I reach out and fist the back of Cooper’s shirt, muttering to him to stop and that it’s okay.
“You don’t know what you’re getting involved in,” he says.
Cooper lets out a short breath through his nose. Not quite a laugh but close. “You’re right,” he says. “I didn’t.”
He reaches into his front pocket and pulls out his phone. The officer’s eyes flick down to it.
“You really think you’re smart?” Cooper turns the screen around to face him. “You’ve been on video call this whole time,” Cooper says calmly.
I look from Cooper to the screen and see Talon and someone I don’t recognize. Their faces are frozen in different expressions.
“And we’ve been recording this whole time,” Talon adds.
His face changes.
“What was it you said? Be careful about accusations that could damage someone’s career?” Cooper asks. “I mean, I have it on video now, so I think you’d have a hard time making a case that these are accusations, right?”
“Yeah, that would be pretty damaging for you,” Talon adds.
“And your brother,” another voice chimes in.
The officer looks from the phone to Cooper.
“You’re bluffing.”
“Am I?” the unknown voice says again. “Because the metadata I’ve been tracking on you says otherwise.”
The officer looks between us both.
“This isn’t over,” he says.
Cooper doesn’t hesitate. “Maybe not, but you picked the wrong motherfucker to mess with.”
The officer’s jaw tightens.
“You want to protect your image?” Cooper continues, his voice even. “I would suggest you take your own advice and get the hell out of town.”
There’s a beat of silence.
“Stay away from her. Stay away from her place, from the bar, and from anything that has to do with her,” Cooper adds. “Because if you think you can scare her into leaving, you’ll have to drag me out of town with her. And I promise you one thing—I’ll make it hell for you on the way.”
He holds Cooper’s gaze for another long second before turning and walking back to his patrol car.
The flashing lights shut off as he pulls away.
Cooper turns to face me, his arms wrapping tightly around my waist, and for the first time since those lights came on behind me, I feel like I can breathe again.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Cooper
Talon and Kade met us there, and Kade agreed to drive Brinley’s car back. She was upset, and I wasn’t ready to be away from her again.
She climbs into the passenger seat, her hands trembling in her lap until I lift the center console and pull her over to me.
We don’t say much on the drive back to the house. She just leans her head against my shoulder.
I keep my hand on her thigh, and she wraps her arms around mine. Every few minutes, I turn to press my lips against her temple or lean in to inhale her scent. Something to remind me she’s still here. Still safe.
