Free I'll Never Let You Go (Morgans of Nashville) by Mary Burton

door. “I didn’t think you’d come today.”
    “I said I would check on Tracker daily.”
    “I guess I thought you’d take Sunday off.”
    “No. Dr. Nelson said he had surgery today and a visit would be fine.”
    She stepped aside and allowed him to enter. Once he was in the lobby, she locked the dead bolt behind him, resisting the urge to click it open and then close it again. “It’s not a problem. Tracker’s sleeping in the back.”
    A quick nod, and he followed her down the hallway to the holding room. When he entered, Tracker raised his head and his tail thumped. Alex moved toward the cage and opened it. The dog pushed himself up to standing and leaned into Alex’s hand while he rubbed him behind the ears and told him he’d be going home soon.
    “So did you get your emergency squared away last night?”
    She leaned on the doorjamb, her arms folded. Here she was relaxed, in her element. “Turns out it was a false alarm. I got here and the place was dark and locked up tight.”
    A frown creased his brow as she glanced up. “That happen often?”
    “Never. Odd. I’ve got a call in to my assistant to find out if she sent the text. No answer yet.”
    Alex dug a chew stick from his coat pocket and handed it to Tracker. The dog immediately took it and retreated to the corner of his crate, where he greedily started chewing. Alex quietly closed the door and locked it.
    He faced her, looking in command of the space even as he seemed so out of place there. “Want to try a second date?”
    She pushed away from the door, a quick and sharp tension banding her muscles. “Are you sure about that?”
    “Yes.”
    No maybe. No gray. Black and white. “Okay.”
    “Later this week.”
    “I’m off evenings later in the week.”
    His head tipped slightly to the right. “You said you were out of practice dating. I’m trying to figure out why.”
    “Busy with school, I suppose.”
    He shook his head. “That’s not it.”
    “Really?”
    “You’ve pulled yourself off the market. Why?”
    Smile. Fold arms. Relax. “I don’t think I know you that well.”
    He shrugged. “We’ll fix that on our next date.”
    “I’m a hard case, Alex. More work than you probably can devote. You sure you want to bother?”
    He crossed the room and stood within inches of her. He didn’t touch her, but the heat and energy of his body zapped around her like an electrical current. “I’m sure. I’ll call you soon, Leah.”
    He moved past her in a rush of determined energy. The front door opened and she followed. He strode across the parking lot toward a black SUV as she reached for the lock and clicked it closed. Nervous energy buzzed, and she waited for him to drive off before she clicked the lock open. Closed. Open and finally, well and truly, closed.
     
     
    Detective Deidre Jones arrived at the Nashville Police Department offices just after four. She hadn’t wanted to come in today, but she had to take care of business.
    As she walked up to the glass-front door and caught her reflection, she paused and studied her features. Some might consider what she’d done wrong, but if they understood that survival and love had prompted her actions, they’d understand. She’d had two choices, both bad, and she’d sacked up and made a decision. Good, bad, or indifferent, she was in this game until the end. Walk a mile in her shoes and then you could judge.
    She made her way to the evidence room and smiled at the officer on duty. She pulled her badge from her jacket and flipped it open. “Detective Deidre Jones.”
    The young officer had a fresh-faced look that Deidre knew she’d once had. When she’d first become a cop, it had all been about catching bad guys. She’d wanted to rid the world of evil, like she was fucking Wonder Woman. The world was black and white. Good versus evil. But in a flash, the black and white had blurred. She still caught bad guys. Still considered herself one of the good ones. But she understood now that