Page 17 of Criminally Yours

She enjoyed how his chin popped before he flexed his obscenely cut jaw.

“They sound like us the day we met,” Liss mumbled again. “By the way, Millie, I work for Bodyguard Corp, and I’m Bear’s fiancée.”

“And the King’s granddaughter,” Bear added.

“You don’t always have to say that,” Liss grumbled.

“It saves her doing that thing when you meet where she wonders how she recognises you.”

“Are they always like this?” Millie asked Strike out of the corner of her mouth.

“Yes, and it’s fucking annoying. They’re one of the many reasons why I’m grumpy.”

Millie smiled at Strike, whose glare softened briefly. His gentle stare reminded her of the night he’d told her he wanted to be more than her friend. “I was on my way to a social for single people in their twenties,” she explained.

He nodded. She ignored the quirk of his lips that was nearly a smile.

“And,” she said louder before anyone else cut in, “I saw Hugo arguing with a man.” She repeated word for word what she’d heard and seen. “I videoed it, but my phone won’t come on because you grabbed me and made me drop it.”

“My finger still hurts from where you bit me, Doc.” Strike waggled his finger in her direction.

“I’m not a doctor. I’m a mental health professional, a counsellor. I didn’t study medicine, and I don’t heal tiny scratches, soldier,” she sassed.

“I know you didn’t, but why didn’t you? It was your life’s dream.”

She squared up to him, her seatbelt tight against her chest. “Don’t you think we have too much to worry about right now without having to revisit our shitty past?”

Bear cut in, “We’ll get Luke, our tech guy, to investigate your phone when you arrive. He’ll get the file off it.”

“Will he be able to view the other stuff on it?” She couldn’t let anyone find the app she used to sext strangers.

Strike’s smile dropped into a frown. “What don’t you want us to see?”

She swallowed the lies slicing the back of her throat as she pulled at her bottom lip. “Nothing. Just client stuff.”

A raised eyebrow accompanied his squared shoulders. Seconds ticked by.

“Just client stuff,” she repeated, pushing her hands beneath her thighs to hide any tics.

He flexed his jaw again as he grumbled.

“I’ll chat with Luke and make sure that if he can get into it, he only looks for the video,” Liss said.

“Thank you,” Millie replied, dropping her head. Even when Strike wasn’t looking at her, she felt like he was attempting to peel away her secrets.

“We’re on our way to your house,” Strike said, gruffer than before. “We’ll meet you and Luke there. And Stal and Nails, too.”

“Does everyone sound like an extra in a shit Western?” she mumbled.

“Yes,” Liss replied.

“Hey,” Bear whined.

“Honey, I love you, but Bear is an odd name. And, Millie, because Strike’s probably doing that weird sullen thing where he drives in silence, and so won’t tell you, Stal and Nails are bodyguards who joined the company this year.”

“I’m not sullen,” Strike grumbled, his knuckles whitening. “I need a place where Millie and I can hide out while we investigate what’s happening.”

“Liss, if you can get me clothes like jeans or joggers and jumpers and underwear, I’d really appreciate it,” Millie said. “Everything’s in my car, which is still outside my parents’ house. And have you got any toiletries I can borrow?”