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.”They stared at each other until Dallas finally asked, “So what are you chewing on right now?”“Get her to voluntarily hand over her clothes to be tested for blood spatter.”“In exchange for what?” Dallas asked, suspicious.“I won’t arrest her and I’ll keep looking for suspects.”Dallas crossed his own arms.“Two questions.”“Shoot.”“One: Why me? Why don’t you talk her into giving up her clothes?”Tony grinned.“I’ve haven’t had much practice talking women out of their clothes.Besides, I thought you were helping her.Plus, it’s like you said earlier: you two bonded.” He held up one hand.“She could have puked on me.But she chose you.”Dallas didn’t smile.“Two: What is it you’re not telling me?”Tony’s brown eyes pinched tighter.“What do you mean?”“Don’t shit me.We both know she wouldn’t be walking out of here unless you had a reason to think she didn’t do this.”At least Tony had the decency to look guilty.“She thinks her ex was shot.” He raised an eyebrow.“She could have been playing me.”“But you didn’t think so,” Dallas said.“Right.”Dallas continued to stare at him and somehow he knew there was more.“And…?”Tony sighed.“I got a call from Juan.Ms.Hunt’s an artist, owns a shop off the town square.”“And as Dad would say, what does that have to do with the price of tomatoes?”“Juan’s at her gallery now.The employee working at her place was found stabbed.It happened an hour ago.Nikki couldn’t have done it.”“Told you she was innocent,” Dallas said.“Of this, yes.Of her ex-husband’s murder, we still don’t know.”“Come on,” Dallas said.“Are you saying you think this is a coincidence?”“I have to do my job,” Tony insisted.As much as Dallas hated admitting it, he knew his brother was doing what he had to do.It didn’t change the fact that what he had to do could possibly put an innocent person behind bars.“Is the employee dead?” Dallas asked.“Not yet, but Juan said the medics didn’t seem sure she’d make it.The ambulance is bringing her here.That’s all I know.” Tony’s expression hardened.“When she gets here, you stay out of my way.I accept that you want to help Ms.Hunt, but you need to know that if I find out she has something to do with this, I’m coming after her.If I have to barrel through you to get to her, so be it.”Dallas looked back toward the ER and wondered how close Nikki was to her employee.If he read her right as the type who treated everyone like family, they were probably close.“Are you planning on telling Nikki?”“I thought you might like to do that?”“That’s your job.” Dallas’s gut knotted at the thought of being the bearer of bad news.“Yeah, but remember I’m the mean bastard.”“You don’t have to be,” Dallas said.“She’s a suspect.I can’t go soft on her.She’ll take it better from you.”“You’re just afraid she’ll start crying.”“Guilty.” Tony started walking back toward the ER.They continued in silence for the next few seconds before Tony asked, “Did you know LeAnn worked here now?”“At this hospital?”“I just spoke with her.When I heard her laugh, I swear I died and went to heaven.”Tony smiled—a smile like Dallas hadn’t seen on his brother’s face in a long time.“So it went good?” Dallas asked.“Not really.” Tony’s smile faded.“She was laughing with some asshole doctor.But I think I know what I have to do.”“What’s that?”“Win her back.” He inhaled.“She looked good.I’m getting her back.” His smile returned, even bolder this time.Dallas glanced at Tony and wondered if he had that goofy look on his face when he used to talk about Serena.Serena, the woman who’d walked out on him when he’d been accused of murder.Serena, who’d admitted to sleeping with her boss when they were married.God, was he ever one fucked-up idiot.He never wanted to smile like that again.Never again, he thought.Not that he wished Tony bad luck, but love had made a fool out of Dallas once, and he wasn’t going there again.“And how do you plan to win her back?” he asked his brother.“I’m still working on that, but I know this much.For nine months I’ve played by her rules.Stay away.Give her time.Don’t push.It hasn’t worked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]