Up in Smoke - Tessa Bailey Page 0,40
puffed up. “Corrections officer. Supervisor, actually.”
He leaned ever-so-slightly closer and she ducked back, wagging a chastising finger in front of his nose. To make up for it, she tucked a finger into her shirt collar and moved it back and forth, giving him a peek at her cleavage. “At Cook County?”
“Huh?” He turned toward the bar a little, possibly to hide his growing erection. “Yeah.”
“Wow.” She ran her hands up her thighs. “On my tour this morning, I heard there was a prison escape not too long ago. It must have been on someone else’s shift. Can’t imagine anyone getting by you.”
“Damn straight it wasn’t my shift. That shit wouldn’t have happened on my watch, baby.”
Her breath caught. “Oh, mister. Tell me all about it.”
Chapter Eleven
Connor mentally played back the interview with May’s cell mate in his head. A distraction to keep his mind off Erin. Technically, she wasn’t even late yet, but that didn’t seem to matter. After the way they’d left things this morning, he’d needed time with her and hadn’t gotten it. He wanted it now. Layered over that pressing desire was the need to know where the hell she’d gone. Erin might hold back about her past, but she was blunt and honest in every other respect. The fact that she hadn’t told him where she was going, had actually looked prematurely guilty, cloaked him in anxiety.
Letting her pull these disappearing acts whenever the conversation got tough was going to be goddamn difficult. She’d been right that morning. He was the type who needed organization, structure. It’s why he’d excelled with the SEALs—until he’d gone and fucked it all up. He wanted to fight off her demons while keeping his own at bay, but how could he do it when she kept running away?
Think about the interview. She’ll be here.
It had been like riding a bike. Even if May’s cell mate hadn’t been entirely helpful, the simple act of questioning someone was familiar. A ritual that had brought him back to his time overseas. His training. To when he’d been a valued member of a group. Until the day he’d made a massive error in judgment, he’d been on his way to a respectable career. Instead, he’d landed back in his hometown with dishonor on his back. Dishonor he’d only increased exponentially.
Today felt like the first time he might be able to get back some of his honor. But he needed to be cautious. Needed to keep his head. For so long he’d been existing one minute to the next. Living in Brooklyn, making an illegal living so he could support his mother and her medical bills. One split-second decision—a momentary loss of control—had landed him there. He’d numbed himself as a way to cope, but as Erin’s presence thawed him, he found those skeletons wouldn’t be ignored. It had been a long time coming, but now he had to face them head-on. Find out their names and extract them, knowing he’d be stronger on the other side. Strong for her.
He heard the jingling of bells and felt a rush of relief. It was short-lived, though, because she was running her hands up and down the sides of her jeans, murmuring under her breath as she came toward him. Her fingers were black with soot, telling him she’d been lighting matches, letting them burn. She looked jumpy, and he didn’t like it. He opened his mouth to request an explanation, but she spoke first. “I was thinking Chinese for dinner tonight. Any objections?”
She’s trying to distract me. Why? “How’d you do?”
“You first.”
Irritation zigzagged through his sternum. Patience. “May’s cell mate didn’t have much to say, the bottom line being May didn’t act or do anything out of the ordinary leading up to his escape.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Something was definitely off, though. His answers felt rehearsed. I didn’t have enough time.”
She took a step toward him, bringing their bodies close, and loosed a little sigh of pleasure. Was she cold? The idea bothered him, especially considering he couldn’t warm her in his arms. “And there wasn’t much you could do on the other side of the glass, right?”
Connor couldn’t deny that he’d had the same thought. His interrogation style had transformed greatly during his time in Brooklyn. While he hated the memories that fact conjured, he liked not having to pretend with her. Pretend he wasn’t a man who’d seen and done bad things. A sudden vision assailed Connor. Him. Tying Erin