Alex laid his hand on her arm. “Sylvie, let’s—”
She shrugged her arm out of his hand and gave him a sharp look before turning back to Frank. “The girl’s scared. She’s in over her head with Glass. You know that.”
Alex eyed Sylvie, an uneasy feeling creeping into his belly that he pushed down.
Frank narrowed his gaze. “Don’t insert yourself into this, Rookie.” He eyed Alex as he drummed his fingers impatiently against the car.
“Got something to say, Frank?” Alex asked.
“I’m gonna have to ask you to step away, Mr. Hoff. Just doing my job here.”
Sylvie turned to Alex and gave him a half-smile. “We were just out driving, enjoying the day. Thought I might step in to help out.”
Frank studied her. “Not your rodeo, Madden.”
“No?” She leaned against the car.
“I think you’re in enough trouble.” He eyed Alex again. “Don’t you?”
“I don’t know. You tell me. Oh, wait, you haven’t been picking up your phone.” She straightened up. “Fine, then just don’t tell anyone that I was here. You can put it in your report that you were aided by a couple civilians who went on their way.”
“Madden, get the hell outta here,” Hicks called as he escorted Glass to the cruiser.
She held her hands up, palms out like she’d been caught. She looked tense, then her face relaxed into an easy grin. “All right, all right. Don’t say I never tried to help out. Actually, don’t say anything at all.” She turned on her heel, tagged Alex’s elbow, linking his arm with hers, and aimed for the Mustang.
Alex was too confused to protest. He’d never seen her act like this. And he had no idea what to think about Frank.
Sylvie paused and turned her head. “Remember you don’t have to say anything without a lawyer,” she called over her shoulder. Alex couldn’t be sure if she was addressing the young woman, Glass, or both. Then she led him back to her car.
“So we’re not even giving a statement as witnesses? We’re just going to leave now?” he asked, hardly believing what she was doing.
“Looks like it.” She untangled her arm and opened the driver’s door.
Alex had no choice but to get in. Sylvie looked as calm as if they’d just gone grocery shopping as she started the engine. She turned the Mustang until it pointed down the hill toward Lyons. It was getting darker as they descended the mountain so she flipped the headlights on.
“Sylvie. Now that we’re back in the car, what the actual hell just happened?”
“Just doing my job, Alex. You promised you wouldn’t push me on that.”
“That was before you were nearly killed right in front of me.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“What do you mean what am I talking about?” He clenched his fists. “You fucking stood in front of a two-ton vehicle careening down a hill straight at you.”
“She stopped the car in time.”
“What if she hadn’t?”
“I had plenty of time to get out of the way.”
“Bullshit, Sylvie! I almost watched you get flattened.”
“Okay, fine, you would’ve pulled me out of the way at the same time I was leaping to safety.” She glanced at him then looked back at the road. “I did it because I knew you had my back.”
“What?”
She nodded. “You heard me. I knew you had my back the whole time.”
