Poppy grins. “Well, you boys have a seat. I'm pretty sure I’ve got a bottle of wine tucked away somewhere, and I think it’s time to pour a few glasses. Oh, and pizza. I’m the best at ordering pizza.”

  As she goes into the kitchen once more, Hunter side-eyes me and quietly says, “I get it, man. I’ll back your play, whatever you need.”

  Chapter 26

  Poppy

  The next morning is too bright and too early, especially when my belly is unhappy with the amount of pizza, wine, and stress I subjected it to last night. But when Connor wakes me up with a kiss and says it’s time to go, I slowly rise to my feet. But I refuse to shine. Yet.

  Shuffling into the living room, I see all three men up and ready to go, apparently having already helped themselves to coffee. “Where are we going? Are we going on the run? We’ll have to pick up JP’s family too before we leave the country. Oh, wait . . . I’ll have to find my passport. And get Becca to take care of Nut and Juice until we can bring them with us. We’ll have to do one of those adorable reunion videos when we get them back.”

  Hunter sighs from the couch, rubbing at his stubbled cheek. “Is she for real?”

  Connor chuckles, which is an amazing sound that draws me into his side so I can feel the vibration of it against my skin. He wraps an arm around me easily, nodding before kissing the top of my head. “Amazingly, yes. She is. If you don’t know, the craziness is just camouflage for a very sharp mind.”

  “Aww, thanks, babe,” I tease, skipping the coffee to go straight for the hard stuff. I’ve had to ‘self-medicate’ before in order to wake up after a late night of work, so I know exactly what I need. Grabbing a sugar-free Red Bull out of my fridge, I use a corkscrew to poke a hole in the can before popping the top and shotgunning the whole thing in one long swallow.

  “Ignition in three, two, one . . .” I drone. “Blast off.” I shake my whole body, sending the caffeine through my bloodstream. Eyes clear, I look at Connor. “Let’s do this.”

  Connor’s eyes are wide, and I realize what he just watched me suck down. Grinning, I playfully, and obscenely, lick my lips. He growls, taking the can from me to drop it in the trash. “Go get dressed.”

  “It’s a good thing you’re sexy when you’re grumpy,” I tell him, scooting back down the hallway to pull on jeans and a T-shirt. I also choose tennis shoes in case I need to make a run for it. At this point, I’m planning for any and every thing.

  Once Connor assures me I won’t need a passport, we load up in his truck. JP and I are relegated to the back seat this time so that Hunter and Connor can sit up front. As we pull out, I see the walking club women making their rounds. They stop, wide-eyed and staring.

  I wave as I roll down the window. “Hey, ladies! Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

  Jane, who once surreptitiously asked me to sign a copy of my book for her, sees three handsome men and blinks. “Uhm, hi, Poppy. Aren’t you gonna introduce us to your friends?”

  She points to JP and Hunter, striking a flirty pose with one hand on her hip as she pushes her hair behind her ear. But before I can say anything, Connor rolls my window up and pulls away.

  “That was rude,” I comment. “I was about to tell them I’m researching a reverse harem story with some real first-hand experience!”

  Connor doesn’t laugh, but his lips do twitch. Like I could ever need another man after him? Pssh. “JP’s married, and Hunter’s a bigger asshole than I am.”

  I lean forward, looking at Hunter, who merely shrugs.

  “I’m sorry for Connor,” I tell him very seriously. “I’ve met his family, and manners aren’t exactly a strong suit. Words as weapons is more their style.”

  Hunter smirks, and I think he’d like to laugh at my humor but is as unfamiliar with laughter as Connor was before I came around. “Maybe so, but Connor’s not wrong. I’m definitely an asshole.”

  We drive in silence for a few minutes until I realize where we’re going. “The police station? That seems like a bad idea, guys. A really bad one.”

  Connor seems self-assured, turning on his blinker as he comes to a stop at a red light. “Trust me. We talked this through last night after you crashed.”

  I look at JP because he seems to be the one who hates Detective Carter as much as I do, but he smiles encouragingly. I cross my arms over my chest, pouting. “Okay, but I’m not looking to be on the next episode of Orange is the New Black.”

