Matt swallowed. Keeping his emotions in check during this interview might be one of the hardest things he’d ever done. “But you kidnapped Chief Deputy Harvey.”
Nodding, Dylan licked his lips. “I shouldn’t have grabbed Todd. I didn’t plan that. It seemed like a good idea at the time. When I was a deputy, Todd was always such a judgmental prick. I wanted to show him who was boss. Plus, I wanted to stop him from asking about the Footmen. But Steph was right. That was dumb.”
Truer words had never been spoken.
“Why did you need him to stop asking about the Hudson Footmen?”
“Because that’s not an organization you want to fuck with. I’ll tell you more about them after I see the DA’s deal. That’s my leverage.” Dylan clamped his lips tight.
Matt finished up the interview, and they left the room. No one commented on the interview with Dylan while he was still in earshot. Matt and Bree left Ash in the hallway. They walked down the hallway in silence and stepped onto the elevator.
Matt stabbed the button for the lobby level. The anger and frustration simmering inside him finally broke free. “I wanted to punch him in the face.”
“Me too. He’s complete scum.”
“At least he’ll be going to prison.” Matt wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. “I know Rogers had his issues, but he was trying to redeem himself. Now he’ll never have a chance.”
Bree took his hand and squeezed it. “Stephanie will get life for his murder. She’ll never see the outside of a prison again.”
“That doesn’t feel like enough.”
“I know.”
Their eyes met, and he knew she truly understood what he was feeling, and that made all the difference.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Two weeks later
On the night of the fundraiser, Bree swiped on some lipstick and fluffed her hair in the bathroom mirror. Dana had talked her into a girls’ spa day with Kayla. The little girl, normally covered in dirt and grass stains, had loved every minute of her hairstyling and mani-pedi.
Vader sat on the vanity and gave Bree a critical once-over. He didn’t seem impressed.
“Ladybug thinks I look pretty good,” she said to the cat.
Lying on the bathroom rug, Ladybug wagged at the mention of her name. Vader gave the dog a disgusted look, then jumped down and sauntered away.
Bree adjusted the holster on her ankle. She’d bought a dress without a slit for a reason. She might not be able to carry her service piece, but her backup would do.
She went downstairs, the dog following so closely, she nearly tripped Bree four times on the steps.
Matt stood in the living room with Brody at his side. There was something about a well-built man in a tuxedo . . . Mm. He’d shaved, and his jaw was downright chiseled.
“Wow.” He walked a circle around her.
“You clean up pretty nicely yourself, and you are very handsome, Brody.” Bree leaned down to pat the dog.
“You look amazing,” Matt said.
“It’s not too much?” She wore a strapless gown of dark blue silk. “You don’t think I should have worn my uniform?”
“Hell no—I mean, definitely not. That dress is perfect.” Matt’s voice was filled with just the right amount of awe.
“Of course it’s perfect.” Dana walked in from the kitchen, her heels clicking on the wood floor. “I picked it out.” Her gown was a solid black sleeveless column with a high neck and slit to match. The lean leg that flashed as she walked attested to many hours on a spin bike.
Matt stopped next to Bree. He touched the tattoo on her shoulder. “This really is incredible.” His fingers trailed along a vine and lingered on the huge dragonfly on her shoulder blade.
The heat of his hand almost made her want to skip the fundraiser.
She cleared her throat. “I decided I have no reason to be ashamed of my scars or tattoos.”
“It’s about time.” Matt gave her a look she could only describe in a cliché: smoldering. He dropped his voice to a husky whisper. “You’re totally hot. Also, that dress will put those deepfake stories to rest. Win-win.”
The dress was hardly scandalous—it displayed zero cleavage—but showed more skin than usual for her. Bree didn’t like that she’d been forced to put her tattoos on display. Tonight would be the first time she’d shown them in public, and she felt exposed. But she’d deal with it. Not for her job, but for the kids. For their sake, the rumors needed to be squashed. They didn’t need to grow up with being teased about their aunt the porn star.