Page 35

They rounded a corner, and Ford stopped short, almost causing Andrew to plow into him. He was about to ask what had tripped Ford up, when he realized someone was blocking their path.

But not just anyone.

Olivia.

Bile filled Andrew’s throat like he might be sick all over the sidewalk. She looked good—she always did—her hair a little longer than he’d last seen it and maybe a shade or two lighter like she’d dyed it golden brown, her skin perfectly tan and makeup flawless, though her sly smile was infuriating when once he’d found it captivating.

They’d dated for two years, already six months at the point when Andrew arrested Ford. If things had gone differently, he would have proposed at Christmas instead of sleeping with the enemy. He’d already been looking at rings, though he was glad he never bought one, since he would have thrown it into the river.

She looked so casual too, leaning against the wall of a building, typing swiftly on her phone. She was there for the same reason they were, with her reporter’s visage making her dark eyes sparkle with intent, as she typed—and then looked up, sensing the pair of gawkers who’d stopped so close to her.

“Andrew,” she said with a start. Then smiled. “And Isaac Ford. Interesting. I happened to be in the neighborhood when I got the same alert I’m guessing you two did. Police haven’t arrived yet. No sign of the perp, if you’re curious. Weird seeing you two together.” She pushed from the building, but her fingers neverleft her phone, moving slower but still typing—or maybe slipping to the voice recorder. “Bury the hatchet?”

“I'm not telling you anything,” he growled, fists clenching as he surged around Ford. “Everagain.”

“Andrew—”

“Miss Park.” Ford sidestepped in front of him again, cool and fluid as ever. “A true pleasure running into you, but some of us havehonestwork to return to.”

The grip of Ford’s hand on Andrew’s wrist, yanking him forward to move past Olivia and her sneer in response to the jab, made Andrew gasp and his heart pump hotter.

He’d thrown his own harsh and angry words at Olivia since the blowup, but he’d never gotten her to lose her smile. And sure, Ford hadn’t done that forhim—they were in a hurry—but it still turned the anger and adrenaline Andrew was feeling into something… else.

“Come on,” Ford said, dragging him around another corner, beyond the building that had been the target with the faint sounds of alarms blaring inside. “Riley has something.” He took off faster and finally let Andrew go only after they were completely out of Olivia’s sight.

Andrew’s wrist burned where his grip had been.

They were getting close to Ford’s offices, only another block down.

There! Someone running!

The culprit must have heard them, because he glanced over his shoulder and kicked into a faster run, turning down the alley right behind Ford’s building.

On purpose? Was this a trap?

“Wait—” Andrew tried.

But Ford darted into the alley, pulling out a—

“Stop!” Andrew cried in alarm, but when he crested the corner, what he saw was an arc of lightning between Ford and the runner, who dropped to the ground.

A taser.

“What?” Ford’s expression was haughty and flush when he looked at him. “Thought it was a gun? Please,” he said with a wink.

Andrew was positively on fire for so many reasons, but his focus had to be on the thief, who rolled over during his convulsions, hand clutched tight around something he’d been carrying—awallet.

Just a pickpocket.

“I surrender!” the man cried.

Ford retracted the taser and pried the wallet from his hand, gesturing for him to go. At this point, Andrew agreed about not calling it in. They had the wallet, all the good it did them for what really mattered.

Jittery as the man was, he didn’t waste any time before scrambling to his feet and sprinting out of the alley.

Andrew was too wound up, too pumped with energy—fury at Olivia and far too many conflicting emotions toward Ford. He couldn’t slump back to Avalon emptyhanded. If catching the thief wasn’t in the cards for today, then he needed an outlet.

And the alley behind Ford’s offices was a secluded dead-end.