Bare It All

Slowly, eyes flinty and untrusting, Reese turned away from Alice to address Peterson. “A word, please?”

“Certainly,” she agreed, gesturing for Logan and Reese to follow her into her office. Her own annoyance overflowed as she quipped, “As long as it’s the right word, not the forbidden word, I’m all ears.”

Not liking it but unable to change things, Reese agreed.

That’s how it worked.

He said to Alice, “Wait here.” Slanting a sharp look at Rowdy, he added, “She doesn’t go anywhere alone.”

“Got it covered.”

“Thanks.”

The commands didn’t bother Alice near as much as watching him go. Blast the man, he had demanded trust from her and so she’d shared her biggest secret.

But did he give trust in return? No. How could he think that she’d instigated a gag order? Why would she confess to him and then do that? It didn’t even make sense. And if he’d just asked her—privately—she probably could have explained. But, no, instead he—

“Alice?” Looking very put upon, Rowdy pointed out the bench that Dash had vacated. “Why don’t you and Pepper park it over there and...I don’t know. Chat or something.”

Encouraging her again to make Pepper her confidante?

Rowdy sighed. “If you need to talk to me...?”

“No, I don’t.” It was bad enough that she’d told Reese about Trace. No way would she tell Pepper and Rowdy, too. “What are you going to do, though?”

“I’m going to stay out of the way as much as I can.”

Dash said, “I’ll keep you company.” The men moved to stand against the wall a few feet away—out of sight of the officers.

Poor Rowdy. He really didn’t like anyone in law enforcement, and yet his sister would soon marry a cop. Not that she thought Rowdy would let that get to him for long. Rowdy was a survivor because he knew how to adapt to changing situations.

He would adjust to this, as well.

Putting Rowdy from her mind, Alice sank down to sit on the bench. She was both hurt that Reese had given her such an accusing look and nettled that he hadn’t taken her at her word. In the car she’d shared her biggest secret, so he should trust her now.

Settling down beside her, Pepper nudged her with her elbow. “What’s going on with you two?”

“What do you mean?” Alice hedged.

Pepper gave her a long, droll look. “You guys shoot sparks one minute, and antagonism the next. Are things not going well?”

“It’s complicated.” There were so many things on her mind, Alice couldn’t even sort it out to herself. She had mostly forgiven Reese’s sexual interrogation, and she’d confessed about killing Murray. But now, in the face of his continued distrust, she had to wonder if she’d made a monumental mistake.

“You know,” Pepper said, “I’ve always found that things seem less complicated once I share them. Of course, Rowdy is the one I always shared with, and he has a great way of breaking stuff down so it’s not so overwhelming.”

“He does,” Alice agreed. “He’s such a...plain speaker.” Rowdy never hesitated to tell her things, regardless of how intimate they might seem to her. But she couldn’t tell him about Reese playing games in bed.

Given that Rowdy was a dominating personality, she could only imagine how he’d smile over Reese’s methods of getting info.

Pepper looked down at her feet, offering in an offhand way, “If you’d rather talk to him, I understand.”

“It’s not that.” Maybe she shouldn’t have told Reese about Trace. Surely he wouldn’t say anything to the lieutenant, not after being warned away.

What would Trace do if Reese didn’t let it go?

Because somehow, she just knew Reese wouldn’t.

Her head throbbed with possibilities.

“Alice?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “I might have really screwed up.”

“How so?” And then, with suspicion, “What did Reese do?”

“Nothing.” Yet. But if he pressed the matter...

“I’m not buying it.” Pepper studied her. “Reese did something, and now you’re upset. God, he can be such a jerk.”

“No,” Alice denied. “He’s not a jerk, but he is occasionally autocratic. And stubborn. And maybe a little too protective.”

“Yeah?” Grinning with interest, Pepper asked, “What else?”

“Actually, he’s pretty wonderful.” When he wasn’t being distrustful or asking her too many questions. Her face flushed at the reminder of how he’d gotten his answers. “Most of the time, anyway.”

“Not perfect—same as everyone else, I guess, huh?”

Not perfect, but close. “I guess.”

Alice nudged her again, playfully this time. “I won’t pry, but remember what I told you. You can trust me if you ever want to talk.”

Maybe a different perspective would help. She eyed Pepper’s encouraging smile and figured, what the heck. “Reese used sex against me.”

Pepper’s smile slipped. “Come again?”

“He wanted to know things...about my past. Things that, I take it from the lieutenant’s dictate, won’t be discussed here after all.”

“Wow.” Fascinated, Pepper sat back. “I wondered what that was all about.”