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Quinn sighed again. She was right, of course...

“I told Wilson everything you just said,” she nodded.

“And what was his reply? Oh, wait, I know: to sacrifice you to the gods of public opinion!”

“He said he was sorry; that his hands were tied. I still have my badge and weapon. This reaction… A lot of it is for show, you know.”

Lia narrowed her eyes. “But not all?”

Quinn rolled her neck under another wave of unwanted tension. “There will be an investigation.”

“You have impeccable records.”

“Yes, I do. But again, I kept Ellie’s loss of control out of my report at the time.”

“And has she given you or anyone else any cause since then to regret it?”

“No, Ellie’s a great cop.”

“There you go. You did the right thing, Quinn. And Wilson knew, didn’t he?”

“Yes, I told him everything.”

“He signed off on your report,” Lia insisted.

“Yes. He did ask me if there was any chance this thing might come back to bite us on the ass, and I said no. In a way, this is still correct. Gonzales, the convicted child abuser, couldn’t be behind these allegations. He’s serving a twenty-year sentence at a max-security prison in New Mexico. He’s got no access to a computer, and any communication with the outside is monitored. I’m told he’s been keeping a low profile.”

“Good. And good riddance. I hope it’s hot in New Mexico and that he’s got no AC.”

She was so fired up as she delivered that line and looked so gorgeous that Quinn forgot for an instant the trouble she was in.

“I love you, Lia,” she told her with a grin.

“Me too, babe.” Lia returned to straddle her lap and lock her arms around her neck. “I thought Wilson was a good guy, you know? But now, not so much.”

“Like I said, it’s not his fault. He’s under a lot of pressure from above.”

“Then I hate Mayor Everleigh’s guts even more for putting that wounded look in your eyes.”

Again, she sounded fierce, and she sure did not mince her words. Quinn did not dispute that being wounded was exactlyhow she felt. Betrayed. Her superior, angry himself to have to kick her to the touch, had made it clear that he disapproved of the mayor’s decision. Wilson said he had advised the man strongly against it. Still, the result was the same. Quinn pulled her wife closer onto her lap. She laid her fingers on her thighs, drawing comfort from the feel of her.

“It helps to be able to share this stuff with you.”

“Good.” Lia kissed her again, nice and slow.

“I snapped at Miller and Ellie earlier. Shouldn’t have done that.”

“They’ll live. Who do you think is behind this blog?”

“Unfortunately, I have no idea.”

Lia trailed her fingers gently through her hair, helping to ease some of the tension in her shoulders.

“You do make a lot of enemies in your job.”

“Yes… Then again, the article makes a veiled reference to the internal investigation that was conducted at the time of the Gonzales affair. Only a handful of people knew about it.”

“Are you looking at an insider?”