Page 25 of Criminally Yours

Strike sighed louder.

“I’m here for you. When you left, it was one of the worst days, but it was harder for her. I saw Millie around school. She came to class and spent the rest of her time in the library, but her light disappeared. I recognise it since nearly losing Liss. Will you ever tell me why you left us?”

“Probably not.”

“For the brief seconds I’ve spent around Millie, I suspect she doesn’t hate you as much as you think.”

He gave Bear his surliest stare. “Even though she feels she should support me now, she did hate me. I broke her heart. I deserve her hatred and more.”

“For fuck’s sake, Strike. I love you, man, but I miss the old you sometimes. I just want you to be happy.”

“Then bring me a pancake.”

“Yes, sir,” Bear teased as he disappeared to the kitchen.

She hadn’t mentioned the letter. He’d explained everything, but she’d ripped it up. Maybe she hadn’t read it before returning it, or maybe his explanation had sickened her.

Chatter echoed through the corridors as Millie and Liss walked into the dining room. Millie’s hair fell in waves across her shoulders, and the leggings showed off a butt so curvy he forced himself to study the pancakes Bear deposited in front of him.

Strike watched warily as she sat as far away from him aspossible. Maybe being hated was his kink. It had to be better than the power play he’d fantasised about after reading her favourite books. The fantasies that always featured Millie.

“Bear, you did this?” she asked, her shoulders bouncing. “I didn’t know you cooked.”

Strike glanced at her from beneath his eyelashes as she stared at the feast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and more. Her eyes sparkled as she grabbed a muffin.

“My mum taught him to cook some bits, and he’s learned more recently. He prepared the bread himself,” Strike explained.

Bear beamed as he shoved a forkful of pancake into his mouth.

“It’s his downtime coping mechanism,” Liss replied. She pointed her knife at Strike, fixing him with her scowl. “Don’t say coping with me.”

Strike shrugged, but his lips quirked. His stomach groaned as he added poached eggs to his plate. Deftly, he slid a fidget tool from his pocket and rested it on his leg where no one saw it.

Millie reached for her glass and knocked her spoon on the floor. She dived under the table to find it.

Liss mouthed,You fucked up. We’ll speak later.

Bear shook his head. Strike fiddled with the tool as Liss eyeballed him. He’d avoid her before he left. She was better than an MI5 agent at extracting secrets.

Millie returned to her chair. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at him. She must have caught what they’d said or… He touched the fidget tool again. Had she seen it from under the table?

“How are your parents?” Millie asked as she lunged for bacon. “You were at their house to clear it?”

There was a softness that hadn’t been there before shecaught him in the gym. Maybe their animosity could thaw while he guaranteed her safety.

His cutlery hung in the air from his stilled hands. “They’re good. They decided it was time to move on. They have a small place thirty minutes from here, and they travel a lot.”

“They were in Egypt a couple of weeks ago. They sent me a picture from the Nile,” Liss said, swiping a muffin from the basket in the middle of the table.

“Where are your parents?” Strike asked Millie. His stomach bottomed out when she dragged her tongue across her lip, which was moist with syrup.

“On a Caribbean cruise. They left yesterday. I won’t have to tell them what’s happening, and hopefully, they won’t find out until it’s over. My mum usually calls every night,” Millie added, slathering butter onto the warmed bread.

“Every night?” Strike repeated, scrutinising her.

“They’re still super protective.”

Strike bristled, struggling to hide his normally robotic mannerisms. Mille didn’t know the half of it when it came to her mum.