“I don’t know what you’re getting at.” I played dumb.
We had been through a lot together. Mostly me being there for him. I had never met anyone who self-sabotaged more than Prescott.
“She was pretty,” he went on as he leaned back in the chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Maybe I should call her to check up on her.”
I glared at the fucker. “You’re too old for her.”
He shrugged. “Jess is the same age, isn’t she? And she keeps insisting we should marry.”
I pulled my phone out. “Maybe I should call your sister and tell her you know where Jess is.”
Jess was his adopted niece, whom he was currently hiding from the rest of his family—and from mine. Once this came to light, I knew my brother was going to have it out for me.
There was a knock on my door before Prescott could say more.
“Ah, Carson.” One of the officers stepped in. “You said to notify you if we came across Miss Vails.”
I could feel Prescott’s gaze on me, and I didn’t have to look at the asshole to know he was gloating.
“And?” I kept my voice neutral.
“Peters went to make a house call…”
I took a deep breath, already knowing where this was going.
“She’s at the Shepards’ place demanding they give her back her phone.”
I could see Prescott’s shoulders begin to shake.
“Bring her in,” I clipped.
“Sir—”
“Tell Peters to bring her in now.”
It took a full minute before I even looked at Prescott, who was more than amused.
“How the hell does she end up in the only crack house in the county?”
Prescott got up from his chair. “Freedom of speech, Carson. Freedom of speech.”
I was irrationally angry.
“She’s not that young,” Prescott pressed before he walked out of the door. “I saw the way you were looking at her before you realized who she was.”
“No offense, Dunnett, but you’re the last person I would take advice from. I’m still pissed about Rachel. I liked her a lot.”
His face went stoic. His ex-wife was amazing. He’d just never bothered to see it. Fucked-up fathers and arranged marriages.
When he left, I stayed in my office, calming myself so I wouldn’t lose my cool.
CHAPTER FIVE
I was starting to believe I had been cursed or hexed. Someone was sending all their bad juju my way.
Since when was it illegal to walk up to someone’s house and knock? I kid you not. That was what happened.
The person didn’t even fully open the door. They just peeked through the window and asked what I wanted.
“You with the feds?” they asked.
When I said no, they closed the blind.
So, naturally, I knocked again, demanding I get my phone back.
Next thing I knew, a cop was pulling up. I had never been very religious, but at that moment, I prayed to become invisible when I saw Sunny Pines PD on the side of the car.
Someone kill me now.
Shit, that wasn’t possible. Lucas was in the car. I let out a relieved breath when the officer who got out of the vehicle wasn’t Clark, nor any of the men in the interrogation room with me.
Yay for small miracles, right?
“Ma’am.” The officer walked up to me. “What’s going on here?”
“Why are you questioning me? You should be questioning them. They stole my phone!”
He looked at the house and then at me, and he clocked Lucas right away. “I need to see an ID, ma’am.”
His tone wasn’t pleasant. If anything, it felt like he was judging me and not the people who had stolen my stuff.
No sooner had I handed him my ID than something flashed in his eyes.
“Give me a second,” he said as he walked back to his car.
Lucas, bless his heart, was more than entertained playing games on the tablet. He would randomly look up at me and give me a thumbs up. A sign of a good stake-out.
The cop came back and handed me my ID. I was about to ask if he was going to do something about my dilemma when he cut me off.
“I’m going to need you to come with me, ma’am.”
A shiver went down my spine.
“What?” I breathed. “Why?”
If anyone was going to the station, it would have to be the assholes who stole my purse. Unfortunately, the cop didn’t see it that way, and now Lucas and I found ourselves in the back of his squad car.
“I want you to know I will be suing,” I hissed.
It was safe to say I was livid. Lucas, on the other hand, was ecstatic. This was more like a field trip for him.
The officer informed me that it was in my and the child’s best interest to follow him. If Lucas had not been with me, I would have fought him more, but I didn’t want to do anything that could harm Lucas.
“This is so cool!” Lucas exclaimed as he peered out the window.
I glared more at the cop; he caught my eye through the rearview mirror, and I swear I saw a hint of a smirk.
All too soon, we were driving down Main Street, and I was glad for the tinted windows. Being in the back of a police car twice in twenty-four hours should have been some kind of record, right?
So, I asked.
“Negative,” the cop said. “Freya and Rusty hold most of the records in this town.”
There went that girl's name again.
Once we were parked, I grabbed Lucas's hand and dragged us out.
“You best believe I will drag you and your precinct in my newspaper,” I warned as I gave the cop a pointed finger.
He didn’t seem bothered by it and led Lucas and me inside.
“You!” I screeched when I saw Clark Carson waiting by the front desk.
My mouth went dry, and surely it was from anger, and not by the way he rocked that black long-sleeve and those jeans. Nope, it wasn’t that. I also knew this was no coincidence.
“Y-you had your lackey pick me up!”
His face was stoic, but his lip twitched.
“An officer,” he amended.
“This is abuse!” I pointed a finger at him.
Clark didn’t seem fazed. Our gazes locked, and I faltered for a second at the intensity he was looking at me with. He slid his eyes down, and I could feel them as if they were gracing my neck and body. I had gone for a simple light gray ribbed polo dress and sneakers. Then I saw the way his eyes flashed when they noticed I was holding onto something—or rather, someone.
“You know what? Since I’m already here, I’d like to file a complaint for abuse of power.”
Upon seeing Lucas, something shifted in Clark’s demeanor. It was subtle, like his shoulders becoming tenser and his jaw locking in a way that almost looked angry.
“Jane!” Clark bellowed.
A curvy middle-aged lady came walking out from one of the offices.
He then walked up to me.
Nope, that wasn’t the right word. More like he stalked up to me and then ignored me and crouched down to Lucas's level.
“Hey there, buddy.” He smiled at him, and I stopped breathing.
That smile. I remembered that smile. It was the same soft smile he gave me after he had saved my life. Except this time, it was different. Older and wiser, but also incredibly irresistible.