Ballistic (27 page)

“You dare accuse me of being dirty?” he screamed in my face. “After everything I’ve done for you?”

“I’m not accusing,” I whisper
ed. “The evidence suggests---”

“The evidence suggests?”

“If you would let me finish---”

“Get out,” he
said, pushing me toward the door. “Don’t show your face in here again. Next time your behind those bars, you will fucking stay there.”

Standing outside of his office with cops and civilian alike staring at me, I quietly
threw my bag over my shoulder made my way to the main level. Although I’m hurt by his words, the fact was, he was lying. He refused to answer any of my questions. If he had nothing to hide, he wouldn’t have turned on me. I knew this day would come. I did everything I could, checked under every rock, before mentioning it. But the second I did, the captain showed his true colors. Even though I knew it was a matter of time, it still fucking hurt
.

Keeping my promise to work quickly wasn’t difficult. Another officer dead. Same scene, no witnesses, my name as requested profiler.  Not like there’s a ton of us to choose from, but still. With my new in demand status, I haven’t even had the chance to return the voicemails. These men are being picked off one by one and there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to help them. Funny how the one man who thinks I’m a joke, is the same man requesting me to get the job done. Normally, I would work one case at a time for the best results but seeing as no others have been called in to assist; it’s safe to say I’m getting screwed. I’ve decided he wants me to work myself to death to save him the trouble. Tonight is Jules’ surprise party which I want to be a part of but I’m also well aware attending it will set me back considerably. After making my appearance, I have to spend the rest of my time getting officers on my side before we’re left with nothing but holding our dicks.

When
Anthony picks me up, I relay what I have so far and he goes quiet on me. It isn’t until we pull up next to my truck in his driveway, that he speaks. “Put in for time off,” he demands. “I don’t like this. You’re too exposed out there. If someone is doing this to get your attention, I need to take you out of the equation before someone else does.”

“Okay.”

“I’m serious,” he growls at me. “This isn’t a fucking game. You’re benched, Lina.”

“I said
okay
, coach.”

“Good,” he says
, getting out and coming around to open my door. “Let’s go and wish her well so we can get back here and finish your reports.”

Taking his hand and following him in
, I set my bag down and grab a cigarette. “When the reports are done I have to return these voicemails. I have to save as many as possible.”

“I’ll even help you,” he says
, lighting his own, then pulling me to him. “I’m not trying to cage you, just keep you safe. We aren’t going to make this easy for them.”

“I agree,” I tell him
, tapping the ash in the tray. “After the reports are done and the calls are returned, I need Rogan or Rafe, maybe both, to get the captain alone for me.”

“Why?”

“To see which side he’s on, in person.”

“This is too risky,” he says
, exhaling. “Let them do it.”

“I have to do it, coach,” I remind him
, tapping my head. “It’s my turn at bat.”

“Stay on the fucking bench for this one,” he warns me
.

“I can’t,” I tell him
. “You know I can’t.”

“Then I’ll be right there with you.”

“Are you sure you want to be seen with me?”

“I won’t be without you,” he says
, kissing my temple. “If he puts it together, he puts it together. It can only work in our favor.”

That night at the Green Dot Stables
, we ate our weight in sliders, drank Boones Farm and made the night about Jules. Before we left, I took Rogan and Rafe to the side and told them what I needed them to do. If they were reluctant, it didn’t show. In fact, they looked relieved. Since Jules came into town and started looking under rocks, the captain shut shadow squad down and put them back on the cases not even a rookie would have been saddled with. The captain was flexing his muscles and it was pissing people off.

Little did
the captain know, the team was in full swing with Max funding it privately. He may have wanted to disband the squad, but the opposite happened, because no one was ready to back away yet. Plus, they wanted to protect themselves. They’re still doing what they always did, it’s just that now he’s isn’t privy to the details and we’re recruiting our own players.

Players we can trust.

It is nine thirty pm when we arrive home. Pushing the reports to the side, I pick up the phone and dial the first number from my list of calls. His name is Carlo and he wants to meet with me as soon as possible. He was approached by a stranger he can’t identify and claims he denied the offer and now he feels like he’s living on borrowed time. We set the meeting for tomorrow at the Mercury Bar, and he told me his attorney would be joining him. Of course I was curious why he would even need an attorney, but decide I’d address that in person tomorrow afternoon.

Two hours later
, I have seven other officers on board. They agree to be my eyes and ears out there. None of them needed a meeting. They need reassurance that they are fighting for something good. I give them that, hoping that I wasn’t setting them up for an execution as thanks. Scrolling down to my final call, when it goes to voicemail and I hear the name, I scratch him off my list. He was one of the reports I was set to finish, but didn’t get to him in time.

