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"He’s done that before?"

She didn’t answer "Since I didn’t answer, he probably thinks I’ and that’s for the best"

"He already said he knows better" Dash folded his arms "And he wouldn’t want to come visit you so badly if he wasn’t aThe commander is not interested in me that way"

"Bullshit I know a coht, fine You want the nitty-gritty?" Since she couldn’t lift Oliver, Margo sat on the kitchen floor and leaned back on a cabinet Oliverpurr "He’s actually considered a good catch Silver hair, dark eyes Tall, leanhe stays in shape And he’s financially set enough to be flashy about it"

Dash sat beside her It was odd, sitting on the kitchen floor with a fat blind catbetween them Quietly, to help hide his sudden and uncomfortable jealousy, Dash asked, "Have you fked him?"

She half choked "God, no"

Only a little appeased by her repulsed reaction, he pressed her "Because you don’t want to ed as if the reasons didn’t matter "He’s friendly with my father, he’s autocratic and sexist, and he cheated on his wife"

"That’s why they divorced?"

She shrugged "All I know is that he inherited a nice vacation home and a lump sum of cash fro he was Huge Hefner or so" She tickled under Oliver’s chin "Before that, he wasn’t such a bad guy"

It was the cheating that ruled hiured "Definitely not your type" The cat le the top of his head to her chin She kissed his bent ear, then hugged hi her like this, comfortable, soft in her attentions to her pet, at ease with hi to touch her, he cupped her cheek and tipped her face up to his "I guess we don’t need to go to the station now?"

Deter"

"You’ll ignore his orders?"

"You bet Now forget the coive hiave Oliver one more luxurious stroke froet going"

Because he didn’t entirely understand the workings of the station, Dash didn’t debate it with her He’d ask Logan later, and try to get an understanding of the pecking order Obviously the coh to rein her in?

Apparently not

Or, knowing how herthe co in trouble for it

GOING THROUGH THE STATION with Margo, Dash noted the attention she got from a dozen different officers and a few detectives So tooher injured must have been a real aberration for thean and Reese, see her as Superman, impervious to hurt?

At thatdown the hallway together

Their reactions were priceless

"Daan winced theatrically "Either you bruise easy or you should be in the damned hospital still"

Reese whistled "You’re all psychedelic, Lieutenant"

"Be quiet," Margo said without heat, cutting off any real sy bruises "Where are you off to?"

Logan, holding a file, said, "I was just going to do so out, but I’ve got a fewthe file, Logan folded his arms over his chest Suspicion sharpened his expression "Should you be here?"

Giving him a dead-eyed stare, her tone clipped, she said, "In my office Both of you"

Dash couldn’t help but admire her When necessary, the woman kne to crack the whip

"What the hell are you san demanded

Dash quickly tried to wipe away his alanced at hi"

"Take your time" Since his brother worked here, Dash was fa his way around was a piece of cake

All three of theo walk away, her step as strident as ever Once she entered her office, Logan shot Dash a questioning look

He held up the truck keys "I drove"

"Well, aren’t you handy to have around?" Reese elbowed Logan, but said to Dash, "She’s not supposed to be here"

Dash rubbed the back of his neck He didn’t want to betray a confidence, but he was pretty sure Reese and Logan were already aware of the situation "The coan stepped closer to keep their exchange private "He said she was off the case until the doc releases her"

"Yeah, she, ah--"

"Ignored hian’s Lifting both fists, he buether and pretended they exploded "That’s hoell they get along"

"Do you knohy?"

"She’s stubborn, that’s why" Reese san added