Page 67 of Tethered

“Her parents are gone. She’s on the outs with her friends, and Judy just lied about what happened to her, so she clearly doesn’t have her best interests at heart.”

“Why Henry, though?”

“Because I saw the way he looked at her earlier. He looks at her the same way Riggs looks at me. Shit.”

“What?”

“You’d better call Riggs and tell him to meet us at the station. Because if he gets his hands on Porter and Derek, I’ll be the least of your worries.”

Chapter Nineteen

With an apology, Shepard leaves me in one of the interview rooms, a cup of shitty coffee in hand, while he goes to make his calls.

I take a sip of the bitter bean juice and gag. How anyone can stomach that is beyond me. Perhaps it’s how cops force a confession.

I lean back and let my eyes slip closed. The day started so well and ended up in a royal shitshow, but then, I guess that’s usually the way things work out. I try not to worry about how Riggs will react. The man seems to get extra pissed when shit happens and he’s not around to protect me. He’ll find a way to blame himself. I also have a sneaky suspicion that I’m going to find myself cuffed to him for the foreseeable future.

I don’t know how long I wait, probably not as long as it seems. I can still feel the heat of the coffee through the Styrofoam cup. When the door opens, I crack open an eye at Shepard as he walks in and runs his hand through his hair.

“I see your phone call to Riggs went well.”

“I forget sometimes, with how laid back he is, just how intense he can be.”

“He’s protective of women by nature. But when it comes to me, all bets are off.”

“I can’t say I’m not feeling the same way. I know this is bullshit, but if I don’t play it by the book…”

“They’ll fire you,” I finish. He said something to that effect before, and I’m not mad at him for it. Hell, I’d rather someone like him call the shots around here than the previous sheriff. Or worse, his son. “I get it, Shepard. I’m not mad. I want this done right, for not just our sakes, but Sarah’s too.”

“Good. I called Jen, by the way. I thought that call would be worse than the one to Riggs, but she was cool and calm about it all.”

“Well, this isn’t my first rodeo, Sheriff,” I tease. I might be pissed, but I don’t want to take it out on the wrong people.

I look around the room. It’s nothing fancy. The walls are bare, no two-way mirror as you’d see in the movies. The carpet is dark gray, the walls perhaps two shades lighter, and then the plain wooden table with a single chair on my side and two on his. After years of being incarcerated in a room around the same sizeas this one, I might lose my mind if I have to stay cooped up for too much longer. What I need is a distraction.

“Did you call Austin?” I ask as I get to my feet.

He sighs and shakes his head. “Riggs is already a wild card. I’m not sure I want both of them going on a rampage.”

“He’ll be pissed you didn’t tell him,” I warn him as I walk around the table to him.

“I know, but I’ll deal with it later. Right now, you’re my priority.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.” I smile and get up on the table, swinging my legs around so they are on either side of him, and lean back a little. “You ever fuck someone in here before?”

It’s hilarious how scandalized he looks for a second before he gets to his feet between my legs and presses up against me. “Are you soliciting a police officer, Miss Hart?” he murmurs as his hands slide up my bare legs under the hem of my skirt.

“That depends. Is it working?”

He yanks me into him so I can feel the evidence of his arousal pressing into me. “What do you think?”

I reach up and grab his collar, pulling his mouth down to mine. He doesn’t hesitate. The second our lips meet, he takes control, and I willingly cede my power to him. When his hand skims over my now-wet panties, I widen my legs in invitation. Shepard, the wise man he is, doesn’t miss it. He tugs the lacy material aside with one hand before thrusting two fingers inside me with the other.

I moan into his mouth as he starts fucking me with them. When I’ve adjusted, he adds another. I’m writhing all over the table, soaking his hand and the wood beneath me, before he pulls away and starts unbuckling his belt and pants.

“You know someone might walk in, right?” I tell him.

“I don’t care. Nothing is stopping me from getting inside you. I don’t give a fuck if the precinct burns down around us.”