Page 69 of Armed ’N’ Ready

Wolinski laughed, grinning at Nick. “I just figured out why you’ve got your state police panties in a bunch over this woman. I hadn’t realized until now that you’d been spending the last two weeks pumping her for information.” He made a gesture with his fist that no one could misinterpret.

Beneath the table, Nick clenched his hands so tightly his nails bit into his palms. If only murdering a federal agent wasn’t illegal.

Wolinski’s smirk deepened. “You gotta love undercover assignments with side benefits, and that Hardt woman is one fine piece of ass. No wonder you kept her all to yourself.”

A startled gasp came from behind Nick.

Andi stood just inside the now-open door, one hand covering her mouth. Her cheeks were pink, her blue eyes wide.

Nick bolted to his feet. How long had she been standing there? From the horrified look on her face, she’d heard everything, including the part where Cox had made it seem like Nick had only been using her.

He rushed to the door. “Andi?” When he touched her shoulder, she swatted his hand away.

“Don’t,” she spat, her face an even deeper red, her entire body rigid.

Gently but firmly, he ushered her out to the hallway, then back to the empty conference room where she’d been waiting. He shut the door behind them and reached for her.

She spun on him. “Don’t you dare touch me!”

If he’d had any doubts before, now it was crystal clear she’d heard every word of bullshit Cox and Wolinski had said.

…

Chilled to the bone, Andi wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders. It didn’t help. The temperature seemed to have dropped twenty degrees.

I can’t believe I fell for it. I can’t believe I fell for him.

The vicious cycle of her life was repeating itself over and over, and she was powerless to stop it. Getting used by men must be something attached to her DNA. First Steve, then Joe, and now Nick.

“Andi—”

“No!” She spun to face him, her body shaking with barely controlled rage. “Us—you and me—it was all a lie, an act on your part to get close to me and talk Joe in.”

“Goddammit.” He advanced on her, his hard jaw clenched. “You know it wasn’t like that.”

“Wasn’t it?” She held up her hand, stopping him. “Are you denying what those men said?” She held her breath, hoping he would, praying he had another explanation for what she’d overheard. When he raked a hand through his hair, her hopes died.

“No. But I didn’t use you. Not like that, and not like you think. What’s happening between us is real.”

“Real? You don’t know the meaning of the word.” Her breaths started coming quicker. She wanted to yell, to scream at the top of her lungs to keep from crying. “You said you’d acted in high school and college musicals. I was a fool not to realize you were using those talents on me. You don’t care about me. You only wanted your ‘piece of ass’ on the side.”

“Andi, listen to me!” Before she could stop him, he’d stepped closer, and clasped her upper arms. She tried pulling away, but he wouldn’t let her. “I do care about you, and it is real, I—”

“I don’t believe you.” She began shaking her head, trying not to inhale his scent with every breath, but it was impossible not to. Even if she could eradicate his scent from her lungs, she’d never be able to erase the pain he’d inflicted on her heart.

Oh my God. It’s happening all over again.

He stared down at her, his gray eyes radiating an intensity she’d never seen before. “Getting this gun dealer has been my sole purpose in life for the last five years. When I first met you that was all I thought about. I can’t deny that. I would have done anything to get to this guy, including taking advantage of your relationship with Joe. At first, that’s all this was. A job. Then I got to know you, and things between us changed.”

“You’re right, they did change. You used me, and then you slept with me to make sure you got what you wanted. That’s what men do.” To her, anyway. She bit her lower lip, anything to keep from crying like a baby. “Finding out about Joe was bad enough, but what you did is worse. Far worse. Congratulations really are in order, Sergeant. You went above and beyond the call of duty by leading me to believe that you actually cared, and you know what? I did fall for it. Hook. Line. And sinker.”

As she stood there, chest heaving, the worst of it hit her. She’d been horribly hurt by Steve, and then by Joe’s lies, but that pain didn’t compare to what she was feeling now. Because she hadn’t been in love with either of them. She was in love with Nick. Admitting it was like taking a bullet to the heart.

“Andi.” He leaned in so close she could have kissed him if she’d wanted to. “Don’t do this. Don’t do this to us.”

“Us?” Uttering a soft cry, she shrugged from his grasp. “There is no us, and there never was. I knew something wasn’t right about you.” She blinked back the tears, refusing to let them fall because, once they started, they wouldn’t stop. “I don’t even know you.”

“You do know me.” From the rigidity of his stance, it was obvious he was resisting the urge to touch her again. “And I’m telling the truth.”