“Something wrong?” she asks as my eyes fall to the opening in her blouse and catch a glimpse of her bra hugging her full tits. I bet her skin tastes sweet there. Goddamn.
Blinking as I catch myself staring again, I laugh as we enter a dining room. “Nothing at all.”
Sitting at a table in the middle of the large room, Taggart’s scowl could warp glass. She nods to the sandwich and drink to the left of her like I’m a damn child. “Eat. Or do you still need the definition?”
My stomach growls, but I say, “Not hungry, but thanks.” Across the room, I watch Talia pick up a sandwich and a salad. Her black pants show off her ass more when she stretches for a drink in the cooler. Her body speaks to mine while mine screams back, begging for our bodies to collide.
“You’re not eating?”
“Maybe later.”
“There isn’t a later. Put your tongue back in your mouth and sit.”
I shift my attention to Taggart. “Say what?”
“Mind your place, officer.” Inhaling, I pull out the chair and sit, so she’ll shut up. “Must I remind you that she’s not interested in you and that you have a job to do?”
I look at Taggart again and wince. “No reminders needed.” I shrug as I try not to watch Talia. “I guess I’m concerned for her safety after this afternoon.” That’s a perfect answer since it’s not a lie and doesn’t implicate me further.
Taggart’s frown eases. “As am I. That’s why we’re checking on her.”
“Do you think her ex will come back?”
“He’d better not since there’s an EPO with a restraining order coming down the pike.”
“Did he hurt her?”
As I look past Taggart, watching Talia at the register, Taggart answers, “Not as much physically as he did psychologically. He was controlling and threatened her often. And since he was a cop, she feared him.”
“Damn,” I mutter as Talia chats with the cashier.
“She’s still fragile, so you will not put the moves on her, or you’ll be out of a job yesterday.”
Scowling, I sit back. “I never said I would. I’m not Omar Ruiz. Far from it.”
“Like he was, you are in a position of authority. If I can stop her from making that mistake again, I will.”
Somewhat disheartened, I watch Talia turn and head our way. Reluctantly, I pick up the sandwich and take a bite to keep my mouth shut.
Smiling, Talia sits across from Taggart, next to me, so I’m in between both. Crossing her legs, her foot hits my leg. Talia tilts to look under the table, and then her eyes meet mine. “I’m sorry, officer.”
“No worries.” Touch me again.
Taggart bombards Talia with welfare-check questions, which Talia patiently answers but occasionally throws glances my way like she doesn’t want me to hear her business.
“When was the last time Ruiz touched you?”
“Um…” Her eyes fly to my face and then to the table. “I don’t…”
Pushing out my chair, I say, “I’ll take a walk.”
Talia says, “You don’t have to go, Officer McGrath.”
I frown at her calling me that, and Taggart says, “Yes, he does. Go, McGrath. I’ll meet you out front.”
“Sure.” Turning to Talia, I say, “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks again for your help.” She starts to say something but then stops as her gaze lands on Taggart.
“Any time.” I exit the dining hall, and as I do, my work cell buzzes. Pulling it from my pocket, I see a text from Dalton. Going outside and leaning my arm against the rough brick, with my firearm away from the nonexistent entrance traffic this time of night, I pull up his message. I have some of your things that got mixed in with mine when I moved. I’ll need to drop them off.
Shrugging to myself at the random text, a voice steals my attention. “There you are.” As I meet Talia’s gaze, she again looks at me weird.
I straighten and return the phone to my pocket. “Something wrong?”
“Uh, nothing. I just wanted to apologize if you felt like we booted you from the table.”
“Well, Taggart did, but it’s okay. You wanted to talk to her, so I get it.”
She shakes her head, and her small gold hoop earrings lightly swing. “I didn’t want to whine about my problems. I mean, Lynn is used to it, so—”
“You weren’t whining. You had a scare. It’s understandable.”
“I don’t want him to confront me somewhere, like a parking lot, a store, or my apartment…”
“If you ever need help, call Taggart or me.”