  When we get to the station, Connor parks but leaves the truck running. He turns around, pinning me with a serious look. “I’m going in with Hunter. I want you two to wait here.”

  “Like we’re the getaway car? I’ll move up to the front seat then.”

  Thank God Connor realizes that at least half of my silliness is a way to deal with stress and nerves because he doesn’t yell or anything. He just takes me seriously and responds evenly, “No, not a getaway car. We want to talk to Carter and settle some things. While you wait here.”

  That last part sounds dangerously like an order. There is only one place I like to be bossed around, and this isn’t it. Well, Connor was kinda bossy when we got back from fucking on the same seat I’m sitting in now, but that was a deliciously good way. Other than that . . . nope. Naked and making me come is the only time someone can boss me around. Even Connor.

  I stay silent, not agreeing but not disagreeing either while I think about what he’s ‘asking’ of me. I am definitely in over my head here, and Connor and Hunter obviously have some mastermind plan they agreed on after I fell asleep last night.

  It pisses me off, honestly. What am I, some sitcom housewife? Good for a laugh when I’m swinging a golf club but not able to be filled in on the real details of things? Nah, that’s not going to continue.

  Connor and I will discuss that later.

  And I’m worried about him. He’s walking into a police department where that asshole Detective Carter is actively looking for The Black Rose’s thief.

  My best guess is that Connor plans to leverage Mr. Big's reputation as someone Carter shouldn’t mess with, but how tough is the guy really if I could take him out with one swing of a statue?

  As Connor and Hunter go inside, JP and I are left alone. I twiddle my thumbs patiently for about two minutes before I turn to him and ask, “So, are you supposed to keep me here?”

  JP smiles kindly. “No, but we are supposed to stay here. Let Connor and Hunter talk to the police.”

  I nod, considering my options and still not sure what’s best. After a minute of squirming, I look back over at JP, who’s still cool and collected. “But if I were to get out, you won’t stop me?”

  JP looks concerned and glances toward the police department door. Just to test him, I open my door and stick a foot out.

  “Poppy?” he says uncertainly. “Por favor.”

  I give him a mega-watt smile to ease his nerves. “It’ll be fine.”

  I’m not sure if I’m telling him or convincing myself. But either way, I get out, closing the truck door and striding toward the station door with as much guts as I can manage. Nothing bad happens, or at least nobody swarms out to arrest me for attacking Mr. Big, and I get braver.

  Inside, I see the same desk officer from before, and she smiles warmly. I think she remembers me and my anger-induced loud dismissal of Detective Carter the first time I was here, but hopefully not my dramatic tirade when I was forced to wait while freaking out. Her response gives me confidence, and I stride up to her desk with my head held high.

  “I’m here to talk to Detective Carter.”

  The desk officer gestures toward the chairs off to my right. “He’s with someone at the moment. Would you like to wait?”

  I can’t wait. I will lose all my courage if I sit in one of those chairs. And I’m already not doing what Connor asked of me, so why would I follow what this woman wants me to do? I’m in for a penny, in for a pound, so I keep my composure and give her a casual smile. “Two growly-sexy dudes, one who’s walking sex on a stick and the other, an asshole? I’m actually with them too, so I’ll see myself back. This is urgent.”

  I don’t wait for permission, preferring to ask for forgiveness or flat-out ignore that I might need permission in the first place, and walk into the back room of desks. Connor, Hunter, and Detective Carter are all standing at one of the desks. Carter looks murderous, his palms on the desktop as he leans forward to snarl at Connor and Hunter.

  “No way. You’re not taking this from me. I worked this case. It’s mine.” He thumps his chest with a fist, and I’m reminded of a posturing gorilla trying to warn off a potential threat.

  Hunter looks totally unrattled. “Federal trumps all in this field. It certainly trumps some city dick looking to make a name for himself,” Hunter sneers coldly. “Would you like to get our bosses involved with this?”

