Kate Hoffmann - Conor

“I-I just came to tell you that the D.A. cut a deal last night with Kevin Ford. He’ll testify against Keenan in return for a plea bargain on his own charges. He was also interviewed by Internal Affairs and he gave them the name of the cop that tried to coerce him. Ford has papers and tapes and enough evidence to put Keenan away for a long time. Olivia won’t have to testify.”

“You’re sure?” Conor asked.

“She was the only one to connect Ford to Keenan. With the evidence that Ford turned over, there’ll be a lot of Keenan’s associates who will be offering up testimony in exchange for deals. She should be safe.”

“We’re not sure of that,” Conor said, suddenly faced with the fact that this might be their last day together. “Not until the trial.”

“Word on the street is that Keenan has already cancelled the contract on her life.”

Conor took a long sip of his coffee. This was it, then. He could take Olivia home this morning and they could both go on with their lives. What they shared together last night would fade into a distant memory. And he wouldn’t have a chance to make her feel what he’d forced her to say last night-that she loved him.

Danny swallowed convulsively. “How’s your side?”

Conor shrugged. He’d almost forgotten. Olivia had a way of making all his pain just disappear. “I’m all right.”

“There is one other thing,” Danny murmured. “The lieutenant wants to see you this morning.”

“I suppose he wants to reprimand me for not checking in on a regular basis. Or maybe I’m going to have to pay for all those broken windows at the Happy Patriot?”

“I think it might be more serious than that.” Danny paused. “Can I speak freely, sir?”

“Only if you stop calling me ‘sir.’ We’re both detectives, Danny. We’re partners. Although I may be a few years older than you, I don’t outrank you.”

Danny nodded, then continued. “You know the captain’s not a big fan of yours. He’s been looking for anything to bust you back down to a beat cop. He thinks you have no respect for authority. And after the incident with that con man, he’s been gunning for you. There’s talk that he’s going to have you investigated, maybe brought up on charges.”

“And why would he do that?”

“They found out about your visit to Kevin Ford and his lawyers claim that you might have threatened him.”

“Did Ford tell them that?”

Danny shook his head, then gave Conor’s appearance the once-over. “The captain also suspects that you and-” He cleared his throat. “You and the witness might have developed a…personal relationship. Is that true?”

“What do you think?” Conor muttered. Sure, it was true and it was very personal. It was more personal than he’d ever been with any other woman. And if that was a crime, then let him be guilty. “You don’t have to answer that,” he added.

“You’re sleeping with her,” Danny said. “And that’s against just about every written and unwritten rule the Boston P.D. has. I want you to know that I like working with you and I’d be disappointed if something happened to put our partnership at risk.”

Conor clapped Danny on the shoulder and smiled tightly. “You can talk to the lieutenant and tell him I’ll be in later this morning. I’ll answer whatever questions he has. And if the captain wants to investigate, he’s welcome to do that. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

“Danny!”

They both turned to find Olivia standing in the doorway to the galley kitchen. She was dressed only in Conor’s flannel shirt, the tails barely reaching her thighs. Her hair was mussed and her lips slightly puffy. Conor wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, a perfect start to the day. But he held back. Last night was supposed to be the last time, he told himself.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Have you come to protect me?”

“Actually,” Conor said, “Danny just stopped by to give me a message from my boss. He was just leaving, weren’t you, Danny.”

“But you can stay for coffee, can’t you?” Olivia asked. “We haven’t had much company.” She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a mug of coffee. “I wanted to thank you for bringing over my things from the cottage on Cape Cod.”

Danny grinned, instantly besotted with her. What was this power she had over men? Conor wondered. All she had to do was smile at them and they went soft in the head. “No problem. I took home that seafood stuff myself.”

“The paella?”

Danny nodded. “It was really good. You’re a good cook, Ms. Farrell.”

She smiled. “Has the district attorney contacted you, Danny?”

“The district attorney?” Danny asked.

Conor shook his head, warning him off. “Danny really has to leave, Olivia. He’s late for work.”

She held the coffee in her hands and breathed in the steam. “But shouldn’t I talk to the D.A. before I testify? I mean, that’s what they do on television, isn’t it? I can’t just walk in there and answer his questions, can I? Doesn’t he have to prepare me?”

Danny glanced back and forth between them, then smiled wanly. “Yes. I-I mean, I don’t know. I guess that would depend.”

Conor turned Danny around and pushed him out of the kitchen toward the door. “Aren’t you going to tell her the good news?” Danny asked.

“Go back to the station,” Conor murmured. “I’ll see you later today.” He pulled open the door, gently shoved Danny out, closing it behind him. Then he turned and leaned back against the door. Conor’s mind turned over all the possibilities, all the ways he could tell her that their time together was over. But he couldn’t. He needed more time, just another day or two, time enough to see if what they shared would last in the real world, time to see if there was any truth to the words he’d made her say the night before.

He wanted to believe Olivia could love him, but the real truth was staring him right in the eyes. They were from two different worlds. He was a cop, making a cop’s salary and living a cop’s life. She deserved more than that. She deserved a man who could stand beside her at her society parties, who could meet her rich friends and make intelligent conversation, not some guy who’d taken night courses to finish college and who preferred police reports to good literature.

“I probably shouldn’t have come out when Danny was here,” Olivia murmured.

Conor turned. Olivia stood in the dining room, looking delicate and vulnerable and completely kissable. But he held his ground. “No problem.”

“What if he says something?”

“Danny knows when to keep his mouth shut,” Conor said. He pushed off the door and walked into the dining room, then picked up his clothes. He was afraid to look at her again, afraid that he’d want to take her into his arms and make love to her for the rest of the day.

“I can make you some breakfast,” Olivia said.

Conor smiled tightly. “That’s all right. I wouldn’t want you to set the kitchen on fire.” He glanced up at her and saw disappointment suffuse her pretty face. He’d insulted her. “I’m sorry. I have to go. My boss wants to see me this morning and I can’t keep him waiting.”

Olivia nodded and she watched as he got dressed. By the time he pulled on his socks and shoes, her brow was furrowed and she was worrying at her lower lip with her teeth. Conor grabbed his jacket and his holster, then stepped over to her to drop a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Don’t go out,” he warned. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

When he reached the safety of the hallway, he leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. “You should just walk away now,” he murmured to himself. “Just let her go while you still can.”