Free Trust Me: The Lassiter Group, Book 1 by Sydney Somers

cracked her lips. “I still don’t.”
    “It’s the truth.”
    “And did Blackwater provide you with Cara’s background information in case you needed it? Or did you take the initiative and do some digging on your own?”
    “Ask me something only someone close to Cara would know.” He’d worked side-by-side with her for the last three years and had known her through Caleb for a few more before that. There wasn’t much about his partner that he didn’t know.
    She snorted, still not buying it.
    “I know Cara was at Samuel Blackwater’s party before she met with you the night she died.”
    The knife eased off. A little. “And how do you know that?”
    “I called in some favors.” He nodded, hoping he was getting somewhere with her. Otherwise, one or both of them was going to wind up hurt when he disarmed her.
    “And what was Cara doing at Blackwater’s party?”
    “Working on something classified, but that’s all I know.” Joe was going to have his balls on a platter for not only lying about his fishing plans, but following a lead alone and worse, losing control of the situation. Telling her anything about the Lassiter Group at this point would earn him a one-way ticket to the unemployment office, and he happened to like his job.
    Most days.
    Today wasn’t looking to be one of them, though.
    “Classified,” she repeated, sounding unimpressed. “That wasn’t Cara’s answer.” She reached for the door handle with her free hand.
    “You’re the only one who can help me, Max.”
    “Help you what?”
    “Nail the real killer.” At least that part wasn’t a complete lie. If Max didn’t kill Cara then she was his only connection to finding the bastard who did.
    She tipped her head, her expression betraying nothing. “And what makes you so certain that I didn’t kill her?”
    “You two were tight once.” He knew they’d gone through police academy together and Cara had shared more than a few stories when they had time to kill while on assignment.
    “People turn on each other all the time.”
    “Maybe I just don’t think you’ve got it in you.” Christ, he almost sounded like he believed it.
    Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “You don’t have a clue what I’m capable of.” The deceptively soft tone only managed to emphasize the warning. A warning he’d be stupid to ignore since she’d nearly knocked him out, used him to break her fall and attempted to seduce him.
    Now he knew why Joe had been relieved when he said he was taking a little time off. Clearly only a man bordering on burn-out would let a minor attraction cloud his judgment. Right now that kind of complication would be about as helpful as Max cutting him another airway.
    Lucas frowned. “Are you trying to convince me that you killed her?”
    Pain blinked across her face. “I might as well have.”
    He could say the same. Hell, he had said the same thing, but not nearly as often as he’d thought it. Things had gone wrong on missions in the past, both with the Lassiter Group and when he’d been Special Forces, but what happened with Cara was different.
    He’d let himself get too close to her, to all of the team, making it that much harder to accept his role in her death. He should have had her back that night.
    “Look, I know more about you than you think, Max. You’re a first-rate detective with a knack for following your gut, which usually turns out to be right. You’ve had more arrests than most senior officers in your precinct and your quick thinking and loyalty to the department has not only earned you respect and admiration, but three commendations.”
    Max laughed, the sound cold and sharp. “And here I thought I was going stump you on the pop quiz.”
    “You’re also well known for your…quick wit.” Calling her a smartass when she had a piece of jagged metal jammed against his throat wouldn’t be all that bright.
    “Are you always so…diplomatic?” she mocked.
    “When the occasion calls for it.”
    Her