Tuck had likewise insisted Jodi remain behind the bar for the same reason. He’d pressured her a half an hour before opening and before Roxie’s arrival. She had glared at him defiantly, but in the end, consented. At the time, he’d visualized a future where he wiped that contrary look of hers right off her face by taking her in his arms and kissing her senseless until she melted.
Two days. Not even. More like thirty-eight hours.
Tuck moved his head back and forth as if scanning the entire room, but he kept his gaze directed at Roxie, watching as she leaned a hip against a table and laughed with a customer.
Suddenly, the woman grabbed Roxie’s wrist, jumped to her feet, and leaned into Roxie’s face.
Tuck stopped moving. Showtime.
From the side view, he could see Roxie turning pale, saying something to the woman, and then glancing around, her gaze ending up on Tuck’s. He wondered how often he’d mistaken her attention toward him for flirting when really she was checking to see if he was paying attention. He hated that he’d missed the signs, spending the last month looking for a man. Not a woman. Rookie mistake. A stupid one.
Tuck finally moved forward, making his way through the crowd while Roxie jerked her wrist, frantically whispering to the woman.
When Tuck reached the quiet skirmish, the brunette was still gripping Roxie’s wrist, and much to Tuck’s satisfaction, Roxie was still holding something in her fist. Even better.
The brunette hissed. “I suggest you go quietly to the back office with me right now, ma’am, or risk causing a scene. I won’t hesitate to arrest you and cuff you right in the middle of the bar if you want to fight me.”
“Okay, okay, fine.” Roxie shot a glare at Tuck and turned to walk through the crowd. On her way, she dropped the contents of her hand semi-discreetly in a trash can.
Tuck nearly laughed as he followed them, stopping to yank the entire bag of trash out of the can and carry it with him.
When they reached the office, the undercover agent wasted no time. “You want to explain to me why you were dropping pills in my purse?”
Roxie cocked a hip and rolled her eyes.
Tuck couldn’t even imagine how someone could be that cavalier.
The brunette glanced at Tuck and nodded once. “Officer Pierce.” She flashed a badge.
“Tucker Lawler.”
Pierce shifted her attention to Roxie. “Start talking.”
“Don’t you have to read me my rights or something?”
“I can do that if you want. You’re going to the station with me no matter what. It’ll be easier on you if you cooperate.”
“Seriously?” Roxie’s voice rose and she fisted her hands at her sides. “You’re gonna arrest me for having some diet pills?”
“I’m going to arrest you for selling illegal diet pills,” Pierce pointed out. “But it would be nice if you told us who your supplier is. It would make things easier on you.”
Roxie smirked.
Tuck heard movement behind him and turned around to find Jodi in the doorway. Her eyes were wide. He shook his head. He didn’t want her anywhere near Roxie if the woman decided to fight them. She was volatile. Anything was possible.
For once, Jodi nodded and backed off. Her father was behind her, and he took her shoulders and spun her back toward the front of the bar.
Roxie’s demeanor switched to frantic. “I don’t have to tell you anything.”
“True. You don’t have to tell me a thing if you don’t want. But the judge who arraigns you in the morning is not going to be too pleased to find out you’ve been uncooperative. The man is tough on drug dealers. The bail will be high.”
Tuck doubted Pierce even knew who would be presiding tomorrow. Hell, it’d probably be Monday morning before Roxie was arraigned. Nothing she said or did right now was going to change anything, but it might help Pierce go easier on her for the next several hours.
“I’m not a fucking drug dealer,” Roxie exclaimed.
Pierce narrowed her gaze. “Ma’am, selling and distributing illegal pharmaceuticals is the definition of a drug dealer.”
“They’re diet pills,” she shouted.
Pierce sighed. “Just tell me where you get them.”
Roxie threw her arms up. “I don’t know, okay. Happy? Someone drops off my shipments and I move ’em.”
“Move them? Is move a synonym for sell?” Pierce asked.
“Whatever.”
“How do you communicate with the guy above you?”
“Texts on a burner phone,” she admitted softly.
“He gives you the descriptions of the people you’re supposed to distribute to each night?” Pierce questioned.
Roxie scrunched up her face. “Yes.”
“So this guy answers the phone to make the initial contact and arrangements?”
Roxie’s shoulders fell. “Yes.”
Pierce nodded toward the door as she pulled out her cuffs. “Let’s go. You can make your statement at the station.”
Roxie stared at her a moment, and then the tears started. “Can’t you just give me a warning or something?”
“Ma’am, you were here when the cops came in to question everyone multiple times about this issue. You knew perfectly well you were breaking the law.” Pierce pointed at Tuck. “A man was hired to catch you. Don’t try to act like you didn’t know this was a big deal. Now, I’m going to cuff you. Are you going to follow me out to the squad car without incident?”
Roxie shot Tuck the angriest glare he’d ever received as she passed by him and followed Pierce out the rear exit. And that was saying something considering the woman Tuck had been living with for the last three months. If looks could hurt him, he would have died weeks ago.
Chapter 17
Jodi looked like she was barely holding it together the last two hours the bar was open. Tuck had taken each employee aside one at a time and suggested they keep working as if nothing happened. Few patrons had noticed the interaction or the arrest. It would be most beneficial to the bar for them to keep quiet and continue working.
Her
