Free To Touch a Thief (An Everly Gray Novella) by L. j. Charles Page A

bike, opting for the truck. No telling who he’d need to haul around. Something was damn wrong with this scenario. He’d never heard of Detective Stephens, but El had worked with Stone, and seeing as how they’d partnered on a couple cases…the thought drifted.
    He dialed El on the voice-activated phone system in the truck. “Hey, Sunshine. We need Adam Stone. Some hotshot detective arrested Jayne for Tarik’s murder.”
    Gravel spewed as he backed down the driveway.  
    “What? That’s impossible. We were all right there, and—”  
    “Talk later, act now. I’m gonna call Adam, get him on board.”
    Everly’s inhalation rasped against his ears. “Adam isn’t here, Mitch. Seattle. Family reunion. It’s the first time in six years they’ve all been together.”
    “Forgot. Damn it all. But he’s never without his cell.”
    “I’ll make the call. You’re driving, probably speeding. Love you,” she said, disconnecting.  
    Warmth seeped through his icy anger. God, how he loved her. And appreciated her gifts. She could shake hands with Stephens and find out what the hell was going on.  
    There was something else nagging at him. Fear? Well, shit, but if he wasn’t afraid for Jayne.  
    Get a grip, Hunt. Jayne doesn’t need a crybaby brother.  
    But, damn if she didn’t need a miracle.  

 
    TWELVE
     
    Everly Gray
     
    I disconnected from the conversation with Mitch and hit speed dial for Adam, grateful that I’d programmed him into my cell the last time I consulted for the Apex P.D. He answered on the first ring. By the time I’d dashed to my car and completed the short ride to the police station, I’d talked him through the situation, and he’d promised to call Chief Hayes. The chief had pull, and he liked me—most of the time.
    Parker’s Mercedes screeched to a halt in the parking space next to me. I took a second to breathe and clear my thoughts. He was gonna need me to function, not fall apart when I got hit with images from inside the police station.
    He jerked my car door open. “Ready, Everly? We need to get Jayne out of there.”
    There was a feral glint in his eyes that set my knees to shaking. Dangerous. No doubt about it. “Let me do this alone, Parker. You need to stay here and meet with the attorney, and I can work under cover in there, touching things. No offense, but you’re looking a little scary.”
    He backed off a step. “I’ll give you until our counsel arrives.”
    I dragged in another breath. Didn’t help. I was beyond worried, and Mitch would shoot me if I screwed up getting his sister out of jail. To say nothing of what Parker would do to me. The man was totally on edge.  
    The familiar scent of burned coffee and week-old clothes assaulted my nostrils when I pushed through the main door of the station. They must have picked up a lot of the homeless the night before.  
    Adam had told me to ask for Detective Reese Bryant. Fortunately, the officer manning the reception desk knew me and took me straight through to her office. She stood, immediately offering her hand. I accepted without a second thought. Now wasn’t the time to be squeamish about trespassing in other people’s stuff.  
    A few images flashed on my internal monitor—Detective Bryant hunched over a computer, fingers flying over the keyboard, tossing a Frisbee for an adorable black lab puppy, having dinner with a tall, blue-eyed, blond guy and…oops. Time to break contact.
    I slipped my hand free. “Adam said he’d explain the situation to you.”
    She motioned for me to take a seat.  
    Metal chair, cool against my backside. I didn’t touch it.
    “Yes, I just got off the phone with him. Let me see if I have everything.” She glanced at her notes. “Jayne Hunt and Parker Steele arranged with an unnamed law enforcement officer for her fake arrest as part of a plan to isolate the party responsible for skimming funds from Steele Management, Inc. She was released on O.R., and they staged a fundraiser