Vixen (Dark Protectors #11.5) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,6
a shitty day at the office, avoiding the sheriff since he’d arrested the asshole’s kid the night before.
The smell of coffee wafted his way, and he turned to make an instant beeline for the table set up beneath the wide window, considering he’d missed dinner.
Dr. Lopez looked up from sitting on a metal chair at the edge of a circle of vacant metal chairs. “Hi, Detective. We have donuts and fresh cookies this fine evening.” The shrink had dressed in dark jeans and a silky-looking pink shirt with her dark hair in a bob around her pretty face. Her forehead wrinkled. “It’s so nice, but I can’t figure out why the leader of the gambling anonymous meetings keeps bringing us food. He only stole our room once.”
Evan shrugged and reached for a peanut butter cookie. “Maybe he feels guilty. Who knows?” The guy had done a complete turnaround, and if Evan didn’t know better, he’d think one of Lopez’s group members had had a little discussion with him. But nothing had been reported, and he had enough to worry about.
She smiled, her brown eyes sparkling. “I’ve gotten used to you attending the meetings. Isn’t it time you sat and actually participated?”
He paused with the treat halfway to his mouth. “I’m not here as a participant.”
She tapped her tennis shoe on the old wooden floor. “You might as well be, don’t you think? I can tell that something is bothering you besides wanting to help Abby Miller, which I believe you already have. Why don’t you participate?”
“Thanks, but no.” If he was angry, it was because he was dying, and he didn’t really need to share that fact with anybody. Abby Miller had been falsely accused of battery by her dirtbag ex, and the best deal Evan could get for her was probation so long as she attended these meetings. Of course, the ex was now dead. Thank goodness Abby had an airtight alibi for the murder.
As if reading his mind, Lopez frowned. “Are you here now because Abby’s ex-husband was murdered?”
Evan shoved the cookie in his mouth and finished it before answering. “Don’t you think it’s odd that your group provided an alibi for each other?” The second they’d been questioned, the group claimed they’d all been having a pizza party when the murder had occurred. Abby should’ve been the prime suspect.
“No. They were all together. It’s common for people in a group to try and make friends. I find it odd that you’d think that odd, considering they all just met a month ago. Why would any of them lie for near strangers?” She tilted her head.
“Good point,” Evan admitted. Even so, something was weird with this group. With most of the members of the group.
Tabi swept inside, this evening wearing white slacks, a green blouse, and high heels with red bottoms. She whipped off what had to be designer sunglasses. “How did the domestic violence call go last night?”
“Fine.” Evan’s ribs still hurt from the bat, but he’d taken Baker down hard afterward, and that had felt good.
“Good.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and strode over to sit by the shrink. “Good evening. How’s the brain business, Mariana?” She sipped delicately.
The shrink smiled. “That’s a tough question. If I say it’s good, then people have problems. If I say bad, then I don’t have patients, and I can’t buy shoes like you’re wearing. Those are stunning.”
Tabi kicked out her leg and twirled her ankle. “Thanks. They give me four extra inches in height.”
It was amazing she could be so graceful in the deadly things. Movement sounded near the door. Evan turned from staring at the sexy shoes to see Abby and her new friend, Noah Siosal, walk inside the room, holding hands. He wasn’t one to judge, but meeting a guy in an anger management program probably wasn’t the best move for Abby to make. Abby’s ex had been an ass, and this guy was at least six-six and built hard. One punch, and he could kill a woman, without question. Plus, a sense of danger rolled off him.
She smiled at Evan, looking happy, her greenish-brown eyes sparkling.
Ah, damn it. Evan cut a harsh look at Noah, promising retribution if he hurt the brunette. Noah winked at him, his eyes as black as Tabi’s but his hair a darker blond. In fact, they looked oddly alike, but Evan’s background check on them hadn’t pinpointed any relationship or past association at all.
Evan straightened. Besides a recent bar