3. Chapter 3 #2
“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.
Trying to make me confess to drugging the bottles, huh? Nice try. You have me on attempted theft, and that’s all you’re getting.
She tilted forward, legs still resting on the table and pushed the bottle toward him. “No, thanks.”
He looked at the water before glancing up at her as he sat down.
“Nice trick,” he murmured. Was he genuine or playing good cop? The likelihood that her handiwork surprised him, the one that had caused him to vomit and nearly allowed her to escape, seemed slim.
“You think so?” To act oblivious, she peered at her painted nails, pink with purple marbling. “I thought the pink looked boring, so I swirled the colors with a toothpick.”
His eyes narrowed, but the twinkle of amusement told her he was invested in this game of cop and robber, which made him all the sexier. “So, who are you really?”
Her fingerprints and DNA came back clean—good. She smiled and said, “I’m a nobody. Just a girl with too much time on her hands.”
“A woman without a name?”
“Oh, you can call me Kate.”
“Kate. Do you have a last name?”
Her real name from his lips was a soft finger up her back, making her shiver. “Bandit.”
He tapped his finger on the manila folder, but his mouth quirked to the side. “I’m Special Agent Raz Malone.” He glanced at her limbs, still resting on the table. “Can you put your feet down, please?”
She bit the inside of her lip, dropped her feet to the floor, and sat up.
“Thank you,” he said. “Now, can you tell me a little about yourself? Where do you work?”
“Here and there. Contract for hire. You need a pole dancer—a stripper—I’m your girl.”
He took a deep breath, and his eyes turned molten copper, iridescent in the harsh fluorescent light. Never mind that she hoped he was picturing her at work; how the hell did he do that?
“Can you tell me what you were doing in the hours leading up to the heist?” he asked.
“The heist? You mean misjudged curiosity? The lingerie just looked so lonely sitting in that case; anyone would have wanted to try it on.”
“What were you doing before this supposed misjudged curiosity?”
“Thinking of you…” She let the sentence hang then waved her hand slowly. “You know, the feds. And if I would have gotten to this moment. I’ve always wanted to see an interrogation room.”
He was silent, whether taken aback or processing her heated stare, she wasn’t sure.
“What were you doing in those hours?“ she asked. “I picture you driving around with your lights flashing, feeling the wind in your hair.”
“Sorry to disappoint. I was working this case. You haven’t made it easy. I’m curious—what changed? Why did you resort to unfriendly tactics?”
“What do you mean?”
“We know what you did, Kate. Sleeping agents and laxatives in the vending machine food. If you talk to me now, I can help you get a lighter sentence.”
“Why” —she held her chest— “what in heaven’s name are you talking about, officer? Who would ever do such a thing?”
“Someone who met her match.”
“Are you my match, Raz Malone?” A part of her wanted to get to this man—make a lasting impression, while another part, deep down, just wanted to touch him, and she found herself slipping her foot out of her shoe and brushing her foot up his leg.
His chest rose with a sharp breath, and… he didn’t move away. Interesting.
“I can help you,” he said, voice husky. “You just have to talk to me.”
His words bled a sincerity that struck her, but she knew police ploys and wasn’t convinced he’d help her…
at least with this scenario. She continued rubbing her foot up his calf, letting him know it wasn’t an accident; this was a very deliberate seduction.
When he didn’t pull away this time, she felt like he was calling her bluff—wanting to see how far she’d go.
She climbed higher, her foot reaching his knee, and fuck—he parted his legs, his eyes flaring with challenge, daring her to continue.
She licked her lips. When his narrowed gaze homed in on the movement, until it felt like a caress, something delightful fluttered in her chest. A little breathless, she said, “You have the wrong woman with the unfriendly part. As for the jeweled lingerie, that truly was a case of curiosity jailing the cat.”
He chuckled, the crease of his smile reaching his eyes. “It was a situation I’m glad I witnessed because…” He leaned forward, his voice going low and heated. “You looked delectable in that lingerie.”
She stilled as heat coursed up her chest to her cheeks. Was he—
Was he actually flirting with her?