Page 351 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

“It is for now. If you want to make this official, we can go down to the station. For now, let’s call it follow up on your theft report. Tell me what happened.”

“I’m not sure it has anything to do with the theft,” Bren says.

Her tone is cool. So much cooler than I feel. I’m trying to separate my lingering jealousy at the man from the rankling ofhim exerting authority in this situation. But it’s all getting lost in a growing, red haze.

“The man you made the report against, Robert Iggleston? He’s at Mount Sinai recovering from surgery on a ruptured testicle. He and a friend of his, Damon Waites.” Theo checks the name on his notepad and nods. “Presented together saying they’d been attacked. Waites had outpatient surgery to repair his ear. He was released with instructions on treating his concussion.”

I glance at Cinder, since I’m not at all happy about having Mad Bob at the same hospital as Taco, even though it’s a big place and I expect the bikers left a guard or two with their prospect. Cinder meets my eyes and tips his chin. He’s already on top of it somehow.

I glance back at Bren, who is grinning an absolutely demented grin at Theo. In that grin, I see the girl who carried a Brooklyn Smasher, survived street fights and an ambush by a rival gang. I bet that’s the same grin she gave Mad Bob and his pack of assholes when she was kicking the shit out of them.

“Have they made any report against Brenna?” Logan asks. He’s got his own notepad out and is scribbling away.

“Not yet,” Theo says. “Bren, are they going to?”

“Don’t answer that,” Logan and I chorus.

Theo blows out a frustrated breath. “I’m trying to get ahead of this. I really am here as a friend.”

Bren crosses her arms and legs, closing herself off from him. That’s some body language.

“Same way you were my friend when you gave my juvie record to the management committee?” she asks.

Theo rubs a hand over his face. To hide, I think, any spots of color rising on his cheeks. “Whatever I did during your application, I don’t see how it’s relevant now.”

“It’s relevant to whether you’re really here as my friend or as Detective D’Andrea, Detective D’Andrea,” Bren responds.

“I’m here as your friend. As someone you’ve trusted with your body and well-being many, many times.” His eyes flick to mine and I know he’s trying to get a rise out of me, the ass. “If you distrusted me so much, why d’you scene with me for the last six months?”

“I only realized where the committee must have gotten my record when you pulled your badge at Rick’s party in August,” Brenna says. “It seemed a little late to get pissy about it. But I don’t think we are friends outside of a scene, and I don’t think you’re here as a friend now since you haven’t even asked how I am.”

Theo flips his notepad closed. “How are you?”

“Don’t answer that,” Logan growls.

“Are you her fucking attorney?”

Theo rises to his feet, towering over everyone who remains seated.

“I’m thefriendshe came to,” Logan responds, unperturbed. “Whose house she feelssafein. She didn’t call you and neither did I. You’re not part of this equation anymore, Theo.”

“Thought you had a healthy respect for police powers, Logan,” Theo snarls. “You want to ride back with me on an obstruction charge?”

“No more than you want me making a complaint about abuse of power.” Logan taps his pen on his notepad. “Stop throwing your badge at me every time I do something you don’t like. I shared LMM’s investigation regarding recovering the Missing Ink designs with you, but if, and I’m sayingif, this has escalated to physical violence then you being here as Brenna’s friend is counterproductive. Anything she says will be used not in a theft investigation but an assault and battery investigationagainsther. Mac’s right. She’s not answering your questions unless youMirandize her, in which case I’ll be calling Franco to represent her, and she won’t be answering your questions until she’s had a chance to speak to her attorney.”

I restrain myself from giving him a round of applause. Logan’s learned some things since we were in the Navy together, and I’m going to have to play catch up if I want to protect my girl half as well as he just did.

“You’re throwing away my help,” Theo snaps, picking his notebook and phone off the table and stuffing them back in his pockets.

“I didn’t ask for your help. Neither did Bren,” Logan responds, rising and starting toward the door.

Theo casts an angry glare at Bren, and at me, before he follows Logan out.

I wait until I heard the front door open and close before I rub my hand over Bren’s shoulder. “Ruptured his testicle, huh? That’s the last time I’m sparring naked with you.”

Chuckles all around the room diffuse the lingering tension.

Behind us, Logan returns to the room, opens the basement door, and calls down to Emily and Max. Emily patters up the stairs and into the room in a flurry of dark curls and throws herself into her daddy’s arms. He picks her up and carries her over to where Theo was sitting. Sinking down onto the sectional, he arranges his babygirl on his lap and buries his face in her hair.