Page 143 of Cross & Crown

God help JD if he was trying to play Nick with a lie. God help

them al .

Once on the road, Kelly had a hard time keeping up with

Hagan until Julian casually flicked on the flashing dashboard

light. They shared a look, both of them trying not to grin and

failing.

“I could get used to this,” Julian drawled.

“Hell yeah.”

When they reached the bookstore again, Nick was already

out of the car and standing in the middle of the street. They’d parked their vehicle with its lights flashing across the narrow lane to block traffic, and Nick was waving to Kelly, telling him where to park the Range Rover.

Kelly angled it, glancing around uneasily. He kept having

to remind himself that Nick was a real cop on a real case and

everything he did was with the appropriate authority. Kelly

hoped it was, at least.

He got out of the Range Rover, his hand going to the

butt of the gun under his jacket out of habit. He rarely wore

a weapon on his hip anymore, but he was getting used to the

feeling of having it there again.

144

Nick strode toward them and pointed to a chalk marking

on the ground. “Shooter right here,” he said to Kelly. “Stand

there. Bullet holes in the building put the shooter facing this way. Don’t move.”

“All righty,” Kelly muttered.

Hagan and JD joined them as Nick was positioning Kelly.

“Getting a little bossy, there, O,” Hagan observed. “It’s a damn miracle you ever get laid.”

Nick didn’t respond to the attempt at banter. He

beckoned JD with two fingers, walking midway into the

street and pointing to another mark on the ground. “Stand

here. Face the car.”

JD nodded, standing where he’d been told. He kept