knowing he would be seeing Ryan today was what brought the nightmare back last night. Although, after three years’ worth of required visits with the department psychiatrist, Tanner knew there didn’t necessarily have to be a reason for his subconscious mind to start dwelling on what had happened that day. Sometimes his mind just went there of its own accord. Some PTSD triggers were visible, but many more were hidden.
He and Ryan had become not quite friends, but more than just professional colleagues over the last year since Ryan had moved to Colorado and become one of the district attorneys. When Tanner was in Denver, or Ryan was in Grand County to see the sheriff, they sometimes got together to spar at the gym. Ryan might be a lawyer, but he kept himself in good shape.
And Tanner had worked damn hard to come back from what had happened at that warehouse. Tried to use his wounds—both physical and mental—to make him a better police officer. He demanded it of himself. As captain of the southeast department of the Grand County Sheriff’s Office—which included his hometown of Risk Peak—he would do whatever it took to keep the people in his care safe.
A half smile popped up on his face before he could stop it. Risk Peak now included Bree Daniels, the woman who’d been causing smiles to pop up on his face unbidden for months.
She’d run out of money, and hope, in Risk Peak three months ago while being chased by a terrorist organization. Normally, Tanner wasn’t thankful for bad guys, but the fact that these had led the socially awkward yet breathtakingly beautiful Bree to his front door was enough for him to make an exception.
“We haven’t won the case yet.” Ryan walked up to him and slapped him on the shoulder. “You might want to save grinning like an idiot for when we do.”
Tanner reached out to shake the man’s hand. “Think there’s going to be any problem getting a conviction?”
“That would be a definite no. Guy was on a suspended license and ran from the police. Plus, I’ve got Dr. Michalski providing his professional evaluation of the defendant this afternoon.”
Tanner nodded. “Dr. Michalski is good.” Tanner should know—he’d been seeing the man for three years. Tanner wasn’t a huge fan of his sessions—sometimes it felt like he had a million other things to do than just sit around and talk about the past, but he couldn’t deny that Dr. Michalski was a good psychiatrist.
“Yeah, he’s definitely better on the stand than the last department psychiatrist I worked with in Seattle. Jury responds much better to him.” Ryan grinned. “Of course, he’s never going to be as good as putting you on the stand. Anytime I know you’ll be testifying, I try to get as many women in the jury as possible.”
Tanner rolled his eyes. He’d been teased about his looks before, by both the district attorneys and his colleagues in the sheriff’s department. But as far as he was concerned, there was only one person whose opinion of his looks mattered. And it definitely wasn’t anybody in a jury.
“Anything I can do to help get bad guys off the street.”
“Speaking of.” Ryan’s easy smile slid from his face. “You heard that Owen Duquette got released on parole last week?”
Tanner swallowed a curse and nodded. “I made my objections known to the parole board. Strongly. Both in written form and in person at the parole hearing.”
“It just feels like a slap in the face, you know? Duquette might not have been in the warehouse that day, but he knew what was going on. He was complicit in Nate’s death. I’m sure of it.” Ryan’s fist tightened around his briefcase handle.
But they both knew that knowing something and proving it in court were two entirely different things. Duquette’s ties to the Viper Syndicate had been tentative at best, legally. The district attorney at the time had only been able to charge Duquette with relatively minor trafficking charges, not murder.
But still, to get out after only three years? Tanner was angry. He couldn’t even imagine how Ryan felt, knowing someone they both highly suspected was connected to his brother’s murder was now back out on the streets.
“I’ll make it my business to keep an eye on him,” Tanner said. “And not just while I’m in uniform. The second he steps out of line, I’ll make sure he goes down.”
Ryan nodded. “Thanks. It’s just...you know. Nate would’ve been twenty-five this month.”
Tanner had to look away. If he had just snapped that rope a few seconds earlier, maybe Nate would’ve been here.
But that was Tanner’s burden to bear. “Duquette will get what’s coming to him. Don’t doubt it.”
A career criminal like Duquette wouldn’t stay on the straight and narrow very long. Tanner would use whatever resources he had to know the moment Duquette stepped in the wrong direction.
Ryan nodded, then looked over Tanner’s shoulder. “Oh, hi, Dr. Michalski. Got a moment to go over a couple of last-minute details?”
“Sure, Ryan.” Dr. Michalski stepped up beside Tanner and offered his hand to shake. “Tanner, good to see you. It’s been a while.”
Translation: You missed your last required appointment.
Response: Sorry, it just happened to be scheduled when I was off saving the country from a terrorist group about to illegally access cell-phone data all over the world.
Neither man actually said it.
“Doc. Good to see you, too.”
“Everything okay? No anger...problems?”
The good doctor had obviously heard Tanner’s discussion about Duquette.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little frustrated when my job gets harder because of criminals getting released early.”
“Maybe we can talk about that sometime.”
Tanner resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll let you guys get to your discussion.”
Ryan smiled. “Tanner, thanks again for your work on the stand. Stellar, as always. Next time bring a cowboy hat in case we need an extra push with the lady jurors.”
Tanner shook hands with both men before saying his goodbyes.
Because there was someone else he knew for a fact found him attractive in a cowboy hat. Someone who barely came up to his chin and had waves of thick brown hair running down her back. Someone to whom it never occurred to wear makeup, but it didn’t matter because her natural beauty could give a cover model a run for their money any day of the week.
One look into her green eyes would have him forgetting about psychiatrists, witness stands and even the ghostly itch of a noose stretched around his neck.
He watched Tanner Dempsey leave the courthouse just like he’d watched him all day. He’d silently observed, no one discovering what he was really doing. What he was really planning.
Had Dempsey realized he was watching? Of course not. Because Tanner Dempsey was so full of himself he couldn’t possibly conceive that someone might watch him with contempt or scorn or disdain.
The handsome cop with the charming smile couldn’t possibly devise that someone didn’t fall under the spell of his charisma.
The man felt bile churning in his stomach as he saw how friendly other people were with Dempsey. It was impossible to understand how everyone surrounding the cop in the courthouse wasn’t sickened by his arrogance. How he obviously thought himself better than everyone.
And then people shook his hand, smiling and friendly. Fooled. They couldn’t see the truth right in front of them—that Dempsey was fooling them all.
It