Read Online Devoted to the Bear by T. S. Joyce - Free Book Online Page A

with murdering?” she gritted out. Her teeth were clenched so tight, her jaw hurt.
    “Dane Mendel, Ellis Dade, and Ron O’Hara.”
    She huffed a humorless laugh and sank into one of the metal chairs. “Let me guess. You got a call from a Lieutenant Murphy.”
    “How did you know?” Blaine’s dark eyes sparked and he sat across from her, lowered his voice to a whisper. “Hannah, you better tell me what went down up in New York. I’m trying to put out fires here without any fucking water. Tell me how to get him out of this.”
    “Does Murphy have proof?”
    “He says he does. He’s headed here now to interrogate Riker tomorrow, then transfer him to New York for trial.”
    “What proof?”
    “He wouldn’t say.”
    “You arrested him with no proof?”
    “Don’t whisper yell at me, Hannah! It’s not just me in this department. If I push too hard, they’ll connect me to Bear Valley and I won’t have any say in anything. I couldn’t get around arresting Riker. Not if Murphy is bringing proof he murdered three men from New York.”
    “We were careful. He wiped everything clean and was only in there for a few minutes. They had me…shit, Blaine, you’re really going to make me revisit this.” She bit the tremble in her bottom lip to punish its treachery. Tears filled her eyes and she dashed them away. “Dane and his men had me chained to a wall in a torture room they’d set up just for me. They had all the instruments they’d use on me all lined up for me to see what was coming. They were going to kill me, Blaine. Slowly.”
    “And Riker stopped them?”
    She nodded, afraid if she spoke it would come out a sob. He scrubbed his hands over his face and shook his head. “What does Murphy have to do with this?”
    “He works for Stone , the man I testified against. I told you Jeremy was going after a rat in the force. Someone kept tipping Stone off to our safe houses. Got my handler Jimmy killed and his men were the ones who tortured Jeremy. I thought he’d forget about me if all of the other players were taken out of the game, but Murphy is still at it. I found out about him when we went to go pick up my belongings from an old friend. The cop, Murphy, was still visiting him to see if I’d come by. A year later and he’s still checking.”
    “There’s not much I hate more in this world than a dirty fuckin’ cop.” Blaine’s lip twitched like he wanted to spit. “ That’s not the way most of us are. Most of us are trying to keep peace, but men like Murphy make our jobs that much harder.”
    “I know you’re one of the good ones. What are our options?”
    “I can only hold him for twenty-four hours without proof officially charging him. I’d let him go now if it weren’t for the rest of my force. The earliest I can do is in the morning. He’s got to spend the night here, Hannah, I’m sorry.”
    Her heart felt heavy and weak. “And when Murphy shows up tomorrow?”
    “We’ll pick apart his evidence and decide whether or not it’s enough to bring Riker in again. If it’s hair or DNA of any kind or anything that will hold up in trial, my hands are tied. But if Murphy’s grasping at straws, which it sounds like he is, he has no jurisdiction here. He’ll have to go back to New York empty handed. It all depends on what kind of proof he comes up with tomorrow.”
    “When can I pick Riker up?”
    “I’m staying up here tonight to watch him. I’ll let him out at six in the morning before my deputies arrive. Until then, you need to get back to Bear Valley.”
    “Can I talk to him before I go?”
    “I’ll give you five minutes if you swear to explain everything to Jenny. I won’t see her and I know she’s pissed that I arrested her brother. And I can’t risk calling her right now.”
    “Deal.” Jenny was going to maim him when he got home tomorrow, but Hannah would put in a good word if it meant she got a few minutes with Riker. Plus, she could see Blaine didn’t have much control over