a fight with their girlfriends? Was Tow drowning his sorrows in some woman’s cleavage right now?
What about John?
Livvy shook her head. No, he’d given her no reason to be suspicious and she wouldn’t doubt 116
Sweet as Sin
him again. But Andrea’s panic was starting to rub off.
Andrea sprang from her chair and whipped the curtain back. A silent police cruiser pulled to a stop in front of the house. Andrea darted out the front door before Leo could climb from the car and walk to the passenger side. Livvy watched from the porch, hands clamped over her mouth.
Leo held his palm up to stop Andrea from
grabbing the back door handle.
“He’s too drunk to drive. I’m getting off shift so I just brought him home.” He looked at Andrea sadly before raising his eyes to Livvy. “I brought them both.”
When he opened the door, Tow literally fell out of the cruiser. He scrambled awkwardly before rising. Andrea tried to help, which made things worse. Finally on two feet, he stood wavering and Livvy saw his face. Bright and smiling drunkenly, he had the beginnings of a black eye and an obviously bloodied nose.
“Andy, I got in a bar fight! How cool is that?”
Andrea burst into tears and threw herself at him. He fell back into the cruiser door but wrapped his arms around her. Leo stared at Livvy rather than at the couple beside him. Andrea led Tow through the yard and Livvy’s eyes locked on the darkened interior of the car.
Where is he?
Inez Kelley
117
The night turned suddenly cool and she blamed her trembling on the weather. A slight wind molded her long nightshirt to her body. She crossed her arms, her thumbnail between her teeth to hide her quivering lips.
“What happened?” she asked Leo.
“I got called in to help with a fight down at the Brewster. Look, Liv, it wasn’t that bad and I didn’t want to screw Tow over. I’m not charging them with anything but they’re both way too drunk to be driving. Make sure Andrea gets Tow’s car in the morning, all right?”
Livvy pushed the windblown hair out of her eyes. There was something he wasn’t saying.
Something that filled his gaze with apprehension.
Something that made her mouth dry and her eyes wet.
John pulled himself out with much more
drunken grace than Tow had. In fact, at first glance, he didn’t look drunk at all until she looked in his eyes. Tow drunk was boisterous and happy.
John was dark and moody with a razor’s-edge glint in his eyes hinting at danger. He stepped away from the open door and leaned on the rear panel, fingertips tucked in his front pockets. He avoided her eyes.
Livvy stared at him, her breath coming fast and hard. She didn’t know this man. The John Murphy she knew created wonderful magical monsters that 118
Sweet as Sin
fought for good and justice. The man she knew kissed her tenderly and stroked her with gentle hands. She didn’t know this drunken stranger with the swollen jaw, bleeding lip and bloody knuckles peeking from his pockets.
The slam of the car door pulled her from her inspection. She inhaled and exhaled before turning her face back to Leo. His gray uniform shirt glowed silver in the faint moonlight and she fastened her eyes on his nametag. He stood, hands on his radio and ASP baton, waiting for her to look up. The concern in his eyes nearly allowed her tears to fall when she did raise her face.
“Thanks. I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Liv.” He opened his mouth but then clamped it shut and scowled at John. He took her arm and motioned his head for her to walk with him to the front of the cruiser.
She turned but only made it two steps before becoming the filling in a chest sandwich.
“Get your hands off her!”
John lunged at Leo, Leo stood firm and Livvy was caught in the middle. John’s forward motion sent her sprawling into the trooper. She was trapped between both strong male bodies, and everything slowed. She saw John draw back his fist and Leo snap his telescopic
What about John?
Livvy shook her head. No, he’d given her no reason to be suspicious and she wouldn’t doubt 116
Sweet as Sin
him again. But Andrea’s panic was starting to rub off.
Andrea sprang from her chair and whipped the curtain back. A silent police cruiser pulled to a stop in front of the house. Andrea darted out the front door before Leo could climb from the car and walk to the passenger side. Livvy watched from the porch, hands clamped over her mouth.
Leo held his palm up to stop Andrea from
grabbing the back door handle.
“He’s too drunk to drive. I’m getting off shift so I just brought him home.” He looked at Andrea sadly before raising his eyes to Livvy. “I brought them both.”
When he opened the door, Tow literally fell out of the cruiser. He scrambled awkwardly before rising. Andrea tried to help, which made things worse. Finally on two feet, he stood wavering and Livvy saw his face. Bright and smiling drunkenly, he had the beginnings of a black eye and an obviously bloodied nose.
“Andy, I got in a bar fight! How cool is that?”
Andrea burst into tears and threw herself at him. He fell back into the cruiser door but wrapped his arms around her. Leo stared at Livvy rather than at the couple beside him. Andrea led Tow through the yard and Livvy’s eyes locked on the darkened interior of the car.
Where is he?
Inez Kelley
117
The night turned suddenly cool and she blamed her trembling on the weather. A slight wind molded her long nightshirt to her body. She crossed her arms, her thumbnail between her teeth to hide her quivering lips.
“What happened?” she asked Leo.
“I got called in to help with a fight down at the Brewster. Look, Liv, it wasn’t that bad and I didn’t want to screw Tow over. I’m not charging them with anything but they’re both way too drunk to be driving. Make sure Andrea gets Tow’s car in the morning, all right?”
Livvy pushed the windblown hair out of her eyes. There was something he wasn’t saying.
Something that filled his gaze with apprehension.
Something that made her mouth dry and her eyes wet.
John pulled himself out with much more
drunken grace than Tow had. In fact, at first glance, he didn’t look drunk at all until she looked in his eyes. Tow drunk was boisterous and happy.
John was dark and moody with a razor’s-edge glint in his eyes hinting at danger. He stepped away from the open door and leaned on the rear panel, fingertips tucked in his front pockets. He avoided her eyes.
Livvy stared at him, her breath coming fast and hard. She didn’t know this man. The John Murphy she knew created wonderful magical monsters that 118
Sweet as Sin
fought for good and justice. The man she knew kissed her tenderly and stroked her with gentle hands. She didn’t know this drunken stranger with the swollen jaw, bleeding lip and bloody knuckles peeking from his pockets.
The slam of the car door pulled her from her inspection. She inhaled and exhaled before turning her face back to Leo. His gray uniform shirt glowed silver in the faint moonlight and she fastened her eyes on his nametag. He stood, hands on his radio and ASP baton, waiting for her to look up. The concern in his eyes nearly allowed her tears to fall when she did raise her face.
“Thanks. I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Liv.” He opened his mouth but then clamped it shut and scowled at John. He took her arm and motioned his head for her to walk with him to the front of the cruiser.
She turned but only made it two steps before becoming the filling in a chest sandwich.
“Get your hands off her!”
John lunged at Leo, Leo stood firm and Livvy was caught in the middle. John’s forward motion sent her sprawling into the trooper. She was trapped between both strong male bodies, and everything slowed. She saw John draw back his fist and Leo snap his telescopic
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