Don't Mess With Texas by Christie Craig Page A

never doubted your innocence. I fought tooth and nail to—”
    “I know that. But it’s the same attitude you’re using now that had my ass locked up for sixteen months.”
    His brother frowned. “Look, you and I both know that every cop who ever got involved with a woman from a case… well, it never ended well.”
    “Is that so?” Dallas almost asked how his brother’s non-case-related relationship with LeAnn had turned out, but at the last minute he realized he wasn’t that angry or that much of an insensitive asshole. “You’re forgetting I’m not a cop anymore.”
    “Fine.” Tony held up his hand. “I’m sorry I said anything.”
    “Yeah.” Dallas looked away.
    “Really,” Tony nudged him with his elbow, “I’m sorry. It’s just… seeing LeAnn has me tied in knots.”
    “I get it,” Dallas said. And he did. He could still remember how knotted up he’d felt when he laid eyes on Serenafor the first time after he’d gotten released. And he didn’t even love her anymore—that much he was damn sure of—but seeing her still took him to an emotional place he didn’t like. A place he didn’t ever want to return to.
    “To be honest…” Tony stepped closer. “She’s hot. I don’t blame you for going for her.”
    “I’m not going for her,” Dallas snapped.
    Tony’s cell rang. As he reached for it, he said, “Then I can tell the guys who had the hots for her that she’s free game, huh? Because several of them are interested.”
    Dallas shot his brother a go-to-hell look.
    Tony laughed. “Not going for her, my ass. The only other time I’ve seen that look was when I told you I was going to ask out Jamie Wentworth in high school.” Tony took the call. “O’Connor.”
    Dallas frowned at his brother. Yeah, but this wasn’t high school. And no matter how much he might be tempted, he wasn’t going after Nikki.
    “Yes,” Tony said to the caller. Then he turned his back to Dallas. “What did you get?” Pause. “You’re shitting me. Okay, call me if you get anything else.”
    “What did they find?” Dallas asked as soon as his brother turned around.
    Tony hesitated. His gaze shot to Nikki, then back to Dallas.
    “Come on,” Dallas said. “We’ve agreed we’re on the same side.”
    Tony let go of a breath. “Only because I’m probably going to have to talk to her about it.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “They checked Jack Leon’s cell. Earlier today, he got two calls from a cell phone that belonged to an Ellen Wise.”
    “The same Ellen Wise in surgery?”
    “One and the same.” Tony arched a brow. “What’s the chance that Nikki’s good friend and employee was banging her ex?”
    Dallas remembered Nikki telling him she’d already caught her ex screwing around with one of her employees. And yeah, if a guy found a sure-bet path to getting laid, he wasn’t above trying again now that they were divorced.
    Tony’s phone rang again. “O’Connor,” he said into the cell. As he listened, he glanced at his watch. “Is this a full moon, or what? I’m still at the hospital on the Wise case, waiting to see if the vic pulls through surgery. Can’t you send Clark?” Pause. “Fine, I’ll head over there now.” Tony snapped his phone shut.
    “What now?” Dallas asked.
    Tony frowned. “Another homicide.”
    “Connected?”
    “No,” he said. “It’s a convenience store robbery.”
    Dallas’s interest instantly piqued. Not for Nikki, but for Eddie Nance, his other client. “Really? Where?”
    “Victor and Holdensburg.”
    Dallas stored the info in his mind to tell Austin or Tyler. It wouldn’t hurt to have one of them nose around the crime scene. If there were similarities to the robbery’s MO they were accusing Nance of pulling off, this might be the thing that got the kid off.
    “Clerk’s dead,” Tony continued.
    “Damn.” Dallas itched to ask what type of gun was used, but chances were Tony didn’t have that info yet and if Dallas showed any