Page 149 of Criminally Yours

“Great stalling skills,” Liss whispered.

“That’s it,” Millie shouted. “I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me where Strike is and why everyone’s delaying me.”

“No reason,” Bear replied. He checked his phone. “If I were you, I’d go straight into the back garden.”

Liss did a little yip of excitement. Stal and Jenny joined them, and Millie grumbled as she turned on her heel.

“You might want this,” Stal said, holding out a coat.

“I don’t know what you’re all up to, but I’m not sure I want you as friends anymore,” she replied, snatching the coat and stomping outside to the sound of their laughter.

There was no one there.

Millie walked the length of the garden and across the deck to the water’s edge. The coat kept her warm against the early November breeze, which picked up her long blond hair and tossed it around.

It was difficult to believe that many months ago, she’d been on this same deck, staring at the water, with Strike sitting behind her.

She’d thought she hated him, but it was his power to make her feel things she couldn’t act on that had angered her.

She stared out at the lake. The last eight months with Strike had been near perfect. He gave her space when needed, and she did the same for him. They’d argued a couple of times, but the annoyance didn’t last long. And one by one, they’d ticked things off his sex list. There were still a couple she wanted to try, including soldier role-play.

She rubbed the gap on her finger absentmindedly as she stared across the lake at the setting sun. The only disappointment was losing her promise ring a couple of weeks ago, but she still wiggled her finger, longing for it to return.

The orange glow filling the sky left her breathless. Pinks merged with the blue, which tried to hold its power a little longer, but it was a losing battle. It reminded her of Strike and her relationship. It was a mess of colour. The bright red of their fiery passion, with the calm of the blue, brought her security and peace even though his job was risky.

And there were yellow and pink lines threaded through all of it.

Her life was unpredictable on some days, yet safe andeverything she needed on others. And after the sunset, there was always darkness.

She longed for his darkness some days.

“Sunset,” Strike called.

His voice made her jump. She dug her feet into the decking as she wobbled slightly, nearly losing her footing and plunging into the water.

“Don’t do that to me,” she replied, turning.

Millie gasped.

Her strong hero stood a couple of metres away in a soldier’s camouflage shirt and trousers, the ones used during manoeuvres.

“You got it all, including all the pockets and massive boots.”

Giggling carried from the doorway where Cam, Luke, Bear and Stal stood with Liss. Bear held Jenny this time, who cooed at him. Their joy lingered on the wind, brushing past Millie’s cheek and making her shiver.

“Sorry I’m late, but I wanted this to be perfect.”

“But we can’t dothat,not in front of your friends. That was not on the sex list.”

He laughed loudly. Mischief brought a sparkle to his blue eyes.

“That’s for later, at home. In the meantime, I need to do this before we lose the sun.” He got down on one knee. Millie squeezed her lips together as her eyes widened. “Once upon a time, I moved into a big house next door to the most obnoxious girl I’d ever met.”

“This better improve, or you shouldn’t bother asking,” she teased.

He winked. “That obnoxious girl wrapped me around her finger within days of meeting me, and I never untangled myself. You made me laugh, you challenged me, you helpedme understand what love was and that I had a heart capable of so much.”

“I love how big your heart is.”