“I…” Damien opened and closed his mouth a few times, Jude’s words torturing him.Was that really the kind of man he was?Someone who told himself stories about another man when they showed interest in the same woman?
He didn’t know.And he really didn’t like that he didn’t know.
“I’m way off base.I’m sorry.I shouldn’t have said that.I know it’s not right.You’re not like that.It’s?—”
“Possible,” Damien admitted.
“What?”Jude breathed.
Damien shook his head.“I don’t like the guy, but before that press conference, I thought he was good for the city.He gives back.He’s always helping kids.He’s a picture-perfect business owner.Am I jealous of him?I hate that I’m asking that, but maybe I am.Maybe I’m worried Harmony will choose him instead of me and I’m making shit up about him.”
“You’ve had one date with her.You’ll find someone else if she picks him.”
“I don’t want her to pick him, though.I want her to pick me.”
“You’re already falling for her, aren’t you?After one date?”
Damien exhaled a laugh.“Before that.Hell, the moment we met, I started falling for her.”
“What do you mean?”
Damien shrugged.“I shook her hand and felt like I found a piece of me I hadn’t realized was missing.I never wanted to let go.”
“Dude, that’s… A little fucking crazy.”
Damien snorted.“Yeah, but I can’t change how it felt.”
“Fair enough.You think that’s the obsession with Pickens?”
“You’re the one who said it, not me.”
Jude held his hands up, palms out.“Okay, okay.I’m just not seeing anything.I can keep digging, but…”
“No, it’s fine.”Damien got it.There was nothing to find.No matter what he thought, he was wrong about Grant Pickens.The man was a boy scout.He had no skeletons in his closet.He was one of the good guys.
And Damien needed to accept that.
“Thanks for looking into him.”
“You got it.”
“I need to see what I can find out about Pamela Mercer anyway.See why she was following Harmony.”
“This woman seems to be in the middle of a bunch of shit,” Jude muttered.
“She didn’t ask for it,” Damien growled at his partner.
“I get it.I know.I’m not trying to say she did.If it helps, I did find one camera in the hallway of her building.”
“Really?”
Jude nodded.“I don’t think it’s really legal, but yeah.It shows no one leaving her apartment after Marcus left and before the two of you went to breakfast.Not through the door, at least.”
“You think we climbed out the damn window?”Damien snapped.
“You know I don’t think you did anything wrong.I’m just saying that’s what the cops are going to question.If you knew about the camera, you might have gone another way.”
“I didn’t fucking go anywhere,” Damien growled.