Her skittishness disappears, and her body stiffens. “You don’t need to rescue me.”
“I wasn’t offering. You’d need to call the fire department for a rescue, anyway. I’m just here to shine a light into the dark. Everyone can use a hand from time to time, right?”
She slowly nods and licks her bottom lip. I wish I was licking it. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“Where’s your phone? I’ll give you my work number.”
“Um, sure.” She digs her phone from her pocket. Unlocking it, she hands it to me to enter my number. Thinking of what Jordan said, I give Talia my personal cell number too.
Handing it back to her, she says, “Thank you, Officer McGrath.”
I sigh. “Dylan.”
Talia smiles. “Okay.” I can’t help but smile back. “I’m an only child.”
My smile grows. “I have two older brothers, Dalton and Dex, and a sister named Dani, who’s Dex’s twin. Dalton is a California State Police officer in Sacramento, and Dex is a surgical resident in Florida. Dani is a clerk for Richmond PD.”
“Impressive. Your names all start with a D?”
“Dean and Deirdre McGrath thought it’d be sweet. It’s not.” We laugh, and I glance at the lobby with a sigh. “Well, you’d better go, so Taggart doesn’t see us.”
“Why would that matter?”
“Aside from police business, she doesn’t want me talking to you.”
Talia laughs. “Lynn’s a family friend. She doesn’t rule me.”
“She rules my ass, though.” I laugh. “Where is she?”
“On a phone call.”
“She has a lot of those.”
“Her husband is disabled. She checks on him a lot.”
“Oh. Good to know.”
“Okay, then. I don’t want to get you into trouble, so…”
I smirk with a shrug. “I changed my mind. I’ll risk it, Talia.”
She bites her lip and looks at the road, and then back to me. “No one has ever called me that.”
“Hey, I guess that means I’m your first. It fits.” As soon as I say that, I laugh and inhale toward the sidewalk. Real slick. I can hear Jordan laughing her ass off right now.
Before I’m able to correct myself, Talia smirks. “My first, huh? I’m not a rebel and don’t move that fast. Are you this smooth with all women?”
“No. I saved myself for you.” Catching her off guard again from the look on her face, I laugh, surprised I came up with that so fast.
“Your girlfriend probably hates it.”
I give her a confused smirk. “What makes you think I have a girlfriend?”
“Because…” Her beautiful eyes roam over me and stop at my firearm. I cross my arms and shift to move it away.
“If you want to know if I have a girlfriend, just ask.”
She looks up at me through her lashes. “Maybe I don’t want to know.”
I nod. “Really? Damn.”
Shock fills her eyes, and she quickly shakes her head. “That’s not what I meant. I’m not a homewrecker. I’m not trying to jump into bed with you. God.”
Grinning, I prop my hand on the wall, making her stare at me again. “Never thought that.” Only hoped.
“Just so we’re clear about…that.” She clears her throat with a frown. “I’m babbling. I guess I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Night.�
� She turns, and I hear Jordan screaming at me to do something. Then Talia swings around and blurts, “Are we flirting?”
I laugh. “Uh, maybe? I didn’t check the handbook.”
“It’s just that I don’t know…Earlier at work…” And then she sighs
I don’t want her to feel pressured to tell me everything about her past with Ruiz, so I ask, “Would you want to come over to my apartment tomorrow evening, around six o’clock? My roommate is out of town, so he won’t be there to interrogate you. I can order pizza since I can’t cook. Nothing fancy. I just thought maybe if you had nothing else to do…If you don’t—”
She laughs. “Now, you’re babbling.”
“I suppose so.”
“I thought you said Lynn doesn’t want you to fraternize with me?” She smirks, and it captures my undivided attention as it lights up her eyes.
“Uh, yeah. But I’m a rebel like that, right?”
“You are.” The smile that follows nearly knocks me on my ass. “Yes. It’s a date.”
“A date. On my couch.”
Her gaze does things to me that shouldn’t happen while on duty. “It’ll be a first for me. We’ll just take it slow.” She giggles, crooks an eyebrow, and licks her lip. Holy fuck. I think I’m in love.
