He didn’t argue as she talked the entire drive to the police station.Her familiar scent, her voice, her place on the passenger seat—all belonging.
What didn’t belong was Taryn talking about the weather.How miserable Canberra was with chilly rain and grey clouds.And how the clouds were rolling in early and maybe they’d get rain by the weekend.
She didn’t give a damn about rain or weather.That was the first clue.
Then she started on about the glittery cactus-shaped cat toys she’d bought for Tanisha—clue number two.
And then her retelling of her boss’s weird story about wrestling crocodiles the size of ten bathtubs, being told around the water cooler that it nearly choked some intern chewing on a jelly snake.Three strikes.
Taryn Hayes was stalling.Like it was any other morning where she hadn’t just dropped into town and stolen his breath.
He knew her well enough to spot the dodge.She didn’t do nice.Not like this.
Sass-talk, yes.
Small talk?No chance.They’d never bothered with small talk.Not from the moment they’d met.
So when they pulled into the car park behind the police station, he cut the engine and waited.
Taryn reached for the coffee tray.
But he put his hand on hers, to make her pause.
‘It’s not like you to beat around a patch of spinifex like this, Fed,’ he said, low.‘What’s going on?’
Her inhale was staggered, as if hesitating.
‘Must be big.’
‘It is.’
Her whole demeanour shifted, as that quick, razor-sharp confidence of hers faded into something quieter.
And in the pit of his guts, Finn felt it like a warning.Especially when she looked at him like he only had a few weeks to live.‘It’s Drew,’ she whispered.‘It’s all Drew.’
He didn’t move.Didn’t blink.But everything inside him dropped like a steer caught off-guard, with its legs yanked out from under it.
‘The stock theft?’His voice was hoarse, already knowing the answer.
She nodded.‘It’s bigger than just here.It’s nationwide, Finn.Drew used your first Gaps File report and turned all your research into a how-to guide to steal livestock.Every weakness you flagged within the industry, he used it as a blueprint to build an illegal empire.’
Finn stared at the dashboard’s cracked trim and the old sticker peeling off near the vent.The troopy had taken hits before.So had he.But this one…
‘The man who gave me a second chance,’ he murmured.‘The man who told me to build this squad…’
‘Used it to cover his tracks, he was—’
‘Say it.’He braced himself, already guessing it.
She shook her head like she couldn’t.
So he said it instead.‘He set me up to fail.’
Wasn’t that the ultimate kick in the guts.Enough to force the air out of his lungs, while struggling for the strength to breathe again—and only then he heaved in fire.
She gave his hand a squeeze.‘I’m so sorry, Finn.’
‘That’s not what I need to hear.Give me something.’He needed that lifeline.
