Bound By The Badge

other tables, the occasional clatter of a fork against a plate, and the familiar siz

tangled in the hem of her apron, her pulse s

g fragile. Something

ated

lf. No one had ever stepped in to save her, and she sur

ye

ght had chan

me into her place of work and had looked at her li

Co

it down with j

gaze locked onto hers, his broad frame makin

trying to focus. "You

t answer i

andle in that calm, deliberate way of his. He didn't sip it righ

voice was even, but there was something underneath it.

rd. "Too late fo

Barely noticeable

y question," she pre

ee, his expression unreadable. Then, he

w thei

rless laugh. "That

s steady, assessing. Most people would have squirmed

ing with men who thought they coul

n't one

telling her the truth because

made her even more determi

aitress, but I'm not stupid. You don't look at someone

g that Mia almost thought

y, his fingers tapping

ople down for cash or rough up the occasional bar owner. They run weapons. Drugs. They kill for profit.

at him. A

rse than sh

k to Scarface's smirk, the way he had look

want with me

t answer r

sting his forearms on the tabl

arper. "They saw the way I looked at you. And men

rt skippe

hey're coming bac

n't say

n't ha

.. what? You're saying I'm

even, but there was something dangerous behind it. "And

f the table. "So what am I supposed to do

pression

serious, "you don't talk to them. You don't look at t

t for you? What i

aze didn

ill

t just a

as a

ers were trembling slightly, and she hated it. Hated tha

he hated e

y Cole mad

ling him that he didn't get to dictate h

lse racing, heart hammering, wond

ched between them

reaching for his coffee again. He too

et back to wo

es. "You're kicking

t of something close to amusemen

"Boss won't like seeing you

, shaking her head.

completely unbothered

pron. But before she walked away, sh

she said

expression unreadabl

her night. For-" She stopped herself,

ore she could take anothe

he said, his voice

swal

though she should be running as far away from

fe

st time in