  “I’ve been working this fucking case for months,” Connor grits through clenched teeth, his jaw looking like carved stone he’s so tense, “and you stroll in here like some goddamn rookie and fuck everything up. You’ll be lucky if you still have a badge when my superiors get done with you.”

  Wait . . . what?

  How would Mr. Big take Carter’s badge?

  Connor turns and sees me. I see the ‘oh, shit’ reaction cross his face as he realizes that I heard what he just said. It’s still processing, pieces falling together in my mind like plot points in my book wrapping up through twists and turns to a surprise ending. “Poppy.”

  Just my name on his lips brings it all to a sharp point of focus. “You . . . how long were you going to lie to me? You’re a fucking liar.”

  I knew that, but stupidly, I thought he wasn’t lying to me anymore. But once a liar, always a liar because Connor isn’t a petty thief. And he’s not an art thief.

  Based on what he just said and how he said it . . .

  He’s an undercover federal agent.

  He didn’t want me to find out, didn’t want me to know. He’s been hiding it this whole time.

  Rage ignites in my veins, and my feet move of their own volition. I’m going to attack him again. This time for stealing something even more precious than my manuscript. My heart. That foolishly trusting organ that’s pumping way too fast in my chest now.

  “Miss Woodstock?” Detective Carter interrupts, clearly not getting the full story from Connor and Hunter to this point. That smug fucking smirk curls his lips. “Let me guess, the whole ‘stolen manuscript’ thing was some sort of PR stunt tied into The Black Rose’s theft?”

  He does air quotes with his fingers when he talks about how I lost my book, just as condescending as he was that first night when I tried to report it stolen. That look on his face is the push over the edge I didn’t need.

  With a Valkyrie yell, I lunge at Detective Carter, clawing and scraping my stress-induced-chewed nails down his face. “What the fuck?” he shouts, trying to push me back.

  “You should’ve helped me that first night! None of this would’ve happened!” I’m screaming, pain pouring out with all the anger.

  Connor and Hunter grab me, pulling me off Detective Carter and telling the officers who have appeared to stand back. But they’re not listening to two random men, and before I know it, arms have grabbed me and ripped me away from my target.

  They push me back a few steps, and Connor roars, pulling an officer’s hands from my arms. He tries to wrap me up, holding me and telling me to calm down and that everything’s okay, but I fight him too.

  I fight them all.

  I fight until I have nothing left. Until I’m a ragdoll, empty with tear-stained marks down my cheeks and someone is holding me up.

  An officer says, “In here.”

  Before I know it, there’s a sliding sound and a final clang as they lock me in some sort of holding cell in the corner of the room.

  With nothing left to hold me up, I collapse to the floor, curling in on myself.

  Connor’s on the other side of the metal grate, crouching down until we’re only separated by a few millimeters of steel. “Poppy, baby,” he says softly, “I’m so sorry.”

  I glare at him, wanting to hurt him the way he’s hurt me with his lies and betrayal. “A few weeks ago, I was fine. Look at me now,” I whisper, angry and heartbroken and all sorts of fucked up all at once. “All because I’m a klutz who bumped into you. You’re not a black sheep. You’re fucking poison.”

  He tries to reach me through the mesh, even as the barbs of my words pierce him. But I recoil, not wanting him to touch me. His touch would only be lies, anyway.

  It’s all lies.

  Detective Carter, who’s watching and swiping away blood from my scratches, decides to chime in. “Crazy fucking bitch.”

  Connor whirls in place as he stands and pops Carter square in the nose. Blood splatters over Carter’s cheeks in a gush of red, and his hands fly up to cover his nose.

  Hunter grabs Connor, manhandling him to get him away from Carter and away from me. He pushes him several feet back, growling that Connor needs to get ahold of himself. “Let it go, man. Let it go.”

  Detective Carter sounds more nasally than he did before when he whines, “You broke my fucking nose.”

  Even in my empty, soulless state, I take sick pleasure in that. Detective Carter deserves that and so much worse. Connor does too. And even Hunter. They all deserve to feel pain like I’m feeling, but life isn’t fair and that wish isn’t granted. I curl up on the floor, comforting myself.

