Unauthorized Affair (Unauthorized #1)(50)

Ryker pulled Ivy to him and kissed her on the forehead, then he gave Jen a low five. Jen’s grin spread over her face slowly, but solidly. She tried to catch Hunter’s eye but he wouldn’t look at her. Her grin slipped a little.

The door to the room opened and Assistant Chief Powell walked in. He spotted Hunter and headed for them. He shook Hunter’s hand. “Good work out there tonight.” Before Hunter could answer, Powell changed the subject. “The DA has appointed me Chief until the next election.” Hunter grabbed his hand back and pumped it.

“Congrats Chief! It should have been you all along.”

Powell smiled, then dropped his hand. “I need an assistant chief.”

Hunter rolled his eyes back and took a deep breath like he was thinking. “You want my opinion?”

“No.”

Hunter pulled his head back a little. Jen looked at both men nervously.

“I want you to be my assistant chief.”

Ivy clapped her hands and clasped them to her mouth. Ryker shuffled his feet and chucked Hunter on the shoulder. Hunter looked stunned. Jen took a step back and felt her heart fall through the floor. He would be crazy to say no. But if he didn’t, he’d be her boss again. A cold shiver of heartbreak ran through her.


Hunter looked around, but still wouldn’t meet Jen’s eyes.

“I need an answer Foley, we’ve got a lot of work to do patching up this department.”

“I, uh, I’d be honored, Sir, but there’s some things I need to work out with you first.”

“Name them.”

“Privately, if that’s OK.”

“Yes, follow me to my office.”

Hunter turned to them, still avoiding Jen’s eyes. “Wait upstairs for me. I’ll need to give you your hotel information.”

And just like that, he was gone. Jen looked around wildly for a bathroom, not wanting to cry in public, but feeling the hot tears pressing against her eyes, demanding to fall.

Ivy saw her face and took her hand. “We’ll meet you upstairs, Ryker.”

She pulled Jen to a bathroom and held her. “What’s wrong, Jen?”

“Nothing. I’m just tired. And stressed. And PMSing maybe.”

Ivy said nothing. Jen didn’t care if Ivy believed her or not. She’d tell Ivy later, when they weren’t in the police station anymore. She needed to tell someone. Pain seared through her.

When she calmed down she wiped her eyes and they went to find Ryker. Jen didn’t want to go to a hotel room. She wanted to go home. Surely Sara and Jerry were protection enough for her. She’d just tell Hunter—

He walked in the room, straight to Ivy and Ryker. “Do you two want one room or two?”

“One,” Ivy said.

Hunter nodded. “That’s what I thought. Your key is waiting for you at the front desk. Stay together.” He turned to Jen, and grabbed her hand when she wouldn’t stop pacing to look at him. “Jen, come outside with me please.”

Jen let him pull her outside, the tears building again. This is where he tells me we can’t see each other. We can’t even have that one night he promised me.

He walked her to his truck and turned her to face him. He wiped the one tear that had spilled down her right cheek gently, with the ball of his thumb. “I told the Chief I would take the job, but on two conditions.”

She snuffled. “What are they?”

“One, I told him that you and Ivy and Ryker need to get full credit for this bust, which is one of the biggest in WHPD history. It needs to go in your personnel file and your names need to be on the reports.”

Jen didn’t say anything, not caring about the reports or the files or the bust at all. Only waiting for her heart to get ripped in half.

“And then I explained to him our … situation. I told him that we’d fallen in love, but we hadn’t actually dated or done anything about it, because you were a recruit and I was your boss. I think he believed me.”

Jen swallowed. “Love?”

“I told him I couldn’t take the job because I wanted to be free to date you.”

Jen couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’d do that for me?”

Hunter wiped another tear away. “I’d do anything for you.”

Jen grabbed his hand and tried to step into his arms. He held up a finger and held her back.

“He appointed me assistant chief, but of operations. He left Carver’s other assistant chief as director of personnel. So that means I have nothing to do with personnel. And it’s perfectly legal for me to date you.” Jen uttered a little shriek of surprise and joy. “But, not until you are out of recruit class.”

Jen wilted. “Oh my God. How long is recruit class again?”

“Five months.”

Jen tried to walk on legs that suddenly felt creaky. “Five months. Five months. I can do that. I can wait that long. I’m sure I can,” she said to herself, under her breath.

Hunter watched her, his expression unreadable. She whirled to face him. “And you agreed to it?”

“Actually, I told him I respected that, but wondered if there was any wiggle room for discretion.”

“And he said?” Jen’s voice trailed off weakly. Hunter stepped in close to her and whispered in her ear, “He said there is always wiggle room for discretion.”