Men Out of Uniform: Three Novellas of Erotic Surrender by Maya Banks, Sylvia Day, Karin Tabke

here.”
    “She was in bed with both of us, okay?” Rick bit out. “It isn’t important who she was having sex with. What’s important is that she has an alibi.”
    Bull crossed his arms over his chest. “What time did you leave the bar with her last night?”
    “Are we being questioned?” Truitt challenged.
    The chief held up his hands. “Outside, all of you.”
    The four men walked outside the bar and over to the chief ’s car. The chief leaned against his car and stared at Rick and Truitt and then at Bull.
    “Let’s get this over with as quickly as possible. Answer Bull’s question. If she was with you then this will be resolved shortly but if you two are involved, we need to make this clean and by the book.”
    “We left around eleven,” Rick said.
    “And is that her usual time to get off ?” Bull asked.
    Truitt shook his head. “No, she usually closes. She hurt her knee though and said she could leave.”
    “Well here’s what I know,” Bull said quietly. “She was fired from her job last night. I have two witnesses plus an entry in Merriam’s business journal stating that Jessie was suspected of stealing money and Merriam let her go. That was at approximately 10:45. Witnesses also heard Jessie threaten her. Now you say she left with you at eleven. Did she say anything about losing her job?”
    A sick ball formed in Rick’s stomach. He glanced at Truitt who looked a little shell-shocked himself.
    “No,” Truitt muttered. “She said she had to be in tonight because they were going to be shorthanded. She told us that just a little while ago.”
    “Okay now. How sure are you of her whereabouts at five this morning?” Bull continued.
    Rick swallowed. “I didn’t wake up until close to seven. She was in the kitchen cooking.”
    Truitt nodded. “Yeah, I was up just a few minutes earlier. We were asleep by three.”
    “What exactly is your relationship with Miss Callahan?” the chief interjected. “How long have you known her?”
    Rick didn’t like the direction this was heading and that ball was getting bigger in his gut.
    “A few weeks. We’d come in, have a few drinks. Flirt. Proposition her.”
    “And did she ever take you up on your offer?” Bull asked.
    Truitt shook his head. “Not until last night.”
    “Did she know you were cops?” the chief interjected.
    Rick nodded. “Yeah. She knew. It wasn’t a secret.”
    Bull and the chief fell silent a long moment. Truitt looked a little green. Then he muttered, “No way. I don’t care how it looks. She didn’t do this. She’s so damn ... sweet.”
    Rick dragged a hand through his hair and looked away. He was feeling like a fool and he didn’t like that feeling at all. Had they been taken in by a pair of big brown eyes?
    “Did it occur to you that she seized an opportunity to give herself an alibi?” the chief asked quietly. “She gets fired, gets pissed at her boss, sees a way to get revenge, and have an airtight alibi? I mean who’s going to doubt the word of two detectives when they say she was home all night with them in their bed?”
    Truitt rubbed his hand over his belly, a tight grimace working its way across his face. He was steadily shaking his head in denial.
    As much as it grieved Rick to say it, he knew it had to be done.
    “How much do we really know about her, Tru?” Then he turned to Bull. “How credible are your witnesses?”
    “Two employees reported overhearing the argument between Miss Callahan and Miss Powell last night. This morning her car was spotted parked outside the bar by an off-duty security guard and a jogger who runs a path by the bar every morning.”
    “Shit,” Rick swore.
    Truitt was absolutely and completely silent. His brows had drawn together in a dark cloud and his jaw was tight.
    “Okay, well you two are off the case. Bull will take lead. I want you to stay away from Jessie Callahan in the meantime. You two will have to be formally questioned at the station if she claims you as her