matter how much Mack loved him, marriage wasn’t an option in Minnesota.
Mack studied Geo’s expression. What was he thinking? Did it hurt to see her again after this many years? He didn’t remember hearing whether or not Geo and Lauren had talked it out. After Mack had become his partner, he’d figured Geo would tell him if he wanted to. He never had and the subject had been dropped before it had been opened. Geo didn’t talk about her except in passing about cases they’d worked together. And since Mack’s time on the force didn’t overlap hers by much, he had no real history of the two. Only rumours of how hot and heavy they’d been.
“Convenient,” Mack said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“What is?” she asked.
“Feds show up to take the case after all the leg work’s been done. You get the credit. We get the headache,” he answered.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” she agreed. Her expression grew serious. “You just don’t see what happens behind the scenes. The FBI really does want the local law enforcement to know that we’re on your side. We work with you. Not against you.”
“Oh my God,” Mack murmured. “You fucking said that with a straight face.”
Lauren laughed. “I know, right? I’ve been working on it for at least a week. As long as I’ve known I was coming back to my old stomping grounds.”
“So you knew and didn’t say anything,” Mack remarked, hoping the jibe would remind Geo of the way she’d left suddenly. His gaze flicked to Geo’s. Geo fixed him with dry recognition. If Mack had been a timid man, he’d have blushed.
“Consider yourselves notified,” she said, brightly. “And don’t think I missed that last crack. I’m just a big enough girl to overlook some manly petty jealousy.”
“I’m not—”
“Yes, yes you are,” Lauren argued, cutting Mack off. “Look, Sully, I don’t give a rat’s ass who you’re screwing or how much you hate the Feds. I’m here to do my job. That’s it.”
So why didn’t he believe her? Maybe it was the strange gleam in her eyes that only he could see since Geo wasn’t facing her.
“Think of it this way, the case is off your desk and is someone else’s burden. You’re home free,” she offered with a small shrug. “If you look at it that way, we’re doing you a favour.”
Geo squeezed her shoulder. “It’s good to see you again, Lauren. We should get coffee.” “Anytime.”
Mack didn’t feel as amicable about the whole thing. She was right, though. The Feds were taking a heavy case off their hands, and that meant less time and paperwork keeping them at their desks.
Another man joined the threesome.
“Oh, hey, I forgot to introduce you to my partner. Guys, this is Andy Powell.” Lauren stepped aside to let him enter the circle.
Andy’s once-over licked over Mack as though he’d been candy coated. Then his look shifted to visually fondle Geo. It left Mack with a greasy feeling. It would be Mack’s pleasure to avoid Andy and Lauren for the duration of their investigation. He felt his upper lip begin to curl and plastered a smile on his face instead.
“We’ll stay out of your way,” Geo offered. “I’m sure the Chief will let you take over the smaller conference room.”
“Don’t stay too far away. We’re going to need your expertise as we go through the case notes. You guys did do all the leg work.” She winked at Mack.
“We’ll stay close,” Geo promised.
With tasers , Mack silently added.
Geo had been watching Mack with growing amusement. The longer the day wore on with Lauren and Andy in sight behind the glass walls of the conference room, the more pissed off he got.
Geo loved it.
Next week, when their families got together for the barbeque at Mack’s family home, Geo wanted to make their relationship official. He wanted to stand in front of their families and tell them that Mack was the one he wanted at his side forever. Until today, Geo hadn’t been convinced that Mack would go for it.
Mack studied Geo’s expression. What was he thinking? Did it hurt to see her again after this many years? He didn’t remember hearing whether or not Geo and Lauren had talked it out. After Mack had become his partner, he’d figured Geo would tell him if he wanted to. He never had and the subject had been dropped before it had been opened. Geo didn’t talk about her except in passing about cases they’d worked together. And since Mack’s time on the force didn’t overlap hers by much, he had no real history of the two. Only rumours of how hot and heavy they’d been.
“Convenient,” Mack said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“What is?” she asked.
“Feds show up to take the case after all the leg work’s been done. You get the credit. We get the headache,” he answered.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” she agreed. Her expression grew serious. “You just don’t see what happens behind the scenes. The FBI really does want the local law enforcement to know that we’re on your side. We work with you. Not against you.”
“Oh my God,” Mack murmured. “You fucking said that with a straight face.”
Lauren laughed. “I know, right? I’ve been working on it for at least a week. As long as I’ve known I was coming back to my old stomping grounds.”
“So you knew and didn’t say anything,” Mack remarked, hoping the jibe would remind Geo of the way she’d left suddenly. His gaze flicked to Geo’s. Geo fixed him with dry recognition. If Mack had been a timid man, he’d have blushed.
“Consider yourselves notified,” she said, brightly. “And don’t think I missed that last crack. I’m just a big enough girl to overlook some manly petty jealousy.”
“I’m not—”
“Yes, yes you are,” Lauren argued, cutting Mack off. “Look, Sully, I don’t give a rat’s ass who you’re screwing or how much you hate the Feds. I’m here to do my job. That’s it.”
So why didn’t he believe her? Maybe it was the strange gleam in her eyes that only he could see since Geo wasn’t facing her.
“Think of it this way, the case is off your desk and is someone else’s burden. You’re home free,” she offered with a small shrug. “If you look at it that way, we’re doing you a favour.”
Geo squeezed her shoulder. “It’s good to see you again, Lauren. We should get coffee.” “Anytime.”
Mack didn’t feel as amicable about the whole thing. She was right, though. The Feds were taking a heavy case off their hands, and that meant less time and paperwork keeping them at their desks.
Another man joined the threesome.
“Oh, hey, I forgot to introduce you to my partner. Guys, this is Andy Powell.” Lauren stepped aside to let him enter the circle.
Andy’s once-over licked over Mack as though he’d been candy coated. Then his look shifted to visually fondle Geo. It left Mack with a greasy feeling. It would be Mack’s pleasure to avoid Andy and Lauren for the duration of their investigation. He felt his upper lip begin to curl and plastered a smile on his face instead.
“We’ll stay out of your way,” Geo offered. “I’m sure the Chief will let you take over the smaller conference room.”
“Don’t stay too far away. We’re going to need your expertise as we go through the case notes. You guys did do all the leg work.” She winked at Mack.
“We’ll stay close,” Geo promised.
With tasers , Mack silently added.
Geo had been watching Mack with growing amusement. The longer the day wore on with Lauren and Andy in sight behind the glass walls of the conference room, the more pissed off he got.
Geo loved it.
Next week, when their families got together for the barbeque at Mack’s family home, Geo wanted to make their relationship official. He wanted to stand in front of their families and tell them that Mack was the one he wanted at his side forever. Until today, Geo hadn’t been convinced that Mack would go for it.
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