Talia’s smile suddenly drops, and she dashes into the hotel. Three seconds later, Taggart exits, waving at Talia in the lobby. “Let’s roll, McGrath.” Looking back, Talia waves, and I smile before following Taggart. This might be the hottest couch date ever.
Chapter 8
“And that’s how I defeated Muhammad Ali.”
I tear my eyes away from the window, confused. “Sorry?”
“Get with the program, officer. I asked how you were managing a turn-and-burn since we worked last night and are back at it this morning.” She squints her beady blue eyes at me. “I see, you’re failing horribly.”
“I’m fine. Just looking for Marilou.”
“Uh-huh. You can’t fool a songbird into singing the blues.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means to cut the crap or you’ll be wearing a costume and holding a sign in front of a cell phone store. Pay attention.”
“To what?”
She sighs, drilling me with a glare as I look up to see a man approaching our table, who says, “Hey, cuz. Long time, no see.”
I tersely inhale. “Hey there, Grant. What are you doing in Joy Springs?” I didn’t expect to see him in this town for an on-duty inspection.
“Sunnyville PD unlocked my cage. Emmy likes the donuts here.” He holds up a bag and then turns to my FTO. “Sergeant Taggart, I see you’re training one of the best.”
“The jury is still out on that, but it’s an honor to teach a member of your family. Your father and great-uncle are legends.” She nearly giggles, and I recoil, unaccustomed to the sound of civility as she kisses Grant’s ass.
“Dylan’s a good guy, too. I see progress.”
I roll my eyes at the table. How would he know? If my job wasn’t already in jeopardy and I wasn’t about to date Talia, I’d tell them both to fuck off. Instead, I bite my tongue and remember Jordan’s excited text this morning. You fucking nailed it! Now nail her! I want a full report! Nice.
“Would you like to join us, detective?” My eyes may roll out of my skull.
“No, thank you. I’m glad to hear Dylan is doing well.”
“He has a lot to learn and could use a truckload of improvement, but I’ll shape him into a well-oiled machine.” God. I can’t even fathom that shit.
I cover my mouth with my fist to hide a laugh with a cough. Taggart ignores me, but Grant says, “I have no doubts. Dylan McGrath has Malone blood. He’s up for the challenge.” Say what? I thought he brought me out here to watch me fail.
“We shall see.” Taggart’s lips leave Grant’s ass to smile past him. “Good morning, Natalia.”
Grant steps aside and smiles at her, but I know he’s assessing her. “Natalia, hello.”
She smiles. “Hello, Detective Malone. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you. Just visiting my cousin.”
“Oh?” Talia glances at me and then back to Grant. “I didn’t know that. I see a little resemblance.”
“His side of the family got the brains. Mine got the looks.” So funny. He should do prison stand-up.
Taggart sneers, “I think this one missed the train for both.” What the fuck? She has room to call me ugly and stupid?
They all laugh while I watch Talia fidget with her apron pocket. Grant says, “I’m off. See you later, kid.” He smirks, and Doris fawns over him, preventing him from leaving. I hope she irritates the fuck out of him and he considers moving to Guam.
As I quietly seethe from the denigration, Talia turns her attention to us, but I notice her eyebrows tugging together as she asks, “The usual or something else, officer?”
I refrain from telling her to stop calling me that, but I suppose her calling me anything else would seem too personal in front of Taggart. “The usual, please.”
Talia smiles, but it’s not genuine. Instead, when she glances at me, her eyebrows knit as if she’s pondering calculus.
When she leaves, Taggart says, “Remember, it’s the entire Malone reputation on the line if you screw up. They wouldn’t appreciate the defamation.”
“I’m not actively trying to screw my family, sergeant.”
“No, but your focus needs to be on your job and doing it with honor. Your family’s standing in two communities depends on it.” Not when suck-ups like you lick their boots.
“No pressure.”
“Let’s hope there is.” Jesus.
