“You weren’t gonna stop and experience it with me either,” I rasp out. “You were kicking and screaming every minute we spent together.”
Snickering under her breath, she drops that hand and gently nods. “I’m glad you pushed. It hurts right now, but it would’ve been a tragedy to miss out on it completely.”
Finally lowering her gaze, she turns on her heels and starts toward the door, only to stop again when Fox and Grayson step through.
My temper spikes as the three of them do that awkward dance folks do when they’re in each other’s way. But it’s not until Fox takes Minka’s arms in his hands and moves her, flashing a smug grin as he places her on his other side, his back to me, that adrenaline floods my veins.
“Detective Fox. Officer Grayson.” With one last glance my way, Minka inclines her head. “Detective Malone.” Turning and moving through the door, she crosses her arms and defends herself from the arctic wind that blows her hair back.
“Mm-mm-mmm.” The moment the door shuts and Minka is out of sight, Fox turns back to me and smirks. “She’s a sight, ain’t she?”
“Don’t try it,” I snarl.
At his back, Fletch moves through the door with a playful grin, only to stop on a dime and glower when Grayson steps in his way.
“Don’t,” I repeat when Fox’s smile notches a little higher. “You keep your hands to your damn self and stay on your side of the city, or we’re just gonna end up in the chief’s office again. I promise you, Beau, you won’t like what happens if you fuck with her.”
I wait for Fletch as he shoves through the pair, then together, the two of us head toward the bar and approach the only two remaining stools.
“What the fuck are they doing here?” Fletch growls the moment we’re no longer within earshot. “That motherfucker is banned from here, ain’t he?”
“Testing his luck maybe.” I drop down on my stool and nod when Tim’s eyes shoot across to me. “Minka knew his name.”
“What?”
Tim slides a beer in front of me, and another in front of Fletch. My partner snags his with fast hands and brings it up to chug half in a matter of seconds. He’s desperate, and he’s not going to see his girl tonight.
“Minka knew whose name?” he asks once he’s swallowed.
“Fox’s!” I spit out. I tilt my head and peek over my shoulder, but the instant my eyes lock onto the pair of men still standing by the door, a snarl rocks through my frame. They’re laughing and flirting with other patrons; not the first responder patrons, but the female variety. “She greeted them as ‘Detective Fox’ and ‘Officer Grayson.’”
“Those are their names,” he mumbles, closing his eyes as though to appreciate his beer. “That’s what we call ‘em too… in official records. Not when we’re smashing their fuckin’ faces in.”
“Yeah, but how the hell does she know them at all?” I turn on my stool and use the mirrored wall to watch the others behind me. “And why are they friendly?”
“Probably wants to fuck your girl,” Fletch answers, tone laced with bitterness. “He does that a lot. Watch your back, Arch. And watch hers too. Or the next time you get home and expect her to be waiting, you might find her bent over the fucking couch with her skirt around her hips and his eyes on the door like he was waiting to show off his score.”
Bile swirls in my stomach and burns in my throat.
The thought of anyone touching Minka is enough to make me sick. But the idea ofFoxtouching her is enough to make me homicidal.
“Fuck.” I push up to stand and bring the beer to my lips. “Motherfucker.”
“What?” Nonchalant, my partner shrugs and bows his shoulders in while he drinks. “You know he’s thinking it.”
“I’m going. I’ve got some shit to do.” Dropping cash down by Fletcher’s elbow, since it’s not good manners to always drink for free on my brother’s tab, I wait for Tim’s eyes, only to roll mine when I find him at the other end of the bar, flirting with some busty chick I know he uses to piss Aubree off.
Not to hurt her, but, at its most basic form, to protect her.
“I’ll come pick you up at eight in the morning,” I tell Fletch. “Be fresh and ready so we can finish out Paul McGregor and file him away.”
At least this once, I can ensure a couple of murderers are put away nice and tight.
“Don’t get in a fight with the midtown cops, either,” I add. “It looks bad and gets us in trouble.”
“Ya think?” He sets his beer down and sucks air between his teeth. “In that case, I’m gonna need you or Tim to remove them before I do it. Because I’m not the forgiving type, Arch, and I already missed out on my shit this afternoon because of work. Remove them,” he reiterates. “Or remove me. We can’t all be chillin’ here tonight and expect it to be cool.”