to say to his wife.
“Why are you here?” Erin asked testily. “I’ve already spoken to the officers who responded and to the other robbery detective who came to see me. I thought you were in guns and gangs or something like that.”
“I am,” Santos confirmed. “I suspect this robbery and assault may have ties to a gang. Or,” he added, “that it may be connected to your husband’s ties to a certain criminal organization.”
“My husband owns and operates an elite MMA training camp and gym, Detective Santos. There’s nothing criminal about our business.”
“If you say so,” Santos replied in that rude fucking way of his. “I’ve already spoken to your friend, Zoya. She didn’t have anything to add to her statement she gave police at the scene, but she did mention that one of the men seemed to be talking to you when he had you pressed up against your car. Can you tell me what he said?”
“I’d rather not.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because you’re trying to protect your husband? Or maybe your friends and their husbands?”
“No,” Erin snapped. “I’d rather not relive the moment when a disgusting stranger put his hand between my legs and told me what he was going to do to me.”
Santos was silent for a long moment. “I’m sorry, Erin. I didn’t know about that part of the assault. It wasn’t in the report I got from the officers on the scene.”
“Well, now you know.” She sighed loudly. “Listen, there’s nothing sinister or nefarious happening here. Okay? It was just a robbery. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“If it was just a robbery, why did they burn your car?”
“Probably because they had their hands all over it? They wanted to destroy evidence. I don’t know. I’m not a criminal. I don’t have any answers for their behavior.”
“Bullshit,” Santos protested. “I think you’re lying to me, Erin. I think something else happened in that parking lot. Whatever you’re hiding—whoever you’re trying to protect—I’ll figure it out. I can promise you that. When you’re ready to talk, to be honest with me, you know where to find me.”
The curtain jerked open as Ivan shoved off the wall, ready to give Eric a piece of his mind. The detective turned back toward Erin and said, “Tell your sister I said, ‘Hi.’ I’m sure I’ll be seeing her again soon. From what I've heard about her time in jail, she’s one stumble away from picking up that nasty habit of hers.”
“Fuck. You.” Erin glared at the detective. “You come near my sister or try to harass her in any way, and I’ll make your life a living hell.”
Santos laughed. “I’m sure you’ll try.”
Ivan clenched his fists at his sides. He wanted nothing more than to slam his fist into Eric’s smug face, but he wrestled the urge down and simply stared down the detective until he pivoted on his heel and left. The last thing he needed was to catch a charge for knocking out a detective. Once Eric was gone, Ivan stepped into the room and closed the curtain. Erin held out her hand, and he took it. “I’m sorry, angel moy.”
“Don’t apologize for him. He’s such a dick.”
“He is, but he’s taking out his frustration with me on you. That’s not right.”
“No, it’s not, but it is what it is.” She placed her hands on his waist and tugged him closer. She placed her cheek against his chest and ran her fingers up and down his lower spine. “Please don’t ask me to put Ruby on the streets instead of in our house when she gets released.”
Taken aback, he said, “I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”
“I know how much you two dislike each other,” she replied, soothing him with her stroking fingers.
Dislike was a tame word for what he felt for her older sister. Still, he said, “You let Ten stay with us even after they raided the house and tossed his room.”
“I was pretty upset,” she reminded him. “It’s hypocritical of me to ask you not to refuse to let Ruby stay with us.”
“You’re her sister. You’re family.” He tilted her chin up and gazed down into her beautiful eyes. “We’re family.”
She smiled up at him, her expression soft and loving. “Thank you.”
He brushed his thumb along her cheek. Even though it aggravated him that yet again they had to clean up one of Ruby’s messes, he said, “Because we’re family, I’ll find out what trouble she’s in and handle it if I can.”
“Ivan, you