A Little Harmless Submission(59)

He tried to keep his temper in check. Knowing there was a chance their killer had ties to the FBI or the police, he had to act normally. Nothing out of the ordinary or it would gain attention. He leaned back in his chair and studied his old partner. They had never really been good friends. Jack wasn’t a bad cop, just a lazy one. He didn’t go the extra mile to do his job, something that Rome did.

He shrugged, realizing that Jack was waiting for an answer. “Nope, still having fun with her.”

“Just let me know when you’re done with her. She looked like a hot piece of ass. Where is she from?’

He wanted to punch the son of a bitch in the face, but he knew that it would draw attention to them.

“Florida. Or Georgia, not really sure. With a woman like that, you don’t ask too many questions.”

Jack chuckled, and it grated down Rome’s spine.

“I bet you don’t. But then you like them all submissive, ready to do what you want.”

Rome had to bite back the snarl, along with a swift right hook. Jack had always been an asshole, but his latest divorce seemed to have taken it to a whole new level.

“I heard there was another girl found last night. You might want to start thinking with your big head so that you can possibly solve the case. Having a repeat of what happened in Seattle might not be good for your career.”

He offered Jack a nasty smile. From the time they were stuck together, Rome hadn’t liked the bastard. He had no respect for anything, the badge especially, and Rome had been thrilled when his latest wife had decided to divorce him. Knowing the ass was leaving soon, Rome shrugged.

“Don’t worry about me, Jack. Especially when you got enough on your mind as it is. I mean, how much is Tina gonna take you for?”

A flush of red darkened Jack’s face, and his fingers curled into his hands. Rome knew he had punched a few buttons, mainly Tina. She was already involved with another man, happy as a clam.

But when Jack noticed the room had gone silent, he visibly pulled himself back from the rage Rome had seen in his eyes.

Rome said nothing else as he brushed past him on his way to Maria. He hadn’t had much of a conversation with her earlier. Just the limited information he could tell her over the phone. He got into his car and started off to his house, thinking about Jack’s comments. His old partner was an asshole that was sure, but there was a bit of the truth in what he said. Since Maria had appeared on the island, Rome had seemed to lose his focus. They were working on the case, but was he working on it enough?

He knew the answer to that, and it was a big fat no. Damned woman had him so tangled up, he didn’t know how to react, and he was screwing up possibly the most important case of his career. He did have that one mark against him from Seattle. He didn’t know how Jack knew about it, very few did, and he didn’t truly get in trouble. Not even a reprimand. But he knew it was his fault for being so infatuated with Renee. The woman had screwed his brain while she’d been on the take. The only reason she had been with him was because of that. And working with the FBI to take her down should have satisfied him, but it hadn’t.

He pushed those old memories away and concentrated on the present. He had to get his head back in the game before any other women got hurt.





Chapter Fifteen



Maria glanced around the club and tried to hold back the irritated sigh that seemed to be hovering in her constantly. It had been two days since they’d found Amy, and Rome was even more distant than ever. It wasn’t anything anyone else could see, but it was something she could feel. He rubbed his fingers down her arm and leaned closer.

“You’re supposed to be having fun,” he said.

His warm breath feathered over her ear, and she had to fight the shiver. She would not show him anything. Two could play at his game.

She turned to him then and her heart hurt. He was so gorgeous with those dark eyes and sculpted cheekbones…but he was being an ass. Just like all men were. It had just taken her longer to find out how big of an asshole he could be.

“Am I?”

For a second he didn’t say anything. “Are you what?”

“Supposed to be having fun?”

He pulled back just an inch or two, but it might as well have been a mile. Then he glanced around. “We’re supposed to at least be pretending to have fun, you know, catch the killer.”

She wasn’t going to win the battle. Not here, not at his place, not ever. For some reason, he had decided to be distant, to barely touch her except when they were in public. Maria didn’t understand, but she rarely did. Men didn’t explain, though. They just made you fall in love with them and then dumped you.