Free In the Shadow of the Shield (Secret Lives Series Book 2) by Carolyn LaRoche Page A

the repo team went out and brought them home.”
    “Repo team? Home?” The whistle on the tea kettle sounded, letting her know the water was ready. After pouring out two cups, she passed one to Carter, and then turned quickly back to the sink to empty the pot and put away the tea bags. She had no idea how she would hide her face for much longer.
    “I know, right? Makes it sound all legal, but believe me, it wasn’t. The guys I knew could jack a car and tear it down in less than three hours. One night, the garage was raided and I happened to be hanging around, so I got swept up in the catch. At my trial, the judge offered me two choices. I was old enough to be charged as an adult. He could slap me with ten years hard time, or a thousand hours of community service and probation until my twenty-first birthday. If I kept my nose clean, my record would be expunged. The judge said he thought I was inherently a good kid who had just made poor choices.”
    “I don’t get how that led to you being a cop.”
    “I learned that there were two sides to the law, and I wasn’t very good at being on the wrong side of it, so I figured I would give the other side a go.”
    “Why Virginia Beach?”
    “When I turned twenty-one, I came here in search of my mother. I’d heard she’d gotten in some trouble of her own with the law, had skipped bail, and was headed to the east coast. I thought I could find her and help her.”
    “Did you find her?”
    “Yes.”
    “Was she happy to see you?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Diana finished sipping her tea and placed the cup and saucer in the dishwasher. Carter carried his over to the sink. Without thinking, she turned to take it from him, fully exposing the extent of her injuries. She heard his gasp, and her heart fell a little. She looked hideous, and now Carter thought so too.
    “It’s nothing. Just not so great to look at.”
    He reached up and gently traced along the ridge of her brow. “It’s not nothing. How much does it hurt?”
    “Not so much. My pride aches more. I hate having you see me this way.”
    “Don’t be silly, Diana. You’re still beautiful.”
    “You don’t have to say that.”
    “I know. I am saying it because it is true.”
    “I almost texted you and told you not to come over. Then I thought if I kept the room dark and avoided direct eye contact…”
    Her words were cut off by Carter’s arms wrapping around her and pulling her close. She rested her cheek against the soft wool of his sweater, and inhaled deeply. It felt so good to be in a man’s arms again that she almost forgot she shouldn’t be letting it happen. When her conscience kicked in and she tried to pull away, he held on a little bit tighter.
    “What’s wrong?” he whispered against her hair.
    “I—we—should we be doing this?”
    “Doing what, exactly?”
    “I don’t know—whatever this is? I’m practically old enough to be your mother.” Instead of releasing her, he placed a soft kiss to the place over her eye that was bruised the most. She forgot she was ever in pain, as the light touch of his lips made her knees go weak.
    “Actually, you probably are. My mother was fourteen when she had me.”
    Pushing against his chest with her hands, she peered up at him. “Seriously?”
    He nodded.
    “How old are you, Carter?”
    “Thirty-eight.”
    She didn’t even try to hide her surprise. She had him pegged for no more than twenty nine or thirty. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”
    “Grandmother tells me that my grandfather never looked a day over forty-five when he died. Ryan men age well, I guess.”
    Well now, that wasn’t so bad. That only made her about eight years older than him. Not quite so cougar-ish as she had thought. The girls would still never let her live it down, but hmmm…The way he was making her feel right now, she could get over the girls’ teasing.
    “Grandmother also taught me to never ask a woman how old she is, but since age seems to be a concern of yours when a