Page 48 of If You Say So

“Riel,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

I flicked my head in the general direction of Yao.

“I had a person he’s been searching for in custody,” I answered. “Had to bring him in because he

decided to run. There was a foot chase, and he decided to meet pavement.”

She looked over her shoulder at where Yao was standing next to the young teen who’d been of

interest in the case he was seeing to with the gunshot victim at the high school.

This kid was, supposedly, the one that had been doing the shooting.

Which was why Yao had been called in, and why thebe on the lookout, or BOLO, had been put

out on him in the first place.

“You’re working in this weather?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Kind of. They put me in a cruiser.”

She blew out a breath, looking relieved.

“That’s good,” she said softly, looking away. “The thought of you on that bike in this weather

scares me.”

I tried not to feel happy that she cared whether I was safe or not but failed.

“Would you like to grab some lunch with me?” I asked, wanting her to say yes, but knowing she’d

say no.

She looked around for something to help her get out of the offer, I assumed, but came up short.

“You should go,” the woman next to her said. “Your lunch break is coming up.”

Frankie looked like she’d been shoved into a corner with no way out.

I took a step back and raised my hands. “I’m not going to force you to go, Frankie.”

I didn’t force women.

I didn’t want Frankie to go to eat with me if she’d rather be anywhere but.

Frankie’s eyes went to the side where the woman sat, then sighed and stood up, gesturing for me

to follow her.

I did, at a very safe, respectable distance.

She rolled her eyes and gestured for me to follow her into the break room.

I did, reluctantly.

The harsh lights hurt my eyes, and with one quick sweep of the room, I realized there would be no

escaping them.

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