The headache had gotten predictably worse, and the first thing I planned on doing when I got out of here was hitting the stash of ibuprofen I kept in my desk at my office.

Then I’d put that bottle in my briefcase, so I’d have it on me when I came in on Wednesday. I’d committed twelve hours a week to the police department for the foreseeable future. That meant I’d committed myself to headaches for the foreseeable future, and all of them came at a piss-poor consultation fee too.

It was a good thing I was financially stable. The police department couldn’t pay nowhere near my going rate.

But the prospect of working on a task force like this was enough to outweigh the lousy fee I’d bring in, and since I’d talked them down from twenty hours a week to twelve, I could still commit the bulk of my week to my regular work.

I didn’t have to worry about the lights going out anytime soon.

I secured all the work I’d done and powered down the computer. As I reached for my briefcase, a shadow passed in front of the door and stopped. I stood there as a knock sounded. “Come in,” I said, although I really wanted to just be quiet and hope whoever it was went away.

It couldn’t be Steppes – the shadow wasn’t big enough.

Aside from Steppes, the only other people I had to talk to were the two FBI agents assigned to the task force, and they’d both left shortly after the meeting concluded earlier.

The door swung in, and a vaguely familiar man filled the doorway. He wasn’t quite as big as Steppes – I’d been right on that. But he was big enough. His hairline showed signs of receding, but all that did was draw attention to high arched brows and a pair of bright, snapping green eyes.

Green eyes. And red hair.

A memory flashed, and I knew exactly where I’d seen him from. “You’re one of Ravenna’s brothers,” I said flatly.

“I am. Sargent Carl Sinclair.” He offered a big, broad hand, and I accepted slowly, wondering just what this visit was going to be about.

He glanced around the microscopic office and grimaced. “They sure as hell gave you some digs, didn’t they?” he said wryly.

“Pulled out all the stops,” I said, amused by the way this conversation seemed to echo the one I’d had with Steppes.

“So, I see.” He edged farther into the room and twisted his body into what was an impressive fashion so he could shut the door behind him. “I’d ask for a seat, but it appears there’s only room for the one you got, so I’m good to stand. I just need a minute.”

“Okay. I take it this is about Ravenna.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I waited.

“It is.” He ran his tongue across his teeth, taking me in.

I didn’t do or say anything, just waited.

“I understand why you’re pissed,” he finally said. “I’d be pissed if some cop had decided to talk to her back when she was still a kid too. But she’s got reasons to be hot about what happened when your father messed with her friend’s family.”

“I should point out…I don’t see him as my father,” I said, keeping my voice level. “He was a sperm donor. Nothing else. And I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to him. But yes, I’m…pissed that she decided to go and talk to my sixteen-year-old sister about anything. It was over the line.”

Carl held up his hands. “Like I said. I get why you’re pissed. But I don’t think you get why she’s so messed up.”

I shoved a hand back through my hair. “She told me about what happened, okay? I know Marks took her friend’s family for a ride and left them broke.” Laughing bitterly, I dropped down into my seat and leaned back, staring up at him. “You think it’s easy hearing that the man who helped make me is capable of shit like that? Let me tell you, it’s not. I’ve lived most of my life doing everything I can to distance myself from him, from the shadow he cast on the early part of my life – how he affected my mother, all of it. He fucked up her friend’s life, but let me assure you, he fucked up mine as well. He fucked up the lives of my sisters too. He poisons everything he touches. That doesn’t give me or anybody else the right to go and screw with people or break the fucking law, sergeant. And you probably know that.”

“Have I once said that she did the right thing?” Sinclair asked, his voice remarkably mild. “I’m pretty sure I’ve said the opposite. She screwed up. But she’s a young cop. Young cops make mistakes. Older cops make mistakes. I imagine people in your profession make mistakes too.”

An uneasy feeling twisted in my gut. “If this is because I went and talked to her lieutenant, maybe you should think about what could have happened if she’d actually gotten any information from my sister. Maybe she got lucky, got enough to start building some sort of case against Marks, but then it’s found out it’s all built on information she got from a minor. I saved her a lot of shit in the long run. You can’t do anything based on the word of a minor who was questioned without a parent or guardian. If a civilian like me knows that, then she should damn well know it. If she doesn’t, does she have any business being a cop?”

“I don’t have any problem with her LT coming down on her.” Carl crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a sardonic look. “The LT is a friend of mine, and he called me in, informed me about what happened before anybody else could. FYI, if the LT had gone soft on her, I would have laid into her myself. She was wrong, plain and simple. No, I’m not here because of that.”

“Then why the fuck are you here?” I asked bluntly.

He cocked his head. “There’s something going on between you and my sister, isn’t there?”

I blinked.

Okay, that was unexpected.

“What makes you ask that?” I asked softly.

“Well, your response just confirmed it.” Sinclair shook his head. “First off, approaching a woman – a cop – in the place she works will just set off a shitload of gossip, Alexander. Cops gossip worse than a bunch of little old ladies. It’s a well-known fact.”

Blood rushed to my cheeks.

“Then I get word from her partner that he’s seen two of you looking rather…close over dinner,” he said, shrugging. “So…there’s something going on between you and my sister.”

“There was,” I allowed.

“And you’re going to let this come between you?”

“This has to do with that fact that she questioned my kid sister over something that happened years ago. That kid sister of mine has been through more hell than you can imagine, and she didn’t need a cop pressuring her for shit,” I snapped.

“Something that happened years ago?” Sinclair echoed. His eyes narrowed on me. “Just what exactly did Ravenna tell you about her friend’s family, Alexander?”

I waved a hand through the air, getting irritated. “I know Gabriel Marks conned her friend’s family out of money and left them broke. It sucks. He’s done it before. He’s good at it. But Joelle would have been a little kid then. She can’t help any of you with that.” Blowing out a breath, I shook my head. “I get that it must have been hard for her friend, but she’s got no business questioning my sister.”

“No,” Sinclair said, agreeably. “She doesn’t. But you’re wrong about something…it wasn’t just hard for her friend. It was beyond devastating. And it hit Ravenna harder than you seem to think. Matter of fact, I get the feeling Ravenna didn’t tell you the entire story.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, rising from behind the desk.

“Just that. Maybe you should consider talking to her and getting that entire story. It might surprise you.” He reached for the doorknob but paused to look back at me. “If she means anything – or if she did – you really should go and talk to her. But…hey, that’s up to you.”

Once he slid out, I sank back down into my chair, staring off at nothing.

But I didn’t sit there for long.

Whatever it was Ravenna hadn’t told me, I was going to find out.

Now.