Page 59 of Phoenix

“I ran into Grayson and Amelia in the hallway. Grayson told me what happened with that man.”

“He was an asshole who got what he deserved.”

“You’re a good man. Most people would have just walked away.”

“It’s my job to protect people,” I say, rising from the bed to grab a bottle of water from the mini fridge.

“You weren’t on duty. You had no obligation to anyone there, yet you stepped in.”

“Cops are never really off duty, Phoenix. You can’t shut that part of your brain off.”

I see something pass over her face. It’s fast, nearly unnoticeable, but I see everything about her.

“Exactly,” she whispers so quietly, it’s like she’s saying it to herself.

“Nora, we should talk about last night.” I step forward, reaching out to touch her face, but she steps back.

“We should, but I need to shower first and get this chlorine out of my hair. Just give me a few minutes, okay?” she says, scooting around me and moving to the bathroom door, locking herself behind it.

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