Zane really had to stop watching crime shows on Netflix. Jacket? Christ. And the mere fact that he didn’t think Lila Crandall, knower of all things, wasn’t going to figure this out showed just how screwed he was.
“Right. I’ll be right there.”
“Thanks, man. Don’t tell Teagan, okay? I don’t want her to think I’m an asshole.”
I sat up, swinging my feet to the floor. “She’s gonna find out.”
“Yeah, but after I figure out some stuff. Fuck, man. I just… Please, okay?”
I raked my fingers through my hair. “I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
“Really. Don’t tell her.”
“Fuck, Zane. How do you think I’m going to get out of here and not tell her?”
“You’ll think of something.” There was a muffled sound. “Look, I gotta go.”
“Oh, wait. Which,” I lowered my voice, “precinct?”
He rattled off the name of the station, and I scribbled it on the notebook I kept in my bedside drawer. I hung up and Googled the address before shoving the notebook back in the drawer.
“What was that about?”
I looked up to find Teagan in the doorway, with her hair wet and the tiniest damn towel known to my collection around her curvy body. I groaned and crossed to her.
She held up a hand. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Zane is embarrassed. He doesn’t want me to tell you.”
She nibbled the corner of her lip. “Why? Doesn’t he think he can trust me?” Those freaking bluebell eyes were wide and shiny with hurt.
“Don’t be like that, Teag. I can’t tell you. I promised.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stepped back. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing bad.” Ish. Oh, just jail. The shit I did for friends. “Besides, Noah would literally kick my ass if I took you.”
She lifted her chin, her eyes narrowed. “If it’s too dangerous for me, it’s too dangerous for you.”
I laughed. “I’m an ex-Ranger.”
“So?” She stabbed her finger into my chest. “You haven’t been a Ranger for a long time.”
“I still can take care of myself, even if Chuckles doesn’t think so.” I grabbed her hand before she could pull back. “I promise I’ll be right back. I just gotta…pick him up. I don’t know how long it will take.” I pulled her hand up to my shoulder and slid my arms around her, my fingers going to the very short hem of the towel. “When I get back we can—”
She lifted her knee and missed my dick by millimeters.
I covered my dick with my hand. “Goddammit, Teagan.”
“We can do nothing, because you aren’t getting your hands on me again until I find out what’s going on.”
“You can be mad at me.”
“Oh, gee, thanks for the permission.”
I rubbed my hands over my face. “I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”
“Good luck with that one, buddy.”
“Just please stay here, okay? He’s in a tough spot, and I gotta get over there now.” I tried my luck and slid my hand around her waist again, keeping my dick out of harm’s way. “I’ll get him to tell you. Hell, he’s going to have to tell everyone, but he’s just messed up, okay?” I lowered my mouth to hers. “I’ve known the dude for years. I’ve never seen him like this.”
“We’re family. Why won’t he tell me?”
“Pride, babe. Guys are assholes.”
“Yeah, you are.”
I moved in a little closer, my hand slipping a little lower to her firm ass. “Don’t be mad.”
“If you think this is how we’re going to end fights, you’re very mistaken.”
“C’mon. It’s working a little, right?”
Her lips twitched. “No.”
I lowered my mouth to her neck and inhaled my soap and shampoo. It never smelled that good on me. “Don’t be mad.”
“You’re just saying that so you get laid when you get back.”
I straightened. “It is a perk, but I really don’t want to ruin any of this. And we gotta talk when I get back.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“We have to figure out how we’re going to handle this with the others.”
“Handle what?”
“The fact that that’s your answer says we have a ton to talk about.”
She lifted her cross and sawed it back and forth on the chain. “I don’t know what this is yet, Cooper.”
The arrow was swift and sharp. I just needed to give her some time to catch up, that was all. Maybe it was good that we spent a few hours apart. I needed to get me and my dick in line. Teagan wasn’t just a quick tumble. She was my best friend and the love of my goddamn life.
Even if she hadn’t quite realized it yet.
I dropped a quick kiss on her mouth. “We’ll talk about it when I get back. I need a quick shower.”
Not that I wanted to wash her off my skin, but I didn’t want to be that obvious when I saw Zane. Any more obvious than I was already, anyway.
We were both fucked, just in different ways. And my sentence was for life.
Eleven
Finding my way to the police department was easy. Getting to see Zane, not so much.
There was an endless amount of paperwork and waiting around. My hope to get him out of there within two hours was a freaking joke.
Not like the cops were in a rush to help a guy out.
And the police department was a far cry from what was portrayed on television. It looked more like an office with rickety cubicles and an incessant ringing phone that never seemed to be answered.
I’d also been fighting with said paperwork so long that I felt like I was the one in jail. I hadn’t even talked to Zane yet. Supposedly, going through the bail process was faster than getting visitation.
I had my doubts.
“We have certain practices and procedures here.”
“I understand that, ma’am. I’m not trying to be difficult.”
I resisted the urge to slam my forehead against the Plexiglas
