“No—you're putting words in my mouth. Think, Briana. We'll make a plan at first light. I promise.”
“Oh, like you promised I’d have twenty-four hours before you arrested me?”
He exhales, jaw tight. “That’s not fair. I told you—I had nothing to do with those State jerks.”
God, why does he make me so mad?Maybe because yelling at him is the only thing that keeps me from jumping his stupidly hot bones.
Hot, furious tears sting my eyes, blurring my vision. Damn it. This is not who I am. Not anymore. I realize I’m spiraling—and yet, reason has packed its bags. Rage has the wheel.
“So, you’d rather go into the woods and let yourself be shot at?” His expression softens.
I blink at him. For a second, I see something else flicker in his eyes—fear.
Maybe notofme, butforme.
I’m fine. This is fine. Everything is totally fine. Except I might get murdered. Or worse—kiss him again.
He is right about one thing. Night in the woods is a tactical nightmare. No moon. No backup. No plan. Still, my instincts itch the way they did on an op.
The sick bastard’s close. I can feel it in my bones.
I tighten the straps on my backpack.
“Do it,” he snaps. “March off into the dark. Might as well hand him your dog tags while you’re at it.”
“At least I decided all by myself.” The second the words leave my mouth, I cringe.
Now I sound like a bratty teenager.Ugh.
His jaw flexes. “If I find you on the trail, I’ll have Griffin arrest you.”
“Fine. Do it!”
God, Iama child.
I storm out of the room, grab my phone, then head straight to the bathroom. Door locked, I lean against it and take two deep breaths before tapping Herman’s name.
The AI’s soft, melodic voice hums through the speaker.
“Hello, Briana. It’s been over a week. I imagine you have quite a lot to talk about.”
I roll my eyes.Holy shit. Where to begin?
I dump everything—
Andrea’s betrayal, Brett’s murder, the stalker, my arrest… And finally, the one thing I can’t stop thinking about.
Sheriff Kade O’Malley.
He processes for a beat. “If I understand correctly, you engaged in sex. While you found it enjoyable, you are now experiencing second thoughts because he is attempting to be protective, which you interpret as condescending or controlling. Is this accurate?”
Him being all rational makes me sound like a bitch. “No… not so much.”
“Please elaborate so I can better understand your emotional response.”
I pace the small space, running a hand through my hair. “I’m not emotionally unstable.”
“Did he suggest you were?”
