Skirt Steak (Grade-A Beefcakes 5)

“My alarm code?” I stared at the star on Liam’s chest as I worked through it all. I usually arrived early before Dr. Metzger to set up exam rooms or closed for her if she had an emergency, so she’d given me my own access. Everyone who worked there had their own. “They had to get through the locked door, and I always have my keys with me.”

He nodded, tilted his head a little. “They went in through a window. Smashed it and then had the thirty seconds to enter the alarm code before the police were called.”

“Who would do—” I cut off my own question because I knew the answer. I whipped my head up and looked at Liam. Gone was the look of a lover, the heated gaze and even the playful gleam I’d seen all weekend. Before me wasn’t Liam, my lover, but Sheriff Hogan. “Tommy.”

He gave a slight nod. “That’s what I think.”

I closed my eyes and thought about my brother. Not the cute boy I remembered, but the fuck-up I knew now. Turning, I paced the small room. There wasn’t much space to walk around as a table and chairs were in the middle where we ate our meals during our breaks.

I rubbed my hands over my face, and wanted to scream in frustration. “When I get my hands on him, I’m going to—”

“You don’t want to finish that sentence in front of the sheriff.”

I turned to face him and knew, but I wanted to ask anyway. “Is that who you are right now, the sheriff?”

He sighed. “I have to bring you to the station for questioning.”

I froze. “Me? I didn’t do this.” I put my hand to my chest. “I was with you all weekend!”

It wasn’t like I didn’t have a good alibi, being in bed with the sheriff himself.

“Of course, you didn’t,” he replied quickly. “I was with you at the pawnshop on Saturday, know your brother’s desperate.”

I was mad and hurt by Tommy. Again. This time, he’d gone too far. He might steal money, hock things that I needed or wanted to keep because they were sentimental, but messing with my job like that? It was my livelihood. Our livelihood since it kept our house. He might not live in it much anymore, but he definitely came to it. I might not see him, but he used the old washer and dryer, ate the food in the fridge. Food I bought with money earned working the job he’d just fucked with.

“That’s the only reason why you believe me?” I asked, suddenly riled. “That I was in bed with you all weekend and that you were there as I cleaned up Tommy’s mess?”

Liam’s jaw clenched. “Lash out at me all you want, but you know that’s not what I meant. I believe in you. Know this wasn’t you.”

He reached out, stroked a knuckle down my cheek. The gentle gesture soothed me and made me feel guilty.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“You have to come with me, baby. Barbara’s pulling someone in from a different floor to cover for you.”

I felt my cheeks heat with shame at having my family problems exposed to my boss. I’d kept Tommy and my home life separate from work. I showed up on time, did my job, got paid and chipped away at the bills. Except for now. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I saw I would only get four hours pay today.

“Does Barbara think I did it? That I helped Tommy? I work in a hospital and handle drugs as part of my job. They could fire me over this.”

I wasn’t angry any longer. I was freaked out. This was the only hospital in the county. There were only a handful of doctors in town. While nursing was an in-demand job, there were only so many positions in a town the size of Raines. I didn’t want to commute the long way to Bozeman or even Helena. God, this was a mess!

“I have to call Dr. Metzger,” I added.

“Now’s not the time,” Liam said in his calm voice.

“She probably wants to fire me for this!” I hissed, not wanting to shout, for who knew who was walking down the hall.

Liam looked grim. “Dr. Metzger doesn’t want you back until this is resolved. She doesn’t think you did it, but it was your code. I’m guessing you didn’t share it with Tommy.”

“I don’t even see Tommy. But the code’s my mother’s birthday, the same code I use for unlocking my phone, my ATM pin.”

Liam offered a small sigh, and I rolled my eyes. A bit of shame at my irresponsibility burned my gut.

“I know, I should come up with something harder, but who would want in my phone? And getting into my bank account? I have less than two hundred dollars in there. Until now, I didn’t think it mattered about the alarm at the doctor’s office.”

My stomach dropped and tears burned the back of my eyes. I might be cleared of the break in, surely Liam would vouch I wasn’t involved, but Tommy was. I had no doubt. He would always be my brother, and there would always be another chance of him doing something just like this. I wasn’t a reliable employee. Dr. Metzger couldn’t trust me with alarm codes or anything now. I didn’t know how big the mess was, but her business was built on trust and I’d ruined that. No doubt everyone in town knew of the break in by now.

“I’m calling Tommy.”