Herd That (The Valentine Boys 1)

I stuffed one of those into my purse, too.

The girl grinned.

“Hi, my name is Katy!” she chirped, looking adorable and very related to the big man at my side.

“Codie, this is my daughter, Katerina Roberts. Katy, this is our newest crime scene tech, Codie,” Luke introduced us.

I held out my hand, and the girl took it, shaking it before smiling wide.

“I like your top,” she said. “I hear those shirts are back in style. I almost got one just like it last week!”

I looked down at the top that I’d had for a good ten years and wondered when the top had gone out of style only to come back into style. I’d never stopped wearing it.

Luke laughed at the look of consternation on my face.

“Burns a little, doesn’t it? Realizing that you’re getting old.” He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. “Thirty isn’t old. It’s the prime of life.”

“I’m half your age,” Katy said helpfully.

Luke ruffled her hair. “You have time for lunch, Katy-did?”

She nodded her head. “I’ll wait in your office.”

I smiled as I watched her go. “Cute kid.”

“Awful kid,” Luke corrected me as he led me out of the long hallway back toward the main room. “You’re okay to start on Monday?”

I nodded my head. “Yes. I’ll go get some new, more professional clothes tomorrow. That’ll give me time. Thank you again.”

Luke shrugged. “I didn’t give you the job out of the kindness of my heart. I gave you the job because you were highly skilled and more than qualified to do it. I’m sorry about Marie.”

I shrugged.

I hadn’t exactly told him anything about her, but somehow, he’d guessed over the course of the hour we were together about my and Marie’s differences.

Though, granted, Marie tossing me death glares across the room hadn’t exactly helped.

“I know,” I said. “And Marie is Marie. I’ve been dealing with her for a long time. I know how to continue to deal with her.”

Luke mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, ‘I wish you’d give me some tips.’

Then, louder, he said, “Luckily you won’t be working in this part of the building. Monday when you get in, you’ll be heading this way.” He pointed to a T in the hallways that we were crossing. One way led to the exit, and the other to a hallway I’d yet to be in.

“What part is this?” I asked.

“Homicide,” he answered. “As well as crime scene techs. I’d have taken you down there today but nobody is in. They were working a murder this morning.”

I nodded my head, eager to get back on the job. I knew that Kilgore wasn’t going to be exactly the same as Dallas had been, but still, I was happy that I once again got to use my degree.

“I’m going to do great,” I promised him. “And, thankfully, I won’t be around her all that often.”

Luke’s grin was barely there as he continued to lead me back out to the busy police room then farther out to the front steps that led out to the parking lot.

“Have a good one, Codie. See you Monday,” he said.

I waved at him, then headed for my vehicle, excited to share the news with Ace.Chapter 15I wonder if life smokes after it fucks me.

-Ace’s secret thoughts

Ace

“In essence, you’re telling me that I have to go get another lawyer,” I said to the man who was in front of me.

The lawyer looked apologetic as he confirmed with a slight head nod. “Yes, but only because I can’t represent you and—” I held up my hand on the rest of his explanation.

“I know, you said you can’t represent the insurance company and me. I realize that they’re giving you more money, but why are they using you when they could be using anybody all over the world?” I asked with barely controlled anger.

“Because I’m local, and they need someone local that knows the laws,” he answered.

I sighed. “Which was why I was using you. You do realize that, yes?”

The lawyer sighed. “I’m sorry, but when I’m offered this kind of money to do this, I have to take it. I’m still paying off my school loans, and there’s no way in hell I’m not taking it.”

I could see that. I could also see that no matter what I said or did, he wasn’t going to change his mind. “Fine. You can also lose my brothers’ information, my sister’s, Nico’s, as well as anybody else I can convince. I hope that this one client was worth it.”

Codie stood up as well and offered my lawyer a glacial glare. “I’m not very happy with you, either. I realize that you replaced the one and only lawyer in town, but there are others outside of town.”

Jake Hooper shrugged.

Codie rolled her eyes and took my hand, practically pulling me out of the office and to my truck.