Page 8 of Cops and Robbers

“That’s a relief,” she beamed in English, answering his question in code since she didn’t want to speak plainly with Raz around. She twirled the phone cord around her finger. “Do you remember that episode where Claire goes to jail?”

Clyde huffed. Kate could hear his smile over the phone when he said, “Good for you. Let us know if you need any help, though I’m sure you can handle it.”

“Put’er on s-speak-her,” a woman’s voice slurred loudly across the line—her other, obviously drunk Coheart—Bonnie.

Bitter guilt rested in the rear of Kate’s throat, for she knew Bonnie had fallen off the wagon again. She forced a grin and an excited tone. “Celebrating early, huh?”

“I remember the episode, Ichikawa-san,” Clyde said. “It has a happy ending, remember?”

Right. I’m here to find the Dragon SEALs. A weirdly named secret militant team she believed, fuck, she really hoped, that Raz was a part of. When she heard someone had destroyed one of Matsuda’s secret labs without leaving a trace, she knew it had to be them and that she needed their help. Their unique combination of skills, resources, and targeting of Matsuda made them the most viable choice for her high-risk, off-the-books deep-sea rescue mission. But if there was one thing she understood about their team, she had to prove herself first for them to take her seriously—case in point: become the Bubblegum Bandit.

“Yeah, I remember,” she whispered. “Never thought that episode could turn out as hot as it did.” She peered toward the detective she had spoken about. His expression blanked as he glanced down at his watch. Clyde laughed, seeming to understand her message since he knew she wanted to dig deeper into Raz Malone.

“Come on. Time’s up,” Raz muttered, waving his hand for her to hurry.

“I’m getting kicked off here.”

“Lob you,” Bonnie yelled into the line, forcing Kate to pull it from her ear.

Kate returned it to her ear as Clyde said, “We’ll wait for further news.”

“Love you too. Bye.” Kate slammed the payphone into place.

Raz pushed off the wall and waved an officer over. “Take her to interrogation.”

“Aren’t you supposed to walk with a woman before you take her decency?” she asked as the officer nudged his head for her to follow him.

Raz walked away, giving a dismissive wave. Pursing her lips, she turned and eyed the large male waiting for her, the kind that’d have fireworks during his entrance to a wrestling match. The brown hair sprouting from his scalp, paired with a receding hairline, fit his masculine face.

“Men,” she muttered, strutting forward in cuffs with the officer at her tail. Her shoulder twinged. The fall had dislocated it, but after the medic popped it back into place when she arrived at the field office, she’d been in pain and stuck in a sling.

The interrogation room matched the rest of the police station: drab-gray, well-lit, and clean. A plain table and metal chairs sat on the linoleum floor. They had prearranged the chairs so that one sat in the corner and the other beside it. The door closed behind the officer and locked.

Since the officer didn’t uncuff her, she did her best to move one chair to the other side. Walking over to the two-way mirror on the left wall, she scowled at her reflection.

The officer had taken her wig from her head as if it were a rat to kill. Her layered bob had transformed into a black, matted nest. The few tears that escaped her eyes when they manhandled her in and out of the squad car had caused her mascara to run. They couldn’t have cared less about her injury that had hurt worse after the adrenaline wore off. Well, everyone but Raz. She could have sworn she heard him growl at an officer who had made her cry from his rough movements. After that, Raz had personally walked her through booking. What a gentleman—a super handsome, sexy gentleman.

She sighed. At least her pink lipstick had somehow miraculously stayed in place. She was sure her mug shot looked positively grotesque.

Oh, well.

She sent a kiss toward her reflection before sitting down in the stiff chair. Lifting her feet, she rested them on the table and balanced on the back chair legs. Naomi would have screamed at her for dirtying the surface, but this was one habit Naomi would have to try harder to beat out of her—when she was free.

Feeling a sting at the back of her eyes, Kate closed them, preparing to wait. Deep voices from outside the door conjured the memory of Raz as he yanked her from the ledge. How did he move so fast?

The only other person she had met with reflexes like that had been—her mouth dried. Raz had that same weird crawling sensation against Kate’s skin and spirit as Thea’s new bodyguard. The other Fallen had been someone Kate stole from for revenge after she threw one of Kate’s favorite weapons into the ocean, but the intimidating male that had captured her without batting an eyelash had spooked Kate enough to think twice about stealing from Thea again. Seriously, he’d snuck up on her and leaped from a tree like an agile jaguar. He’d been so fast she’d slammed to the ground without even knowing what had hit her. But it couldn’t be. Nothing linked the two, right? Not wanting to mull over the question, she took deep, calming breaths to fall asleep and failed.

With no clock, time passed at a grueling pace before the door clicked open. She jolted, feigning that she had been asleep as Raz walked inside. She watched him from under her lashes.

The man was divine.

He charged the surrounding air. The foreign prickling along her spine tickled a smile to her lips. He’d pushed up the sleeves of his navy blue button-down to just above his elbows, hinting at black ink on his left bicep. The longer waves of his otherwise buzzed head lay disheveled. His bloodshot eyes had bags under them, but his gaze was wide and alert. He walked in carrying two water bottles by the neck and a manila folder.

“Sorry for the wait.” He sounded sincere, different from how he’d been cursing when he’d chased her.

On the inside, she rolled her eyes but offered him a grin. “No biggie.”

Pulling the chair out so that he blocked the exit, he placed both bottles in front of her before setting the folder down. She eyed the water bottle that more than likely came from their vending machine.