Page 117 of Shattered By the Currents

Connor scowled.

Ryan: Bet Polly had something to say about that.

Joel: She told him to take his time because the investigation wasn’t going anywhere. She also asked him if he wanted another croissant now or after the case goes cold.

That should have lifted Connor’s mood. It didn’t.

Zac: Gerome say anything?

Joel: Of course he did. Polly didn’t listen. She sure as hell wasn’t wrong. Ward should be working overtime on this.

Ethan: I don’t think he knows what overtime is.

Joel: Unless it involves a second lunch.

Raven closed her laptop and rose to her feet. “Done.”

Thank fuck. He shoved his cell into his pocket.

“You’re not going to celebrate?” She lifted a brow. “Maybe throw your arms up and shout, ‘Thank the heavens above’ or something?”

“Not my style. I’m internally celebrating.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, there’s a whole damn party raving in my head right now.”

She chuckled. “You’re such a comedian.”

“Only so I can hear that laugh.” He kissed her before grabbing her bag.

The second they stepped outside though, that heaviness returned to his chest. He scanned the streets, making sure no one was watching who shouldn’t be.

His gaze caught on Zac in his car. Another level of security he’d employed.

He dipped his chin. A silent thank you to his friend for watching the exterior of the building.

With one hand on Raven’s back, Connor led her to his truck. He barely took his eyes off the rearview mirror as he drove them home.

At least Nathaniel had admitted that it was him and Xander who’d put the camera up and stalked the firehouse. One less thing to try to figure out. They’d done it when Raven had started getting close to Connor. Another method of spying on her and those she was close to.

She set a hand on his thigh. “I wish you weren’t so tense.”

“I wish Xander was behind prison bars.”

“Sometimes I wonder…”

He frowned at her. “What?”

“How I didn’t see this side to him. We were together for so long. And I know that somewhere along the way, he changed. But I stayed. Even after he changed. When I wasn’t happy any longer, I still stayed.”

Was she blaming herself? Fuck that. “Nothing that asshole did was, or ever will be, your fault.”

He pulled onto his street. One vehicle sat on the road. An old Chevy C10. It was red and there appeared to be someone sitting in the driver’s seat.

He made a mental note to check it out once Raven was safely inside.

He pulled into his drive, and when the engine switched off, he turned to look at her. “You stayed because you’re loyal.”