The Lawman's Secret Vow. Tara Randel

Dante taunted her about tagging along, but wisely chose to stay on the sidelines in the end. She was a much better cheerleader than participant.

      “If you change your mind, maybe we can form a team. It’s not too late to sign up.”

      Team up? Did he know her? She was anything but athletic.

      “Sorry, Tom. I’m going to pass.”

      “But you are going?”

      “Um... I’ll try.”

      “Then we can hang out. There’s a barbecue after the run.”

      “I’ll see what I can do.” She noticed a movement from the corner of her eye. The lieutenant ushered Dante into his office while Dante briskly knotted his tie before entering the room.

      “Listen, I need to run. We’ll talk another time.”

      “Sure. Ah, have a good day.”

      “I will.”

      She hung up, her attention already focused on the drama sure to play out on the other side of the office door. Brandy rolled over in a chair from a nearby desk.

      “It’s gonna hit the fan now.” She practically squealed in delight. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall.”

      So would Eloise, not that she’d admit it out loud.

      Having previously seen Dante’s face when the lieutenant spoke to him, reading his body language had become second nature to her. Not only because of the annoying attraction, ugh, but because she always thought Dante made a good cop. If he could temper his restlessness, that is. He was smart, but he couldn’t stand still to save his life. Was it a lifelong problem? Was he one of those guys who craved an adrenaline rush? Questions like that popped into her head from time to time, especially when he got himself into hot water with the commanding officers. And he and Chambers were definitely oil and water.

      “Do you think he’ll suspend Dante?”

      Eloise hoped not. He was too valuable on the job, when he wasn’t making rash decisions. “I have no idea.”

      “Desk duty?”

      “He’s already on that.”

      “Then what?”

      “I’m not going to guess.” She met Brandy’s gaze. “And you shouldn’t, either. It’s none of our business.”

      Brandy pouted. “Can’t help it. Office politics have always intrigued me.”

      “Don’t you have a crime scene to investigate?”

      “As a matter of fact, I do. I was hoping to hold off a few more minutes to see the outcome.”

      Eloise held back an eye roll. “If you don’t leave now, someone will report you.”

      “Not Sam,” Brandy said, referring to the patrolman currently working the same case as Brandy. “He likes me.”

      “Not if his job is on the line.”

      “True.” Brandy stood and rolled the chair back. “Let me know what happens.”

      As if she’d be privy to the details. Dante could be very closemouthed when need be.

      She watched Brandy hurry away, reminded that she had plenty of calls of her own to make. If she wanted to get the promotion, she needed to worry about herself, not the meeting going on in the lieutenant’s office.

      * * *

      “YOU NEARLY COST us on your last assignment, Matthews.”

      “I went over it with you. It was unexpected. Stone caught on when he saw the police cruiser stopped outside the house. It was either reveal the op early or lose it all.”

      “You know the only saving grace is the fact that the sheriff’s department has an ongoing investigation with related drug dealers.”

      “Trust me, I get it.”

      The lieutenant sent him a steely glance. “Do you?”

      Not again. Every time something went off script, Chambers came down on him like a hammer to a nail. The undercover investigation had been right on target, until the rookie had forced Dante to make a snap decision. It was like Chambers got enjoyment out of making him squirm.

      “I know the other team on this case. They’ll tie the entire ring together. With the information I acquired, these guys will go away for a long time.”

      Chambers merely grunted in agreement.

      Dante’s knee started jumping. He forced pressure on it with his hand to keep the lieutenant from noticing.

      “That’s not why I called you in here.”

      But you couldn’t resist mentioning it yet again, Dante thought.

      “With the possibility of a future undercover case coming your way, I need to know I can rely on you to keep your cool and get the job done.”

      “You know I always follow protocol, sir.”

      “And your idea of protocol is improvising?”

      Why did this conversation not seem different from the one they’d started out with?

      “I’ll be honest, I’m worried about you, Matthews. How many undercover operations have you been part of in the last year?”

      “Three.”

      “And while two have been successful, I wonder if it’s too much.”

      Okay, taking down high-risk criminals was intense work. Pretending to be someone other than himself for extended periods of time took a toll. He’d learned to conceal the fear or anxiety in a dicey situation, while reveling in the adrenaline rush during a bust. He had no problem arresting the bad people under surveillance when the time came. It was the innocent bystanders who were pulled into a criminal lifestyle by association or relationships that did a number on his head. Undercover jobs weren’t for everyone, but it worked for Dante.

      “I think you should sit out the next assignment. Handle more routine calls coming into the department.”

      Dante controlled his annoyance by staring at the family picture of Chambers, his wife and kids displayed on a credenza behind the desk. Family. It’s what got him into law enforcement in the first place, a love-hate relationship he dealt with daily.

      “Is this coming from you or higher up?” he finally asked.

      “A mutual decision.”

      He nodded. At least he wasn’t suspended, or worse. He’d made a mistake. Would take his lumps, even if it meant the dreaded desk duty.

      “Is that all?”

      “One last question.”

      Dante swallowed a sigh.

      “Do you wish to move up in your career?”

      Unexpected. Chambers had never discussed Dante’s career path before. “Move up, sir?”

      “You do know we need to fill the sergeant position.”

      “Everyone knows.”

      “You passed the exam. It’s been brought to my attention that a supervisory position might be a good move for you.”

      The sergeant job? Yeah, it sounded appealing, but with his rep, he doubted he’d be in the running. And he doubly doubted Chambers wanted him in the position.

      “Think about it,” the lieutenant said, rising, which Dante took as his cue to end the meeting.

      “I will. Thank you.”

      “Don’t thank me yet.”

      As Dante closed the door behind him, he yanked at his tie. The conversation with Chambers set his mind in motion and the idea of being weighed