Read Online Internal Affairs by Jessica Andersen - Free Book Online Page B

Lemon?”
    The question was a poignant reminder of how much he’d lost. The old Romo had kept a running file of her likes and dislikes in his head, which she’d taken as evidence that he’d paid attention, that he’d cared. And maybe he’d done both of those things. But he’d also played her.
    She shook her head. “This is fine. I take it that means you didn’t wake up with all your memories back?”
    “I wish.” He took the other bar stool, spinning it to face her and covering the wince when the move jarred his injured shoulder.
    “You shouldn’t be out of bed,” she said automatically, though he looked far stronger than she would’ve expected, given what he’d been through the previous day, and far better than he ought to, wearing her sweats and tee.
    “I shouldn’t be here,” he countered, seeming to search her eyes for a response she wasn’t sure she could give.
    “If we assume you were working against the terrorists—and, having known you as well as I did, I’m sticking with that assumption until given reason to doubt it—then I’m probably safer if you stay,” she said bluntly. “They’ll be looking for you, and eventually they’ll look here, based on our past relationship if nothing else. I’d rather not be alone when that happens.”
    His face darkened. “You should go into protective custody.”
    “And tell them what?” she countered. “I can lean on Tucker for some extra drive-bys without too much of an explanation, but I’d need more than that to get myself locked down. I’d have to tell them about you, and without knowing who you were working for—and therefore who I could trust—I wouldn’t be able to control the information flow within the task force. You’d have the cops and al-Jihad after you, doubling the complications you’re going to have while you try to remember what you were doing, and for who.” She paused and said dryly, “Not to mention that while you’re putting on a good show right now, ten bucks says you’re fast asleep within the next half hour.”
    Now that they were in the brightly lit kitchen and the caffeine was kicking in, she could clearly see the grayish cast to his haggard skin, the pain lines besidehis mouth and the tired way he favored his injured shoulder and neck.
    He grimaced. “Sounds like you’ve been doing some thinking.”
    “Hard not to.”
    “Yeah.” He sat for a moment, pensive. “I hate that I’ve put you in this position. I wish…I don’t know. I wish I’d gone any place but here.”
    “If you had, you’d probably be dead by now,” she said with little conceit. “If you’d wound up in the medical system, they would’ve reported the gunshot injury and whoever is looking for you would’ve found you. If you holed up somewhere without treatment, you would’ve died from the shock and blood loss. And although there’ve been days I would’ve said I hated you, I’d still much rather have you in this world than not.”
    That earned her a sharp look, but he said only, “I saw the bag in the gun safe.”
    At first she winced, thinking he’d take that as a sign of disloyalty. Then she decided that she didn’t care if he did. She said, “If you can’t remember anything, maybe the evidence can help tell us.”
    He nodded, expression guarded. “My thoughts exactly. Did you keep the bullet?”
    “Yep. I couldn’t tell you what caliber it was, though. It fragmented, and is fairly deformed. I’d like to give it to Cassie, along with the clothes.” When he stiffened, she said, “Cassie’s the top forensic analyst in the BCCPD, and she’s a good friend. I trust her with my life.”
    Do you trust her with mine? Romo’s sardonic expression seemed to say. But aloud he said only, “Can you give her the evidence without telling her where it came from?”
    “If I told her what was going on, she’d keep it to herself.”
    He must’ve seen something in her eyes, though, because he said, “You’re not sure of that. You