Read Online The Promise of Surrender by Liliana Hart - Free Book Online
Authors: Liliana Hart
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untouched.
At least the building was standing. Anything else she could deal with. As if reading her mind, Zeke squeezed her shoulder as they walked over to the others, but she shrugged him off. Sympathy wasn’t what she needed at that moment. Not if she wanted to keep it together. What she really needed was a cup of coffee.
“The alarm company silenced the alarms,” Cooper said. “You’ll need to call them to set things back up once you’re ready to roll.”
“Definitely not someone passing by looking for a quick buck,” Zeke said, hands on hips as he surveyed the scene.
“Not by a long shot. They came prepared and knew what they were doing. Deputy Greyson was first on scene. The fire department pulled in right after him.”
Mia knew Lane Greyson well. His wife, Naya, was one of her closest friends. Naya was a bounty hunter, and they’d hit it off immediately.
“Sorry about this, Mia,” Lane said. “I know what this place means to you.”
“Is the inside as bad as I think it’s going to be?” she asked him.
His lips pinched together. “I brought you a to-go cup of coffee. It’s in the cab of my truck.”
“That bad, huh,” she said, her stomach tied in knots. She went to the cab of the truck and opened the door, grabbing the thermal coffee mug from the middle console. Zeke introduced himself to Lane and they shook hands, and then he shook hands with Riley MacKenzie and slapped him on the shoulder. Mia was guessing he knew all the MacKenzie brothers as well as he did Cooper.
“What dragged you out of bed before noon?” Zeke asked Riley.
Where Cooper was dark-haired and blue-eyed, Riley was his polar opposite with blond hair and brown eyes. They had the same square jaw and eye shape, but at first glance it was hard to tell they were brothers. And then she looked closer and noticed they were very much cut from the same cloth, with broad builds and fighting man’s hands. Neither of them looked as if they’d ever backed away from a fight. No wonder Zeke got along so well with them. He carried himself the same way.
“A crying baby,” Riley answered. “It was my shift for middle of the night duty, so I was wide awake when Cooper texted. Of course, by the time I left the house the baby was sleeping again and the whole house was quiet. I figured it’d be better to tag along than to get my hopes up by lying down and trying to go to sleep.”
“Sounds like fun,” Zeke said. “I’m thinking of having kids in the next forty years or so.”
“Hey, Picasso did it. It’s good to have goals, man.”
“Has there been time to secure the scene?” Mia asked. She knew the drill. Knew they were standing out in the parking lot for a reason. But God, she wanted to get in there and see what they’d destroyed.
“We walked the perimeter when we arrived,” Cooper said. “Anyone who was here was long gone, but you’ll see the marks on the sidewalk. I put the word out for who we’re looking for.”
Mia followed them toward the front of the shop, her boots crunching over gravel. She didn’t see what Cooper was talking about until she was almost on top of it.
“Skid marks,” she said. And one of the motorcycles who’d left it had ridden up her stairs and left them on the porch as well.
“Any reason why a group of bikers would pay you a visit, Mia?” Zeke asked.
Unlike the rookie who’d been standing in her shop yesterday, she knew how to lie. Years of practice made it as easy as breathing. There were techniques they’d been taught at specials ops classes that helped with the art of lying—body language, facial expressions, and making sure the lies were close enough to the truth that you didn’t forget and stumble somewhere along the way.
“Not that I can think of,” she answered. The music box was still in her backpack in the car. She knew she’d have to tell Zeke about the biker and the music box, but now wasn’t the time or the place. If the details were part of whatever op he was
At least the building was standing. Anything else she could deal with. As if reading her mind, Zeke squeezed her shoulder as they walked over to the others, but she shrugged him off. Sympathy wasn’t what she needed at that moment. Not if she wanted to keep it together. What she really needed was a cup of coffee.
“The alarm company silenced the alarms,” Cooper said. “You’ll need to call them to set things back up once you’re ready to roll.”
“Definitely not someone passing by looking for a quick buck,” Zeke said, hands on hips as he surveyed the scene.
“Not by a long shot. They came prepared and knew what they were doing. Deputy Greyson was first on scene. The fire department pulled in right after him.”
Mia knew Lane Greyson well. His wife, Naya, was one of her closest friends. Naya was a bounty hunter, and they’d hit it off immediately.
“Sorry about this, Mia,” Lane said. “I know what this place means to you.”
“Is the inside as bad as I think it’s going to be?” she asked him.
His lips pinched together. “I brought you a to-go cup of coffee. It’s in the cab of my truck.”
“That bad, huh,” she said, her stomach tied in knots. She went to the cab of the truck and opened the door, grabbing the thermal coffee mug from the middle console. Zeke introduced himself to Lane and they shook hands, and then he shook hands with Riley MacKenzie and slapped him on the shoulder. Mia was guessing he knew all the MacKenzie brothers as well as he did Cooper.
“What dragged you out of bed before noon?” Zeke asked Riley.
Where Cooper was dark-haired and blue-eyed, Riley was his polar opposite with blond hair and brown eyes. They had the same square jaw and eye shape, but at first glance it was hard to tell they were brothers. And then she looked closer and noticed they were very much cut from the same cloth, with broad builds and fighting man’s hands. Neither of them looked as if they’d ever backed away from a fight. No wonder Zeke got along so well with them. He carried himself the same way.
“A crying baby,” Riley answered. “It was my shift for middle of the night duty, so I was wide awake when Cooper texted. Of course, by the time I left the house the baby was sleeping again and the whole house was quiet. I figured it’d be better to tag along than to get my hopes up by lying down and trying to go to sleep.”
“Sounds like fun,” Zeke said. “I’m thinking of having kids in the next forty years or so.”
“Hey, Picasso did it. It’s good to have goals, man.”
“Has there been time to secure the scene?” Mia asked. She knew the drill. Knew they were standing out in the parking lot for a reason. But God, she wanted to get in there and see what they’d destroyed.
“We walked the perimeter when we arrived,” Cooper said. “Anyone who was here was long gone, but you’ll see the marks on the sidewalk. I put the word out for who we’re looking for.”
Mia followed them toward the front of the shop, her boots crunching over gravel. She didn’t see what Cooper was talking about until she was almost on top of it.
“Skid marks,” she said. And one of the motorcycles who’d left it had ridden up her stairs and left them on the porch as well.
“Any reason why a group of bikers would pay you a visit, Mia?” Zeke asked.
Unlike the rookie who’d been standing in her shop yesterday, she knew how to lie. Years of practice made it as easy as breathing. There were techniques they’d been taught at specials ops classes that helped with the art of lying—body language, facial expressions, and making sure the lies were close enough to the truth that you didn’t forget and stumble somewhere along the way.
“Not that I can think of,” she answered. The music box was still in her backpack in the car. She knew she’d have to tell Zeke about the biker and the music box, but now wasn’t the time or the place. If the details were part of whatever op he was
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