up by simply standing here, breathing my oxygen.” She snatched the file from him and slammed it against the hotel room’s desk. “I’m going to the lodge. You can go to hell for all I care.”
Ryder leaned back in the chair, amused. “You’d miss me too much.”
She licked her lips. “I’d miss you like I’d miss the plague.”
“Who are you talking with first?”
“Family. You can have the boyfriend.”
His lips twitched. “You don’t tell me how to do my job, little girl.”
“Fine. I’ll question them by myself. It always takes a woman to do a man’s job anyhow. Why would working with you be any different?”
He stood and met her eyes. “I like your original plan best. You do your thing, I’ll do mine, and we’ll see who ends up on top, ’kay?”
His blood boiled in his veins though it wasn’t for the usual reasons his former partners gave him. No. He liked Blake Warren way too much, and it was a damn shame. Ryder grabbed his coat and headed to the door.
He needed to question the family. If his gut feeling meant anything, stepdaddy had some explaining to do.
* * * *
“You have to go with him, you know that, right?” Betsy, her partner, said on the phone.
Blake pursed her lips. She’d escaped to the bathroom for a private conversation with her real partner and left Mr. High-and-Mighty alone. “If I don’t make it back, you’ll know I killed him and am on my way out of the country to Fiji or Tahiti where it’s nice and hot and the boys are half-naked.”
Betsy snorted. “I didn’t just hear that. But, if you go, promise to take me with you.”
Ryder James. Just thinking the name brought up a mixed array of emotions. He shouldn’t be anything but her partner but moments ago when they fought over the file, she envisioned more.
“He’s impossible.”
“Most men are.”
With Betsy she never had trouble. From the moment they met, they became best friends. They played off each other’s talents. Where Betsy gained confessions from suspects, Blake knew how to look at the big picture and bring justice to order.
She missed her partner, her best friend.
“What should I do?”
“Grin and bear it, sweetie. There’s not much else you can do.” Betsy paused. “At least he’s a hottie. It would really be a pisser if he wasn’t much to look at, considering you have to spend all that time, day and night, alone with him.”
“Are you insinuating I should seduce my partner?”
“Who me? Nah. All I’m saying is, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
After they hung up, Blake grabbed her coat, shoved her arms inside the sleeves and left. She needed to talk with Betsy. Her partner and best friend kept her sane. Ryder wouldn’t screw this up for her. She’d worked her ass off in school and on the force to prove she was just as good as any member of her family. He would not make her look like a fool because of his inflated ego. She wouldn’t allow it.
Just as she suspected, he sat in the parking lot in the navy colored detective-issued Town Car, waiting for it to warm up. Naturally, he decided to drive, she mused. All part of his warped need for control . You can have the drive to the lodge, Ryder James, but I’ll have the drive back.
She reached for the door handle and pulled, finding the door locked. She banged her fist on the window. “Open up.”
The jerk smiled. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I have a gun and a mean sense of humor.”
“I’m not scared of your little gun. You probably can’t hit your target anyway.”
“Open the door, James, before I break out the window.”
He grinned and pressed the door locks. After Blake situated herself inside, she slammed the door and looked over at him. The damn man enjoyed himself.
“I love it when you talk dirty. Turns me on.”
She didn’t even bother with a rebuttal. “Drive the damn car.”
He put the car in reverse and backed up. “Where are we going?”
“Southside.” She shivered and
Ryder leaned back in the chair, amused. “You’d miss me too much.”
She licked her lips. “I’d miss you like I’d miss the plague.”
“Who are you talking with first?”
“Family. You can have the boyfriend.”
His lips twitched. “You don’t tell me how to do my job, little girl.”
“Fine. I’ll question them by myself. It always takes a woman to do a man’s job anyhow. Why would working with you be any different?”
He stood and met her eyes. “I like your original plan best. You do your thing, I’ll do mine, and we’ll see who ends up on top, ’kay?”
His blood boiled in his veins though it wasn’t for the usual reasons his former partners gave him. No. He liked Blake Warren way too much, and it was a damn shame. Ryder grabbed his coat and headed to the door.
He needed to question the family. If his gut feeling meant anything, stepdaddy had some explaining to do.
* * * *
“You have to go with him, you know that, right?” Betsy, her partner, said on the phone.
Blake pursed her lips. She’d escaped to the bathroom for a private conversation with her real partner and left Mr. High-and-Mighty alone. “If I don’t make it back, you’ll know I killed him and am on my way out of the country to Fiji or Tahiti where it’s nice and hot and the boys are half-naked.”
Betsy snorted. “I didn’t just hear that. But, if you go, promise to take me with you.”
Ryder James. Just thinking the name brought up a mixed array of emotions. He shouldn’t be anything but her partner but moments ago when they fought over the file, she envisioned more.
“He’s impossible.”
“Most men are.”
With Betsy she never had trouble. From the moment they met, they became best friends. They played off each other’s talents. Where Betsy gained confessions from suspects, Blake knew how to look at the big picture and bring justice to order.
She missed her partner, her best friend.
“What should I do?”
“Grin and bear it, sweetie. There’s not much else you can do.” Betsy paused. “At least he’s a hottie. It would really be a pisser if he wasn’t much to look at, considering you have to spend all that time, day and night, alone with him.”
“Are you insinuating I should seduce my partner?”
“Who me? Nah. All I’m saying is, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
After they hung up, Blake grabbed her coat, shoved her arms inside the sleeves and left. She needed to talk with Betsy. Her partner and best friend kept her sane. Ryder wouldn’t screw this up for her. She’d worked her ass off in school and on the force to prove she was just as good as any member of her family. He would not make her look like a fool because of his inflated ego. She wouldn’t allow it.
Just as she suspected, he sat in the parking lot in the navy colored detective-issued Town Car, waiting for it to warm up. Naturally, he decided to drive, she mused. All part of his warped need for control . You can have the drive to the lodge, Ryder James, but I’ll have the drive back.
She reached for the door handle and pulled, finding the door locked. She banged her fist on the window. “Open up.”
The jerk smiled. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I have a gun and a mean sense of humor.”
“I’m not scared of your little gun. You probably can’t hit your target anyway.”
“Open the door, James, before I break out the window.”
He grinned and pressed the door locks. After Blake situated herself inside, she slammed the door and looked over at him. The damn man enjoyed himself.
“I love it when you talk dirty. Turns me on.”
She didn’t even bother with a rebuttal. “Drive the damn car.”
He put the car in reverse and backed up. “Where are we going?”
“Southside.” She shivered and
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