“Can I ask how you knew about it to begin with?”
“You cannot.”
I scowled. “Had to let someone know that if he fucked with one of us, he’d regret it.”
“Thought you said this was personal.”
“It was.”
“You need to start talkin’, Cash, or you and I are gonna have a problem.”
I frowned. “Found out some scumbag was messin’ with our girls. I let him know that if he did it again, he’d regret it.”
Hatch leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard. “This has nothin’ to do with our ‘girls,’ Cash. This has everythin’ to do with Teagan.”
I said nothing.
“Does Mack know about you two?”
I dropped my eyes because I wasn’t about to outright lie to Hatch. “There’s nothin’ to know.”
“Bullshit,” he hissed. “Goddammit, Cash, you’ve put me in a shit situation here.”
“How so?”
“I don’t want to put your shit out on the street, but if Mack finds out I knew anything about you two, I’ll have broken the trust of one of my officers and closest friends.”
“How about you don’t say anything and forget you know what you think you know. Which you don’t, by the way, so you’re off the fuckin’ hook.”
“While I appreciate you playin’ your love life close to the vest, I assure you, this is not the time to be tight-lipped with your president. If somethin’s goin’ on between the two of you, and I’m damned sure there is, I need to know if this was a one-time hook-up that’s made things awkward between you two, or it’s somethin’ more serious.”
“It’s not just you in a shit situation,” I pointed out.
“I get that, and normally I wouldn’t give a shit what bitch you were fuckin’.”
I balled my fists up and clenched my jaw, ready to go to blows if Hatch kept talking about Teagan that way. Hatch smiled and I realized, once again, I’d been had.
“So you’re serious?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Does she feel the same way?”
“She’s pretty pissed at me right now, but I think so.”
“Why’s she pissed?”
I sighed. “Because I was a dick to her about having to come in so early.”
“Why were you a dick, Cash? Because she’s not the reason you had to come in so early.”
I let out a quiet curse. I was being ‘punished’ right alongside of her and blamed her for the whole thing.
He rapped his knuckles on the desk. “Okay, so the first thing you’re gonna do is go apologize and beg her forgiveness. She’s better than you deserve and you fuckin’ know it. And the second thing you’re gonna do is set up a meeting with Mack and tell him how you feel about his daughter. He’s gonna be pissed, but if you’re straight with him, you’ll likely keep most of your body parts intact.”
“Teagan’s not gonna be happy,” I grumbled.
“If she’s as smart as I know she is, she’ll recognize it’s the right thing to do and get over it.”
