Page 11 of Taming Her

“She’s my girlfriend, Officer, and my father owns this place.” Creep pushed away from the wall, smoothing his shirt with two fast flicks of his hands.

“I don’t care if your father owns the bloody Royal Mint.” Griff blocked his way, chest puffed up, hairs on the back of his neck itching. “And somehow I don’t believe she’s your girlfriend.”

“I’m not.” Ava was standing at Griff’s side, her perfume once again infiltrating his nose. “Thanks for the tickets, B, perhaps I’ll see you around, perhaps not.”

Griff sensed her walking away—a sudden coolness in the air, a void that couldn’t be filled.

“Damn it, man.” Bradley scowled. “I was in there.”

Griff closed his eyes. The urge to mess up Bradley’s pretty face was strong.

“You okay, Officer?”

Dave. Dave, the bouncer, was at his side.

“Yeah.” Griff stepped away from the wall, away from Bradley. “All good, but do this guy a favor and keep an eye on him, he’s going to get slapped with an assault charge if he’s not careful.”

“No, I won’t, I…”

Griff didn’t hang around to listen to Bradley’s whining. Instead he marched across the club and straight outside.

He looked left and right wondering which way Ava had gone, then spotted her tottering over the padlock bridge on her ridiculously high heels.

He clicked on his phone, gave an update of his location to control as he did at regular intervals, then followed her.

“Hey,” he called, when she took a deserted street heading west. “You shouldn’t be wandering around here alone at night.”

She stopped and turned. “Oh, it’s you, the copper from the club.”

For a moment Griff wondered about revealing his identity. “It’s not sensible to be here alone, shall I call you a cab?”

“Nah, I’ll walk from here.”

“It’s a long way.” Damn it, why had he said that?

She paused then. “What’s a long way?”

“Home, I’m guessing you live on one of the estates.”

“I do, yes.”

She walked beneath a street lamp. The light caught in the threads of her dress giving it a metallic sheen, and shone on her blonde hair, giving her a halo.

Except she’s no angel.

He paused for a moment, then sighed and followed her. She was heading in the direction of his parked patrol car, maybe he’d persuade her to accept a ride home. At least that way he’d know she was safe.

She began to sing but her voice was a little choked as though she was upset. “Red red wine, you make me feel so fine…” She gave a tight little sigh. “You make me feel so sad.”

The sound of her voice, weary and melancholy, had Griff’s heart twisting. Had she come back into his life for a reason? That was how fate worked, right?

But did he believe in fate? He wasn’t sure.

Griff’s footfalls were silent. He went slow, not letting her know he was there.

Eventually she arrived at the main road. Still singing and her purse swaying at her side, she didn’t appear to notice.

His stomach lurched when she took a direct course for the carriageway.

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