Free Maggie Lee (Book 7): The Hitwoman and the 7 Cops by JB Lynn

fresh dent that had been left by Wally’s kick. “I’ll make sure the witches back off.”
    “Witches?” Victor asked.
    “Bitches,” Marlene corrected bitterly as she climbed into the car.
    “Our aunts.” I closed her door firmly. “Thank you for your help, Sergeant Victor.”
    “My friends call me Doc.” There was a strain in his voice I couldn’t identify.
    I smoothed my palm over the dent in the door. “Yeah?” I couldn’t imagine ever being friends with another cop, so I really didn’t care what he was called.
    “Yeah. There’s kind of a funny story about that.”
    I turned to shake his hand and realized he was still shirtless. “Oh.” I looked from his bare chest to Marlene. “She has your shirt.”
    “Let her keep it,” he urged. “I’ll follow you to make sure you get home safely.” Turning around, he headed for the yellow Mustang.
    I got into the driver’s seat of my car. Marlene’s eyes were closed. She was pretending to sleep, just like she’d done whenever she encountered a problem as a little kid. Understanding her reticence, I played along and silently drove back to the B&B, keeping a close eye on the yellow Mustang following closely behind.
    It was mercifully quiet when we pulled into the driveway.
    “You’ve got his shirt,” I reminded Marlene as she stirred, pretending to awaken.
    She pulled it from her shoulders and tossed it into my lap. “Tell him thanks .”
    “Why don’t you…?” I began, but she jumped out of the car and ran inside before I could finish.
    Scooping up the shirt, I slowly got out of the car and walked toward the Mustang idling at the edge of the driveway. Sergeant Victor climbed out as I approached.
    “She said to say thank you.”
    He nodded, holding out a ridiculously muscled arm to take the shirt.
    I handed it to him. “Thank you, Sergeant. I know it’s all part of your job, but if you hadn’t stopped…”
    “Actually it isn’t, but I was glad to help.” Amusement glinted in his gaze. “And it’s Doc. I told you that my friends call me Doc.”
    I dipped my chin. “Thanks, Doc.”
    He shrugged into his shirt, the fabric stretching. “Do you think it would be okay if I stopped back to check on your sister?”
    “Um. I guess so.” Far be it from me to tell a cop what he could or could not do.
    “Cool.”
    I blinked, startled. “Cool?”
    “I’ll see you soon.”
    Uncertain whether that was meant as a threat or a promise, I dumbly nodded my agreement.
    The Mustang roared off in a cloud of smoke. I watched it disappear from view before turning to head back toward the B&B.
    “Good-looking guy.”
    “Aaah!” I gasped, stumbling backward.
    “Sorry, Maggie.” Coming around the corner, Zeke flashed his easy grin at me. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your daydreams about Mr. Chippendale.”
    “Zeke. What the hell are you doing here?” Remembering for the first time that he’d shown up when I was waiting for the ambulance, I added, “Where the hell did you go?”
    “Miss me?”
    “No. Forgot you were even here.”
    Throwing back his head, he laughed. “That’s why I like you. You’re always so brutally honest.”
    I smiled weakly. He had no idea the lies I’d told and secrets I was keeping. “What are you doing here, Zeke?”
    Grin fading, he jerked his chin in the direction of the street. “Walk with me, Maggie.”
    I looked longingly at the house. All I really wanted to do was go inside and curl up with my animals.
    “It’s important.”
    Nodding, I turned back around toward the street. The last time Zeke had needed something from me, I’d ended up babysitting a wacky ghost whisperer, breaking up a sex slavery ring, defusing a bomb, and finding out that my sister Darlene, Marlene’s twin, might not have been murdered as we’d long believed. Considering everything else that was going on, I wasn’t sure I was up to whatever he needed from me now.
    Casually draping his arm around my shoulder as we walked, he asked,