I’d debated on telling Colson about my visit to Sunny earlier that morning, but that just sealed the deal.
“Why didn’tyouoffer to take her to her car last night, Colson?”
“Why are you so defensive about her?”
A knock at the door pulled our attention. It also had me unclenching the fist that had curled into a ball under the desk.
Darby poked his head in. “Oh. Sorry. Am I interr?—”
“No.” We responded simultaneously. “Come in.”
Colson pushed out of the chair, dipped his chin. “Keep me updated.”
Yeah, right.
“Same.”
Yeah, right.
Darby stepped inside as Colson stepped out. “How you doing?”
“Shut the door.”
I didn’t wait for the door to click closed before going in.
“Next time you decide to run your mouth to everyone like a gossipy little girl, consider it the last you ever work with me, you got that kid?”
Darby’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I only told them that I saw you helping Sunny to her car last night. That’s all, I promise.”
I surged out of my chair, a sharp pain adding to the fire brewing inside me. “You lie to me again, I’ll have your badge pulled. You saw an opportunity to share information—gossip—and pounced on it in a bullshit effort to make yourself seem important. The fact that I carried Miss Harper to her car has no bearing on the case other than that the woman could barely walk. Gossip doesn’t look good on anyone, kid. Especially a rookie cop. Don’t fucking forget that.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now that we’ve got that out of the way. Why are you here?”
“Two things. Sir.”
I lowered into my chair, fighting a wince.Damn back.
“Sit, Darby. Relax. Just don’t ever gossip about me again.”
“Yes, sir.”
The rookie sank into the chair Colson had just vacated and placed a folder on my desk.
“You asked me to look into Sunny’s ex-boyfriend. The one who attacked her in Dallas years ago.”
And almostkilled her.
I picked up the folder and began flipping through.
“Like I told you last night, the guy, Kenzo Rees, got six years in state prison for the attack and previous transgressions. But get this, he got two more added on once inside.”
“Why?”
“Beat a fellow inmate within an inch of his life.”
My gaze slid up to his.
