Dead Wrong by Susan Sleeman Page B

returned to her eyes, and he could see she was getting her spunk back.
    He couldn’t help but grin at her tenacious spirit, but she didn’t return his smile. Instead, her gaze turned challenging—almost defiant. Much the way she’d looked at him when he’d said he didn’t date coworkers. But then she’d let him have it and now she clamped down on her lips.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked.
    “Nothing.” She seemed sincere, but he knew her well enough to know she had something on her mind, and she didn’t plan to share it with him. At least not yet. He couldn’t drag it out of her. She’d tell him when she was ready.
    “Are you still up for the salvage yard before we meet Tommy for an update?” he asked, moving on.
    “Of course.”
    “The guy inside said the place is a few miles down the road.” He backed the car out and eased onto the main thoroughfare where traffic was light. He felt her eyes remain on him, but resisted the urge to look at her.
    She fidgeted and shifted in the seat several times before finally turning to him. “You saved my neck back there, Mitch. Thank you.” She might’ve said thank you, but she sounded disgruntled over having to say it.
    He glanced at her. “Not that I need gratitude, but that wasn’t exactly a hearty thank-you.”
    “But I meant it.”
    “So why the tone?”
    “If you were with Tommy and this happened would you have jumped on top of him?”
    Her description brought an odd picture to his mind, and he chuckled. “Pretty sure Tommy would deck me if I tried.”
    “Exactly.”
    “So you’re saying thank you, but you really mean back off.”
    “No... I mean...” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I appreciate the thought that you would want to protect me, but after years of having to prove myself as a cop just because I’m a woman, it just sits wrong with me. Now it’s the same with my brothers. They think anything dangerous has to be done by a man.” She looked down at her hands. “It’s like none of you really trust women to have your back.”
    “It was just an instinct, Kat. I didn’t think about it. I just acted.” He gave her a long look. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t trust you or your abilities. Tommy tells me you were a great cop. If you were still on the force, I’d partner with you without a second thought.”
    She didn’t say anything. He looked at her and smiled again. “Are we okay?”
    “Yes.”
    “Speaking of your brothers...” He paused when her shoulders went up. She was going to shut him down. Still he had to try. “Perhaps it’s time we bring them in on this.”
    “Not an option.” That protective look from earlier when they’d talked about the fear of loved ones getting hurt claimed her face.
    “This isn’t about you not wanting them to think you screwed up anymore, is it? You don’t want to put them in harm’s way.”
    “No, I don’t, and I hope you’ll respect my decision to keep it that way.”
    He wasn’t sure how to answer. He didn’t need to bring them in on the case right now, but if things escalated, he wanted to keep that option open.
    “Mitch,” she said. “Promise me you won’t talk to them without asking me first.”
    “I’ll leave them out it for now,” he answered, and hoped the danger wouldn’t reach the point where he’d feel compelled to go against her wishes.
    She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it and looked out the window. He turned into the salvage yard and pulled up to a ramshackle office building. He reached for his slicker, but the rain hitting the windshield had all but stopped so he left it behind, as did Kat.
    “Help you?” An older man with a lip full of chewing tobacco came outside and eyed them suspiciously.
    Mitch flashed his badge and the suspicion turned antagonistic.
    Kat stepped forward. “Hi. I’m Kat Justice. You must be Mr. Wissler.” Her tone was smooth and sultry.
    “I am.” He let his eyes roam from her head to toe.
    Mitch hated how the