I scoff, jutting my thumb towards the now black screen.
“Pretty sure that news report contradicts that.”
Smitty shrugs. “They’ll all know the truth in the end, and then, they’ll bow when I ride into town.”
I snort a laugh, and Smitty shoots me a wink.
The man is truly delusional.
“We can’t find anything of importance.” JD’s voice has me turning to the entry as he tries to school his grim expression. “No laptop. Nodevices. She did leave an old driver’s licence behind. But that’s about it.”
Stepping forward, Ringo holds out his hand, and JD passes him the ID card.
“It’s a start,” Ringo mutters, glancing at it. “Send a picture of it to Lewy. Ask him to pull up every record he can find on Caroline Thatcher and her family. Maybe she’s hiding away with someone, or owns a property somewhere else.”
JD nods, accepting it back. “Will do.”
“Uh, fuck,” Smitty mutters, and we all turn to see him peering out the front window. “Pigs are here. Looks like the nosy neighbour next door ignored Vender when he told her to mind her own business.”
My eyes widen as I glance out the window too, spotting three police cars blocking us in, and six cops striding up the gravel driveway, hands on their holsters, ready to draw their guns.
“Fuck, call Zimora,” Ringo snaps to JD, who I notice is already doing that as he presses his phone to his ear, while Smitty hurries out of the room calling to the other men in the house, “Pigs incoming!”
I spin in a panic as Ringo moves to me. “We’re breaking and entering, aren’t we? Am I about to get arrested? Are they Allen’s men?”
“Shhh,” Ringo murmurs, his big hands coming to my arms, rubbing soothingly as his whisky eyes lock with mine. “We’ll tell them we came to visit a friend and found the place empty. That we’re concerned for her welfare. There’s no need to panic, Angel.”
Two of the officers walk past the front window, trying to peer in through the white sheers, and my heart kicks into overdrive, flipping in an uneven rhythm inside my chest.
“No… shit. They will take me away from you,” I whisper, my gaze darting towards the back of the house.
“Uh-uh, Angel. Running will get you shot. Let’s just see how this goes.”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I jolt at the sound of a fist pounding on the door, and I expect Ringo to step forward and answer it, but instead, Smitty strolls casually down the hall like he owns the damn place and opens the front door.
“Ladies. Good to see you.”
Ladies? Did he just call two male officers,ladies?
“We’ve had a report of a burglary in progress. Are you the owner of this property?”
“What?” Smitty gasps overdramatically, and when I flick my panicked gaze to Ringo, I find a smirk tugging at his lips.
Why aren’t they worried?
“Shit, Ringo, is someone stealing stuff?” Smitty asks, shock lacing his tone, and Ringo scoffs, shaking his head at his President’s dramatics before stepping into the hall where the cops can see him.
I try to stop him, but he’s too strong, and he frowns, pointing at the floor by my feet. “Don’t move.”
I want to yell at him for bossing me around, but also… he usedthattone. The one that has me obeying without question.
I’ll be a brat later just to annoy him for using his sex Dom voice on me while we’re fully clothed and clearly not playing.
“Hello, Officers,” Ringo sighs, stepping up behind Smitty. “Let me guess, the old bat next door called to say we were breaking in?”
I know Ringo told me to stay put, but I can’t help edging closer to the window, squinting through the sheers at the two officers glaring at my husband through the open door.
