Page 35 of Knockout

They stood there, staring at each other.

One of the officers cleared his throat.

Liam spun around. “Hey, Gutierrez.”

“Crime scene techs should be here in ten. Find anything?”

“A phone that isn’t Karina’s. So we need that processed first.”

The officer lifted his chin, then left. Roxie used Liam’s diverted attention to step by him and fast-walk after the cop to the front door. She shouldn’t have offered to come here with Liam. She should have stayed with Destiny and the police officer protecting her.

But it was Liam.

Because it’s always been us.

But she’d thought he would come and find her, and he hadn’t. Maybe even part of her had dreamed far too much that he might show up and realize what had happened to her. That he might save her.

But he never did.

She strode to his truck and set her palms on the warm hood. Just long enough to take a few minutes and try and find that peace on her own, the same feeling she’d immersed herself in on the couch with him. Now it was gone.

Evaporated.

A warm hand touched her shoulder blade, and she spotted his boots beside hers. “Why don’t you take my truck back to Destiny’s? I need to stay here and see what’s on that phone. You can go get some rest. It’s late.”

She straightened, and he offered her his keys.

“Keep your eyes open.” He dropped the keys into her hand. “Do you want an officer escort?”

She shook her head. “I’ve got my gun if I need it.”

He looked like he wanted to say more. Probably they would both agree now that she shouldn’t have come. Much like in the Marines, their feelings were at war with duty and where their focus should be. Another case of bad timing.

She and Liam were never going to have anything between them.

“Have a good night.” She stepped back from him and climbed in, pulling out without looking at him.

What was the point? Any hope of a relationship was dead on arrival.

She turned up the music loud, humming to the radio to tune out the clamor of her thoughts. Why dwell on the sad enormity of her life? Maybe she should give faith and Christianity a go. Honestly, could it make her life any worse?

It might even make it better, and right now, she could use at least one positive thing. Destiny said God had brought them together as friends. Maybe that was true. And maybe knowing Him would be more of that easy warm connection she had with her roommate.

Lights flashed in her rearview.

Before she could get a clear idea of who was behind her, the vehicle slammed into the back of Liam’s truck.

Roxie yelped. She gripped the wheel and held the truck steady. Phone. She needed her phone.

She pulled back the Velcro over her right leg pocket and grabbed the phone.

The vehicle behind revved and slammed into her again. Her hand hit the volume knob, shooting the music up to earsplitting levels. The phone hit the floor on the passenger side.

Her front right wheel clipped the curb, and she jerked the wheel to the left. She swiped a parked car but got control back. The vehicle behind had to be a bigger truck. It made contact again, but in the dark, she couldn’t make anything out.

She needed to pull over. Get out of the way of people in other vehicles.

There. A parking lot.

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