“I don’t care. What I care about is that he gets a fair trial.”
Evan’s hands had clenched and unclenched. “I care about those kids that are overdosing from the shit he’s selling.”
“Then do your fucking job—”
He jerked back as if she’d slapped him.
“—and stop expecting me not to do mine.” It would have been a great exit line. But unfortunately, her office was in the basement, and the stupid elevator stopped on every floor. So Lucy had crossed her shaking arms over her chest and glared at the doors instead of looking at him.
Evan had studied her as if she was some strange insect he’d never seen before. It didn’t unnerve her. She’d sat across from hardened criminals as they took a shit in their jail cells. Let him look, she thought. When it was finally her floor, she allowed herself to relax.
“Want to go out fo
r a drink sometime?” he’d asked as she got out.
He had left her gaping at him like a fish; she had half expected to hear him laugh as the elevator doors closed. But he hadn’t.
They never had gone out for that drink. Shortly after that incident, Evan took an early retirement. But not before he tagged the drug dealer again and this time got his conviction.
“The dress wasn’t wasted,” Lucy said now as he continued to smile at her with that sexy grin that made her want to make really bad choices. Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, but when his sultry green eyes warmed at how it pushed her cleavage up, she dropped her arms. “My phone!”
She hurried back to where she’d dropped it. Evan followed slowly, his headlight lighting the way.
“Stupid, cheap piece of shit.” Lucy bent to pick it up. The battery had sprung out and she couldn’t get it back in. The glass was shattered as well. “Can I use your phone?”
“No cops,” Evan said. “Sentinel will get your purse back.”
Sentinel was an army vet who co-owned The Blue Line. When he wasn’t bartending, he was working his way through most of the bar’s female patrons.
“Thank you,” she said, remembering her manners. “I mean that. If you guys hadn’t been here…” Lucy started to shake. She rubbed her bare arms, hoping he would think it was from the chilly night air.
“But we were,” he said. “Now, climb on the back of my bike and I’ll take you to my place. You can warm up and relax while we wait for your purse to come back.”
Lucy bit her lip. “I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“Sweetheart, in that dress you’re nothing but trouble.”
She scowled at him and stormed back to her car, where she’d left her shoes. Dumping the ruined mess of her cellphone on the hood, she pulled on her shoes. Evan waited patiently for her as if he just expected she would hop on the back of his bike.
She didn’t like guys with beards.
She didn’t like big thugs who solved problems with their fists.
She sighed. Who was she kidding?
“Look, I ain’t going anywhere without you,” Evan said, patting the seat behind him. “So you can lean against your cold car, or you can be comfortable on my couch.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. She’d been to his place before. It had been pretty memorable. “How comfortable?”
“As comfortable as you want.” He held out a hand. “Come on, honey. I’ll take you to your house if you want.”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Can’t. My spare key is in the car.”
“Good place for it.” Evan smirked. “Put your foot on the footrest, then put your hands on my shoulder and swing your other leg across.”
“Are you sure I won’t tip the bike?” Lucy didn’t think she could take any more humiliation.
He laughed. “I’m sure.”