Even though his stress increased tenfold, Warrick forced an easygoing grin and slid an arm around Sienna’s waist. “Good afternoon, Officer.”
The police officer’s brows shot up, his mouth flapping. His gaze didn’t move from Warrick’s face, in an obvious effort to avoid looking at Warrick naked. Thank God Sienna had put her clothes back on.
“You got something against clothing, son?”
He’d shifted and run to the river to swim. Usually nudity wasn’t a problem around the community—and dammit, it wouldn’t have been if a cop hadn’t showed up. Why the hell was he here?
“Not at all, Officer. My girlfriend and I are just coming back from a swim.”
The officer’s gaze shifted to Sienna and his eyes narrowed. “Right. Does your girlfriend happen to have some ID on her?”
Sienna stiffened and leaned into his embrace. He could sense her fear and Warrick knew it was warranted. The officer already suspected who she was. Warrick’s blood chilled a degree as he gave a casual shrug and gestured up the trail.
“Should be inside the house, right, sweet pea?”
She hesitated much too long before nodding. “It should. Yeah. I mean somewhere.”
“Is there a problem, Officer?” Warrick kept his tone curious instead of accusatory.
“Well, the sheriff’s department got a tip that a suspect in an arson over in Portland was spotted in the area. I was nearby and thought I’d check it out.”
Alarm shot through Warrick and his jaw clenched. Who the hell could’ve spotted Sienna? They hadn’t left the isolated property except to go down by the river or walk in the forest. Still, the P.I.A. owned this land and the land next to it. Nobody should’ve spotted them. Which meant—
“An arson?” Sienna’s voice was too high pitched. “And you…you want to see my ID?”
The officer unfolded the piece of paper in his hand, glanced at it, then at her. “Well, you do look a bit like this lady.” His lips pursed and he grunted. “But if I could see that ID, we can straighten this out.”
This wasn’t going to end well, Warrick realized grimly. He made sure not to slide his gaze to the man who moved stealthily in the shadows behind the officer, and instead turned and headed for the house. Sienna followed him, gripping his arm tightly.
A soft groan sounded, then the thump of a body hitting the ground.
Sienna glanced over her shoulder and gasped.
“Warrick—”
He tightened his arm around her and stopped walking. “Go into the house, Sienna. Don’t talk to anyone or say anything. Just go to the room and don’t come out until I say to.”
“But—”
“Just do it!” he grated harshly.
She paled even more and gave a jerky nod before turning and fleeing up the rest of the trail and toward the house.
Once he was sure she was safe, he turned to face Quinton. His gaze slid over the crumpled body of the officer on the ground and he shook his head. There was no blood, and the man’s chest still moved in an indication that he was alive. So whatever Quinton had done to the man to knock him out hadn’t killed him.
“What happens next?” Warrick retraced his steps and crouched down by the officer, checking for a pulse anyway.
Quinton gave him a look of disgust. “What the hell do you think happens? We wipe him and send him on his merry way. The schmuck won’t remember a thing.”
That’s pretty much what he’d figured would happen. Still, what a goddamned mess.
“Grab his legs and help me carry him inside,” Quinton ordered.
Biting back a terse reply, Warrick moved to obey. Quinton obviously had a burr up his ass and it didn’t take a wild guess to know what it was about.
“You would’ve realized the cop was here if you hadn’t been busy getting your rocks off.” Quinton adjusted his grip under the officer’s arms as they moved him toward the house. “Don’t know why you couldn’t just go into town and pick up some easy chick at a bar.”
Ignoring Quinton’s gibe about sleeping with Sienna, Warrick replied, “The officer was nowhere near me. I would have sensed him.”
“You didn’t sense him until he was a foot from your damn face.”
Quinton was right. And the realization stirred up the frustration and anger brewing in Warrick’s gut. Anger at himself though. He’d completely screwed up again. Shot himself in the foot because of Sienna.
“You shouldn’t have touched her.”
The almost volatile fury coming from Quinton slammed into Warrick in waves. It was so potent it made his chest tighten.
Warrick got the impression that the man’s emotional state had less to do with the surprise arrival of an officer. But why? Why the hell was Quinton so concerned with what happened between him and Sienna?