I wanted to argue, but he wasn’t ordering me. He was trying to take care of me.
“Okay,” I finally agreed.
He leaned over and kissed me lightly. “I’ll be right back.”
It was my turn to sigh as I watched him walk down the hallway. His ass looked amazing in gray sweatpants.
Though my stomach suddenly felt tight, I lifted my sandwich and took a small bite. At first, it seemed to swell in my mouth, but eventually, I swallowed it and washed it down with a sip of rosé.
The police chief and Poppy came into the kitchen behind Daniel. Seeing them side-by-side, I realized that they had a strong resemblance. Though Poppy was definitely the prettier of the two.
“Cari,” Garrett said.
“Sheriff Stoic.”
Poppy snorted and ducked her head as her brother sighed.
“Just out of curiosity,” I began. “Which of you is the oldest?”
“I am,” said Poppy.
“I could see that.”
Garrett let out another long-suffering sigh. “Let’s just get this done,” he grumbled, pulling out a chair for Poppy before doing the same for himself.
“You don’t have to do it tonight,” Daniel retorted, sounding just as grumpy as the police chief.
“Will you both stop being such bitches and just get this done so I can go home and take a nice, long bubble bath while I drink wine?” Poppy interrupted.
Without missing a beat, Daniel went to the fridge and pulled out the bottle of wine we’d opened earlier. He poured a glass and retrieved a bottle of beer from the fridge when he put the wine back.
He didn’t say anything as he brought both over to the table and set them in front of Poppy and Garrett.
“Thank you,” Poppy breathed, lifting her glass and taking a big gulp.
Garrett frowned. “I’m on duty.”
“I won’t tell if you don’t,” Daniel replied.
He picked up the bottle and twisted the top off. It was only when I looked closer that I realized that cap should have been popped with a bottle opener. Damn, the Kent siblings were freakishly strong.
I wondered why Poppy didn’t beat the crap out of the shifters that Leo brought to the office earlier.
I realized it was because I was there. I was a human. More delicate and weaker. I could have been hurt.
“Cari,” Garrett said, bringing my attention to him. “Can you please walk me through what happened? Poppy already gave me her statement. I just need yours.”
I took a breath and started the story from the beginning, about Leo showing up at the office and everything that happened after that. Then, he had me tell the story again, this time stopping me with questions as I walked him through it.
When he started asking me more questions, having me go through parts of the story again, I was officially annoyed.
“Sheriff Stoic,” I said, crossing my arms over the tabletop. I still hadn’t eaten my sandwich and I was finally beginning to get hungry. “I’ve already answered your questions, told you the story twice, and answered more of your questions. It’s not going to change. Why are you torturing me this way?”
Once again, Poppy snorted at the name I used for her brother, then outright laughed.
He shot her a disgruntled look before he answered me. “First of all, if you insist on using my title, it’s Chief Kent. Secondly, people sometimes forget little details. By asking you the same questions over and over, it might jar something loose. A small detail that might be important.”
Poppy finished her wine and got up to pour herself another glass. “And most people are liars. My dear brother likes to leave that part out though.”
