Page 25 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

She sat back with a frown. “Like an interrogation?”

“No. Just simple questions that need simple answers.”

Her eyebrows pinned together. “I don’t understand. Why?”

“I heard you have some questionable connections.”

Okay, now she was getting annoyed. Mr. Unsocial wantedherto answerhisquestions. She only came to be a sympathetic ear. She didn’t like this turn of events. “Heard from who?”

“Roland North.”

She ran that name through her mental Rolodex. “That name sounds familiar.”

“It should. He’s a lieutenant with the Pittsburgh PD.”

She racked her brain to put a face with the name but couldn’t. She didn’t have many connections with that police department anymore. For a while right after Mark’s death, she heard a lot from them. They checked in with her constantly while she was pregnant and right after Devyn was born. Then slowly people became caught up in their own lives and forgot about hers.

While that was to be expected, it was sad they lost touch. At the time, she was swamped with raising a baby by herself and trying to pick up her life after it came crashing down. Add in the fact she began studying for her real estate license to have a more flexible schedule.

She stared at the man across from her. “What does this have to do with our group?” When he didn’t answer, she asked, “It doesn’t have to do with our group at all, does it?”

“You said you know three very scary people, one being your father.”

Well, at least now she knew he’d been listening. “So?”

“Who’s your father?”

This was a very odd line of questioning. “Why?” She didn’t know this man and she didn’t owe him any answers about her personal life.

“I’m curious.”

She shook her head. “No.Uh uh. It’s more than that. This was why you wanted to meet tonight? Not because you needed to talk?”

“We’re talking,” he stated simply.

“Again, this feels more like an interrogation.” She should go. She was wasting her time with him. He didn’t want help.

“Is it a secret?”

“It’s irrelevant.”

“Not to me.”

“Why?”

He didn’t answer.

She raised her chin and met his eyes. “Because Lt. North planted a seed about the people I call family and because you’re curious as to who those people are, you invited me to meet you so you can dig. Even though my personal life is none of your business since it doesn’t in any way touch yours.”

“It does now that you lead the support group.”

That was a stretch. A long one. “Bullshit.” When she shot to her feet, her chair was shoved back abruptly, causing it to scrape the floor loudly.

His nostrils flared and his mouth got tight. “Sit down.”

“Oh no, Bradley Lennox, you don’t get to give me orders. No one does.” She snagged her cup off the table since the hell if she was going to leave her chai latte behind. No man got between her and her chai.

When she turned to hightail it out of there, his, “I checked out your website,” made her stop.

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