Taggart gets up to take her usual phone break but stands near the entrance in the corner since it's raining. Talia returns with our drinks. Looking over her shoulder, she asks, “Grant Malone is your cousin? More impressiveness.”
“Don’t let that blind you. He’s just a normal guy.” I glance to the podium to see Grant talking to Doris. Not that normal.
“I meant that he’s related to you.” I gawk at her for that comment, and she says, “I may be a little late tonight. I have an errand to run.”
“Yeah. Sure. I’ll text you my address.”
“You don’t have my number.”
Glancing toward Taggart, I see she’s looking out the window, but Grant is watching me while Doris yaks. I don’t think Grant is listening to her. I lean closer to Talia. “Then I guess you’ll have to give it to me.”
Talia steps closer and whispers, “And I will.” Holy fuck. I can’t finish my shift. Oblivious to my reaction, Talia giggles but looks over her shoulder and loses the smile. “I’ll text you later. I hope you can handle it.”
“I’ll certainly try.” As she smiles, she licks her lip and then bites her tongue. A sharp pain zings my dick.
Talia clears her throat and suddenly appears uncomfortable. “Um, what Grant said…I never asked how—”
“Is Officer McGrath giving you a hard time, Natalia?” Taggart asks, returning to the table at the wrong fucking time.
“No. I only asked him if he needed anything else. He’s always a gentleman,” she says and then glances at me, almost pleading before leaving. For what? I wish I knew.
When I finish my sandwich, I stretch and subtly look for Talia but don’t see her. Thankfully, Taggart doesn’t notice. Seeing she’s halfway finished is a good and bad thing. I’m not sitting around here. “I’ll wait in the unit. I have a call to make,” I lie.
Taggart stares at me as she chews, which I take as a hit the road. Walking to the door, I search for Talia again but don’t see her. In the unit, I enter Talia’s name into the computer, needing to know more about her.
Pulling up her name, I see her driver’s license picture. Her middle name is Marjani. As I skim the screen, I see her address, which isn’t far from mine if it’s current. And then an interesting fact hits me. Seeing her birthday is next week, I sit back, somewhat shocked. To no one, I ask, �
��She’ll be thirty?”
As I process that, I ultimately grin. I hadn’t thought about dating someone in her thirties. I thought Hadley was pretty, but there was zero chance of ever dating her. I was a minor when we met, and Finn Wilder would’ve pounded me into the ground. With Talia, it’s not a huge difference in age since I’m twenty-two, but it’s enough to be a damn turn-on.
Digging deeper into her record, I see it’s clean. I notice her parents are Arthur Perry and Camille Welch.
The passenger door suddenly opens to the sound of pouring rain and a blustering Taggart. I exit out of Talia’s record as Taggart says, “Okay. Get the lead out, McGrath. Time’s a-wastin’.”
I look at the dash clock. It fucking is.
Setting the pizza box on the counter, I’m antsy. I sit, stand, and pace within five minutes. I’ve never been this nervous, not even on my first date with Audrey. Realizing that, I stop pacing, suddenly obsessed with why this date is different.
When the doorbell rings, I jump and run into the armchair. What the hell is my problem with chairs? Swinging open the door, my welcoming grin disappears. “Dalton? What’re you doing here?”
My brother smiles and holds up a cardboard box. I texted you yesterday about your shit?”
“Nice way to put it.” I try to grab the box, but Dalton moves it from my reach.
“You’re not inviting me in?”
“I’m kind of expecting someone.”
Dalton nods his blond head. He’s wearing a trucker hat with a gasoline company’s logo, still sports the mustache I told him to shave off five years ago, and a plaid flannel with the arms cut off that screams he’s an out-of-work porn star from the seventies. “I’ll only be a minute.”
I roll my eyes and allow him inside, impatient for him to leave. I set the box on the armchair and see an alarm clock, books I never read, a desk lamp, and some DVDs. “You took my lamp?”
“I don’t know how it got in there. I thought your nerdy self would miss the books more.” He nods to the kitchen. “You have a date?”
Rebel Rook: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World) Page 9
