrists were more your type.”

“AndIthought I toldyoua dozen times already, there’s nothing between Izzy and me.”

“Oh, you did.” A left turn. “I just don’t believe you.”

“You a human lie detector now?”

“No, I’m your partner. And I think I’ve gotten to know you pretty well these last ten, almost eleven months. Come on, man. You can trust me. I promise I won’t say anything to anyone.”

“Not even Skye?”

Declan waited to park the car next to the curb before answering. Putting it into park, he swung his gaze to Grady’s and raised two fingers. “Whatever you say will stay between us, Scout’s honor.”

It was a tempting offer, but no. Grady didn’t tell him about Izzy because there wasn’t anythingtotell. Not anymore.

There isn’t anyone I’d rather do serious with than you. But I just can’t. I’m sorry.

He must have replayed those words in his head a million times since she’d uttered them. There was so much pain hiding behind those gorgeous eyes of hers, and Grady found himself wanting nothing more than to erase it. To replace it with light filled with joy and laughter and happiness.

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