  A loud voice bellows with authority, “What is going on in here?”

  Everyone freezes, eyes turning toward the man who’s exited an office off to the side.

  Except me. After a quick glance, I look at the floor, trying to figure out where everything went wrong. Dimly, I hear Connor tell me, “I’m going to fix this. I promise.”

  But I don’t react to that either.

  I wait until the office door closes behind Carter, Hunter, and Connor before I let the tears fall.

  I don’t know how much time has passed when a man in a black suit walks through. I wonder if he’s my lawyer when he glances my way, but he doesn’t say anything before going into the office with Connor.

  Fine, fuck you too, I think. Fuck everyone and everything.

  But the rage is short-lived, burning hot and fast and then leaving me weighed down with inner darkness. I sigh and curl back up. I stare at the wall until the officer from the desk appears sometime later with a paper bag of food. “Hey, honey. Thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some lunch.”

  “Not hungry.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave it right here in case you change your mind. Just do me a favor, don’t go chucking meatloaf sandwich all over the place?” She sits there for a minute, looking uncomfortable. When she glances over her shoulder for the second time, I glare at her.

  “What?”

  “I know this is an awful time, but I’m a really big fan,” the officer says, biting her lip a little. “I’ve been kicking myself for not asking last time. Do you think you could sign my book?”

  She holds out a marker and a copy of Love in Great Falls that’s obviously been read multiple times. Even with everything falling to shit, I can’t be rude to her. Not when she’s been nothing but kind. It’s not her fault I’m where I am.

  It’s Connor’s.

  And mine.

  I scoot over to the slot in the mesh, and she holds out the marker. I reach for it, but she moves the marker back slightly to ask, “You’re not going to stab anybody with this, are you?”

  I lift an eyebrow, silently asking ‘seriously?’ and she smiles. “Didn’t think so.”

  While I sign the book she’s holding open, she clears her throat. “So . . . your social media said that you’ve got a new book in the works. Trouble In Great Falls?”

  Oh, God, that. Hilda is going to kill me. There is no way I’m going to make my deadline, and if word gets out that I’m in the slammer for going full assault force on a police officer, I’ll be done for. “Uhm, yeah. Who do I make this out to?”

  The desk officer smiles excitedly. “Penelope. Everything’s going to work out for Ryker and Amber, right?”

  I look across the office, where the men are all mansplaining the shit out of everything to each other, doing what men seem to do best. “I might kill Ryker off.”

  Officer Penelope follows my line of vision and frowns. “I hear you, honey. Maybe don’t take out what that one did on my Ryker, though? He’s my favorite book boyfriend.”

  “We’ll see,” I tell her. “You know, no promises and all that.”

  But everyone knows that’s just a kinder, gentler way of saying no. Officer Penelope leaves, and I must fall asleep at some point because the rattle of keys wakes me. I open my eyes to see Hunter and a uniformed officer standing at the cell door.

  “You sure you can handle her by yourself?” he sneers. “I can call the pound if you need it.”

  I glare at him, clacking my teeth together.

  Hunter sighs and rolls his eyes in exasperation. “Poppy, could you not? You have no idea what we just went through to get you out of here. And you,” he says, looking at the officer, “be a fucking professional.”

  That melts my orneriness a bit. Hunter’s right on both counts, I bet. “I’m free to go?”

  Hunter holds out a hand but frowns, which doesn’t make me feel any better. “Not exactly. You’ve been released to my custody. As a witness for our case against Mr. Big.” He stares at me hard, his eyes telling me to listen to what he said carefully. “I’ll have to cuff you until we get to the car. Seems you scared the shit out of Carter over there, and he’s considering pressing charges for assault on an officer. He’s not much a fan of being told to stand down and back the fuck off.”

  I glance where he points to see Detective Carter glaring at me from across the room. If looks could kill, I’d be goo on the floor. I return the same glare, wishing I could do the same to him too.

  “Fine.” I stand up and turn around, placing my hands behind my back like I’ve seen on television shows.