Page 55 of The Deputy's Secret Double

At that, JJ’s expression had hardened. Her words had been just as hard.

“I don’t plan on telling him who I am.”

“What do you mean? You’re not going to tell your brother that you’re, well, his sister?”

JJ had shaken her head.

“I’m dangerous to him, with or without Lawson out of the picture. Besides him, there’s still people in the organization who hate my dad. If I can’t keep my brother from being targeted, I might have to put myself in their sights instead. And if that happens, I can’t have any link to him. No one can know that Able and Elle Ortiz had two children.”

Price had been struck silent at that.

Now, scrambling eggs in his kitchen while his daughter sighed into her food, he still couldn’t find the words.

Only anger.

Rage.

And it all went to Lawson Cole.

He had already proven to be a problem at the convention center.

Now, in Price’s eyes, he was the only problem.

Price placed the newest batch of eggs into a bowl and started on the last one.

Winnie’s voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him fully back into the present.

“I guess I’m not the only one who was really hungry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you put down two egg bowls before. I’m not sure it’s the best idea. Doesn’t the bacon give you heartburn? You’re going to need some TUMS.”

Price rolled his eyes and waved her off with his free hand.

“While your concern is truly touching, for your informationthisis for JJ.”

“Oh, you’re doing food delivery to her house now? Last night must have been fun.”

Price heard the footsteps echoing from the hallway behind them. He turned as Winnie made a sound between a cough and a sputter.

“Is that JJ? She spent the night?”

Before Price could answer, the woman in question came into view.

She had her hands up in a defensive gesture.

“I did but don’t get any ideas,” she told Winnie. “It was a stressful night, and we came here to talk about it after and, well, apparently that stress sent me straight to sleep. On the couch.”

She pointed in the direction of the living room.

JJ wasn’t entirely lying. Night had turned to early morning as they talked, so JJ had asked if she could stay on the couch until they reached a more acceptable hour to be potentially seen going home by her neighbors. Price, knowing her neighbors, doubted they would be awake but on the off chance they were, he agreed avoiding that gossip would be nice.

That, and the simple fact that Price hadn’t actually wanted JJ to leave.

Sure, she had stuck around to tell him her story but that didn’t mean she would continue to stick with him to see the rest of it through.

He had already thought she would run into the night after they had first gotten to his house and he’d left her in the truck alone.

Would he have tried to stop her if she had?

Would he go after her and tell the department what was going on?