her drink, pressing into the damp gl

wh

illing to give a

eyes. If she gave him any sort of encouragement, they'd no doubt

a woman would want in r

f he didn't abdicate his responsibility. If he took that responsibility

owly. "That

ce but to step up to the plate. Many times she has children to think about. Herself. Her family. As a result, wom

a species have dropped the ba

r fair share of fucki

ng could be further from the truth. But she was only just now sorting out her feelings when it came to relationships. She was on the cusp of a s

I sound like a preachy, man-hating piranha, when in fact what I really want-" She

ing look. "What do

you

across the bar toward them. She couldn't be sure, but sh

then stood between her and Gray as he

e?" Faith asked. "I tho

. Later, though. We'

vely mysteriou

o ask Faith if she wanted something to eat.

ve to get to." She'd leave off the fact that she was getting waxed and pampered

over at him and was surprised to see something

heck on this conve

icah's curious stare out

e other ti

en flashed a smile in Micah's direction bef

e cameras set up?" Pop

other man. "Yeah, just got the last one operational. I'll giv

s own cell phone to h

s set up on my end," he said when Connor answ

alled. He was the computer expert. A real geek when it came to technology. Gray was more of a grunt worker. He understo

camera B needs to be angled up maybe an inch. If you did that, I'd not only get

o," Gra

hile up here, so I'll catch u

oom and across the building to where camera B was installed. After adjusting the angle,

here Pop stood. "Connor said he'd be a while w

Let's grab so

or their food. Gray wanted to ask about Faith and her relationship with her mom, but h

outhed ways by chance. Still, Gray needed to find out as much abo

so far?" Pop asked,

was doubtful when Mick suggested the change of scenery, but

partner's f

llowing around the sud

losing a partner. I was a cop myself a lifetime ago. Los

said bleakly. "In every

aseball. Nights over at Alex's house and his mother's home cooking. Wrestling matches with Mick in the ba

acked up to be. Faith couldn't be more of a daughter to me if sh

at Pop had adopted Faith. He'd learned it from Mick's inves

ilence for confusion, bec

Faith. Thre

brow. "But she

me. I wanted her to have that love an

childhood," Gray said in a low voice. O

Pop waved his hand in a dismissive gestur

y asked casually. "No one menti

ther is a leech plain and simple. She uses people, including her own da

thing to do with

n good. She spent a lot of years taking care of Celia. Years she should have spen

ice. He swallowed and took

things because I was concerned for Faith. I wanted her to have a good home. But then her mother up and left in the middle of the night and took Faith with her. I went crazy trying to find her. It wasn't until five years later that I got a

ugh," Gray

is graying hair. "I shouldn't be boring you with all this. It's just

omething was bothering h

ng. It took a while to gain that little girl's trust when Connor a

after that and never contacte

Faith had confided in Pop. Then it wouldn't lo

Pop leaned forward, fixing Gray with a hard stare.

a veritable stranger, if he didn't want Faith to know. But Pop seem

ot to come anywhere near Faith again." Pop rubbed a hand wearily over his face. "Not my proudest moment, I'll gran

e money and agr

you view your only daughter as

ich could be good for him and Mick, because with Samuels pulling Celia's strings, her

to Houston. If Celia had been successful in getting money through Faith's connection to Pop, then she'

young life." His voice took on a more purposeful tone, and he leaned

a lead-up to the "warning." Don't fuck with his daughter. Gray didn'

ou. You make a damn fine cop. I have no doubt about that. But I don't want you messing ar

"You make her sound like a damn to

. A nice home and security." His emphasis on security drove home to Gray what Pop wanted

nd," Gray s

nt you to take it the wrong way. Faith could certainly do a lot worse than a m

t that he'd never expressed the desire for a relati

etrified, all rolled into one, about her appointment tonight. Sex on the brain made for some