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She frowned as she went through every pocket of the wallet Where was her driver’s license? She looked up to see the detective handing driver’s licenses back to Jake, Tom, and Peter Then the detective focused his attention on her

"Miss Greiston, your driver’s license?"

Chapter 16

Alicia felt hot with erilling her while Jake and his brother and their own sheriff gave her one? And when had she lost it?

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d noticed it "I seem to have misplaced it"

Detective Hanover nodded, as if that wasn’t important, that he already kneho she was "Can you tell me in your oords why you returned to your apart a sheriff of the same town, and what your relationship is to everyone, Miss Greiston?"

How did Alicia tell the detective she was "married" to Jake when she wasn’t? Not really She had no paper proof And not even his name to call her own For the first time, she realized just how rown up with the notion and it see tied to someone as his life mate and yet un she never wanted tothe way she felt about Jake and her need to be with him ever since they’d parted, she realized her only reason to swear offsort

She couldn’t have asked for a man as more concerned for her, more protective, and wanted to make her happy in the worst way She’d never had anyone care for her like that How could she not want to be married to a man like that?

But as she to say to humans in a situation like this?

She squeezed Jake’s hand "Jake and I are engaged to be married"

She focused on the detective’s eyes but sensed the tension in the roo Jake, Tom, and Peter Worse, just as the words spilled from her lips, another two police officers escorted Mario’s henchman down the stairs, and she was sure he’d heard what she’d said If he had a chance to speak to Mario, he’d tell him what she’d said Then Mario would have even more of a reason to eliminate Jake: to hurt her

She didn’t speak any further until the policemen had taken the man outside, followed by the paralanced down at her hand, but Jake’s hand was covering hers and hiding any ring she ement?" the detective asked

"Yes We o"

His brows raised and he shifted his attention to Jake, who gave hi Jake had either been suckered into the relationship or was a really fast ht," she clarified, just in case the policehtly a

"Tom is Jake’s brother, as I’m sure you already know" She motioned to him "And Peter is sheriff of Silver Town," she said coolly

"So you take a bunch of ar trouble One of er, and she says you have been paying the rent but haven’t been here in some weeks Why cos Because of the trouble I had with Mario Constantino’s ht in Crestview--I overhead Jake already apprise you of the situation--I’ve et ht not be safe if I ca ht"

The detective leaned back in the chair, putting welcome distance between them "You could have called us and let us check out the place first"

"Would you have spared any ate on an unfounded assu for a ot really tricky She tried not to reveal any e her mother’s connection, but her damned voice broke when she said, "My mother…" She paused and looked down at the coffee table, trying to keep the tears flooding her eyes fro down her cheeks But she couldn’t control her feelings where herone of the men orked for Mario I don’t have any idea what Tony Thoot her killed And the guy upstairs? He was friends with the ain and his steely look pinned her with the question before he even asked it--"what about you? What was your association with thisyour mother before they were both ht he ht be a member of the Mob I worried for her safety" Her voice hardened to fight the tears "She wouldn’t listen to ot her killed"

"Are you sure there wasn’t so more to this whole case? Seems odd that Constantino would come after you when only your mother was involved with ato put his," she coldly said

"As a bounty hunter," the detective said "We ran a check on your background You’ve successfully brought in a nuerous It seeue on this one When it beco to kill hier This was not helping, but Jake had said the saered the response

The detective continued in the same tranquil manner She wished she sounded a lot uessed that with Jake and Peter’s finding Mario’sthe shots fired, and then worrying that Jake or Peter had been hit, she’d been unnerved ht

"Did you think Constantino would be here waiting for you today?" the detective asked

"No I wouldn’t be that naive He sends his henchmen to do his dirty work"