Page 97 of Built for Mercy

“You must be the ex,” Maverick said, tucking me under his arm possessively. I swooned, pressing further into his side. “I’m Maverick.” He extended a hand to Dean, who finally rose to his feet and shook Maverick’s hand, skepticism radiating from him.

“Yeah. Dean.” His jaw flexed, tension rippling through him. He didn’t elaborate, didn’t look at me—just exhaled sharplythrough his nose, like the conversation was already a waste of his time. It probably was, if its whole purpose was to heed a warning that I was definitely not going to listen to.

Because how would he react if I told him I was quitting the force and had every intention of shacking up with the rich criminal currently holding me as though he intended to never let me go again?

But before I could interject, a flurry of brown hair interrupted us. “Found parking!” My jaw dropped as Callie forced herself between Maverick and me.

What the fuck is going on?

45

Maverick

Sophie looked between Callie and me, confused, before turning back to Dean. “I’m leaving. Don’t call me again.”

He looked appalled and perplexed. “Sophie, think about this for a minute—”

“No. You’re lucky I gave you the time of day to begin with. We’re done. How many times do I have to say that? Stop calling me. I’ve moved on and found someone who loves me more than you ever did.”

My head snapped to her. She grabbed my hand and tugged me away until we were out of the restaurant, then she turned on me and Callie.

“What the hell?” she snapped.

Ah, there’s my Sophie.Goddamn, I had missed her.

“Surprise!” Callie said meekly, regarding her friend cautiously.

“Nowyou decide to show up here?” Sophie demanded, facing me, the light Newark breeze making her hair ponytail flutter. “You’ve ghosted me for days.”

Last I checked, you didn’t text me back, Detective.

I simply slid my hands into my pockets, stepping out of the center of the sidewalk to avoid pedestrians.

Rolling her eyes, she looked at Callie. “And since when do you give personal escorts across state lines?”

“I was in the middle of a meeting with Maverick when he got a text that you were having lunch with another guy.”

“Oh, so you felt the best choice was to aid him in his possessive alphahole crusade?” Sophie’s nostrils flared, proof of her anger. I’d been expecting this reaction. Angry Sophie was sexy as fuck.

Callie raised her eyebrows, a challenge in the determined set of her face. “If you’re asking me if I was willing to help you swallow your fucking pride for a minute and have an adult conversation with Maverick like you did with me the other day, then the answer is yes.” She stepped closer to Sophie, poking her shoulder. “You didn’t see the woman I saw.”

Sophie’s lower lip trembled, her eyes filling with tears. I felt like an outsider, but I let it play itself out. “Cal—”

“No,” Callie cut her off. “You watched me burn my life to the ground, helpless and concerned. But I couldn’t have gotten through it all without you. It’s time for me to repay the favor. You’ve already told me all there is to know, and I’m still here, aren’t I?” She waited for Sophie to react. After a moment, Sophie nodded. “Then answer this for me: why do you keep running when those who love you choose to stay?”

Finally, Sophie’s eyes slid back to me, red and watery. She said nothing, but her face said it all. The circles under her eyes were dark, and her shoulders sagged from exhaustion. She’d barely put herself together to come to this lunch.

“I’m really happy to see you,” she murmured, throwing her arms around my neck.

I barely contained my chuckled as I returned the embrace, meeting Callie’s eyes over Sophie’s shoulder.

It felt like coming home after being lost at sea for years. I wrapped my arms around her, the scent of her shampoo and the warmth of her body seeping into my senses. Everything else faded away, leaving just the two of us tangled up in each other’s arms.

When Sophie finally pulled away, a mix of emotions swirled in her eyes. Relief, anger, longing—all intertwined in the stormy depths of her gaze. I could see the walls she had built around herself starting to crack, revealing the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide time and time again.

“Ready to go home?” I asked. She nodded. “Good. Because I have a few surprises for you.”

46