“Devlin!” His voice turns jovial. “How are you, son? I hear the Coyotes varsity soccer team did well this season.”
“Yeah. Listen, my girlfr—someone important to me was picked up tonight. I’m at the station to bail her out, but I want to know what I can do to ensure the charge doesn’t go on her permanent record.” I lower my voice, glancing around to check that no one hears. “Whatever I have to do.”
I’ve never been more thankful for Bishop’s cutthroat interest in blackmail as I am in this moment. He dug up an interesting rumor surrounding the police chief’s promotion from his previous rank. Ridgeview’s top dog will do favors for the right price.
It doesn’t matter that Blair hurt me by leaving. I’ll fight for her and give her anything she desires. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she doesn’t want to leave again.
“Oh, the girl I picked up on Red Hill Road?” His tone turns knowing.
My heart skips a beat and I suck in a sharp breath. Red Hill? It’s where hookers pick up their customers. Fuck. Blair, what were you thinking taking a risk like that? Depraved old men prowl that dark street and girls are known to disappear. Some sleaze could’ve got his hands on her and—
I cut off my circling thoughts. “Yes. Her.”
“She seems like a good kid. I didn’t make it an official arrest. I was going to let her go in the morning.”
Relief floods my system. “Well, consider the bail I posted a generous donation to keep it like that.”
Chief Landry chuckles. “You’re just like your dad. Tell your uncle I said I’ll see him at poker night.”
The line goes dead. Frowning, I shove the phone back in my pocket. Being compared to my dad isn’t a glowing compliment.
Blair appears through a clear partition, accepting a bag of her things before she’s allowed through the door. It takes all of my control not to gape at her skimpy outfit—the sheer top with little dots giving the perfect teasing view of her lacy black bra. We stare at each other for a beat. My fingers twitch with the urge to yank her against my chest and never let her go.
“Let’s get out of here.” Blair glances at the cops with a tiny frown and starts for the door.
Outside, the crisp winter air gusts through the valley. Blair shivers, her arms breaking out in goosebumps. She shrugs into her cardigan, wrapping it around herself and covering the tempting view of her body.
I unlock Red, parked in front of the station, and open the passenger door. Glancing up, I find Blair clomping down the sidewalk toward the bus station.
“Blair. Where are you going?”
She pauses, half-turning. An expression of longing lingers on her face when she finds me holding her door open, waiting for her. She worries her lip and gestures behind her.
“I took the bus into town.”
“I know, I saw your car when I went to your place.”
“You did?”
I close the distance between us and buff her upper arms when she shudders from the cold. “I told you, angel. I’ve been looking for you all night. There’s so much I need to tell you.”
Everything in me screams to take away the sadness in Blair’s expression. She leans into my touch, making a small sound. A hint of vanilla tingles in my nose.
“Let me give you a ride.”
Blair drags her teeth over her lip. “Okay.”
Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I walk her back to the car. When I get in, I blast the heat and click on the seat warmers. Blair blows breath on her hands and shoots me a grateful look.
“Thanks, it’s cold as shit in the holding cell.”
A short laugh barks out of me. “Little criminal.”
“The real deal now.”
“You were always the real deal.” I lift my brow as I rev the engine. “This time you got caught.”
Conflict twists Blair’s features. “They didn’t say anything about coming back for a court date.”