The WAG and the Scoundrel by Debbie McGowan

Author:Debbie McGowan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Published: 2016-08-21T00:00:00+00:00

16. Back to Basics

“It’s your fault, you know,” Rob said as he approached Gray, who was standing at the bar with a glass of orange juice in front of him.

“What’s that?”

“Me saying yes.” At Gray’s enquiring—and concerned—head tilt, Rob grinned. It wasn’t a serious accusation. “Hedley asked me to take the case. I’m on secondment.”

If Gray was at all surprised, he did an excellent job of covering it. “How are you doing, Rob? What are you drinking, by the way?”

“Coke, cheers. Yeah, I’m not bad. You?”

“I’m OK, thanks.” Gray kept his eyes on the bartender, which wasn’t that odd, given he was waiting to be served, but Rob picked up on something behind the automatic response.

“You don’t sound so sure.”

“Don’t I?” He frowned, then shrugged. “A friend of mine’s going through a rough patch. I guess it’s on my mind.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Rob didn’t push the issue. Gray had never been the kind to share personal information. Even admitting he had friends was more than he’d shared the entire time they were in the SIU, although he’d been frank when they’d last met. A little too frank in some respects, and Rob was glad Josh had given him the bare basics in advance. He wasn’t sure how he’d have reacted to the news Gray was a widower and that his deceased partner was male. As far as anyone in the SIU knew—with the exception, possibly, of Dom Hooper—Gray was a typical arrogant pen-pushing senior officer who got the job done and was good for a few beers after work but didn’t give a toss about anyone, including the wife he never went home to see.

Knowing what made the real Gray Fisher tick also made it easier for Rob to forgive him for what he’d done, or not forgive so much as understand. Rob had been a bit of a soft arse at high school, which, if nothing else, had kept him out of trouble. Then he’d joined the army and come out a different person. Conflict no longer bothered him, although he didn’t go looking for it, unlike a few of his old army mates, who were always spoiling for a fight. To them, everyone was the enemy, and the smallest stirring of trouble could get blown out of proportion. Life was a struggle, and they lost friends, spouses, family. They hadn’t adjusted well to civilian life.

Truth be told, neither had Rob. He’d joined the police, which had helped him to decompress without losing the discipline and routine. What he’d seen in Bosnia would be a part of him forever, and it had been highly effective desensitisation, but with the police, he’d been able to keep it in perspective. He had a clear sense of who ‘the enemy’ was and could hold off on retaliating when it was nothing personal. However, if Travis laid a finger on Zoë or Lucas, Rob would kill him without a second thought. It wasn’t mindless. Rob still believed in the sanctity of life, but he’d seen enough to know that taking one life could save a lot of others.

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