Page 6 of Ozzie

My fists tighten at his accusation, but he didn’t see what I did. “No, Piper did. She seems small, but when he lunged at her, she spun and kicked him in the head. It knocked him out.”

His eyes widen. “She did that after being shot in the leg? Wow, I never knew she was a badass.”

I laugh. She’s said to me on more than one occasion that she’s tougher than she looks. Now I know what she means. “She really is.”

He grows serious. “What’s going on with you two? Have you talked to Durango about it?”

The guys in the office are all aware of Piper’s crush on me because she doesn’t hide it well. And a few of the guys have picked up on how I feel about her as well. They are worried I’m going to fuck up our work dynamic. We’re all like brothers. And Durango has made it clear no one messes with his cousin.

“We were going to talk about taking the next steps this weekend and talk to Durango when he gets back.”

Axel crosses his arms. “Next steps?”

“A date. That’s it.”

He nods. “Have you really thought this through?”

I lean against the wall. “It’s all I think about.”

“She’s so young. Are you really okay with possibly ruining your friendship with Durango when you are likely just a fling for her?”

He means well, but it still pisses me off.

He holds up his hands. “I’m not trying to be an asshole.”

“Are you sure? Because you’re doing a great job.”

He sighs. “You two are so different. Does she know about your history?”

I flop into a chair. My history. The one Durango is so worried about. “No, we haven’t asked about each other’s past. That’s why I didn’t know about this asshole.”

Axel sits in another chair. “You should talk to each other before you talk to Durango. What if Piper doesn’t handle it well?”

Jesus, I slept around a bit in my twenties, yes, but I wasn’t out every night. “I didn’t go that crazy.”

Axel arches a brow. “I’ve heard Durango’s stories.”

“Yeah, well, he might be exaggerating a bit.” He isn’t, but I really don’t want to think about all of this right now.

“All right, but I think you should discuss it. She’s young and might want to do some of her own sexual exploring before getting tied down, especially when she learns you already have.”

The idea of her sexually exploring anyone has meseeing red. But so does this conversation. I chalk it up to Axel not having been in a relationship. If he had been, he’d realize what he’s saying to me is asinine.

He must sense my anger because he stands and steps away from me. “Let’s see if Piper’s awake.”

“Sounds good.”

We step out of the room as the two officers come out from the back.

“Ms. Moreau’s statement matches yours,” Adams says.

“Are you going to arrest John Williams?”

Adams nods. “Likely.” They walk to the door.

“Wait,” I say.

They both turn.

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