“What is it about her?” I ask
ed him taking a seat across from him (WHO?). The guy was is miserable. Quite frankly, he’s always miserable and if I didn’t follow his wife when I could, I’d blame her for this. But it wasn’t her, it was him. All of his misery was his own doing. I saw her searching the shadows with hope in her eyes, only it never comes. Even after all these years, she still waits for him. However, I didn’t tell him this because, for some reason, he won’t get out of his own way.

“I miss her,” he
said quietly. “It’s been so long that I don’t know how to fix it. If it can even be fixed.”

“To fix something
, you actually have to make an effort, Max.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” he
argued. “Christ, I haven’t seen or heard from her in four years, Tony. She could come for me too, you know.”

“You left her behind,” I remind
ed him. “Why should she come?”

“Because I fucking need her!”

To need a woman like that is foreign to me. Max had what I’ve waited my whole life for, but he was a coward. It angered me to know there’s a woman out there that loves him so much that she doesn’t date or even speak to other men outside of her team. She’s that faithful. I know that, he doesn’t. So when I told him about the guy I always see her with, I had hoped it would prompt him to get her back. It didn’t. Now I’ve got my own woman to chase down and Max was going to have to handle his wife on his own. I wasn’t so confident he could, but I had my own hands full.  34 DD full, if I’m guessing right.

She stayed up all night working, only this time I let her because she agreed to take time off. She can sleep the day away if she wants to as long as she stays here. Heading upstairs, my intent
is to put her into bed and go over her work while she was asleep. However, when I open the door, I see her dressed with her bag in hand searching.

“Looking for something?”

“My keys,” she mumbled. “I don’t remember where I left them.”

“I have them,” I tell her
. “You’re working from home. You haven’t slept, you don’t need keys.”

“I have a meeting,” she
said, moving around me. “Where did you put them?”

“A meeting?”

“Yeah, with a cop and before you say anything, the kid’s a nervous wreck already so you’re sitting this one out.”

“The hell I am,” I argue
d. “You are not meeting up with a fucking random and leaving me behind because he’s nervous.”

“Yes,” she
said, sticking her hand out. “I am.”

“No you’re not!”

“What can I do to make this easier for you?” she asks with sincerity that blows me away. I know she has to do this, even if I don’t like it. What bothers me most is that she seems to excel at this relationship whereas I feel like I’m playing catch up.

“Wear the Kevlar,” I tell her and before she can protest
I continue, “wear the fucking Kevlar or you won’t leave this room.”

“I can’t wear it
, knowing they don’t have the same luxury because there is no budget for it.”

“I don’t care what happens to him or anyone else!”

“I do!” she yells back.

“I care what happens to
you
!” I yell at her and she puts her hands up backing away.

“You win,” she says
, walking down the steps. “I’ll wear the fucking Kevlar.”

Following her down
, I take her arm, turning her toward me. “No way it was that easy,” I accuse her. “What are you trying to pull?”

Looking offended
, she shrugs, taking her arm back. “I’m not trying to pull anything,” she says, rolling her eyes. “If it’s important to you, I’ll wear it. I asked what I could do. If this is it, then consider it done.”

At a loss of what to say
, and baffled she gave in, I reached into the cupboard, removing them from the peg and handing them to her. Even though Max said I need to let her be her, the thought of her going alone felt wrong. That’s when another thought occurs to me. “I’m putting the app back on your phone.”

“Now you’re pushing it,” she says
, heading toward the door. “But your effort was commendable. If you promise not to show up, I’ll tell you where I’m headed.”

“Fine,” I groan
trying to figure out how to work around her rules.

“You have to promise me,” she says smiling
, and right this very second that gift of hers is a pain in my ass. “I promise,” I mumble.

“Say it like you mean it,” she says
, tickling my stomach.

“Knock it off,” I grumble while fighting a laugh
. “Okay alright! I promise!”

“Mercury Bar in one hour
. He’s bringing his attorney.”

“Why in the fuck would a cop need an attorney?”

“That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?”

“Go get ‘em Sherlock,” I whisper
, kissing her.

“Thanks
, Coach. Oh and that language of yours? I approve.”

“Yeah well, I was never this bad until I met you.”

“My positive influence is at work here and speaking of work, I’m out.”

Slapping her ass
, I watch her jump up into her Hummer and back out of the driveway. No sooner did she hit the road, I was on the phone to Jules. I promised her I wouldn’t show up, but there was no mention of anyone else.

“Hey Tony,” she says
, on the second ring. “How’s my girl?”

“Off on another mission to save the city,” I tell her
. “She made me promise not to show up. I need one of your guys to do it.”

When she’s quiet
, I up the ante. “Jules, I don’t have a good feeling about this. I wouldn’t ask otherwise. Send whoever is closest, just to make sure she’s safe.”

“Shit,” she mumbles
, then I hear her relay it to Max who agrees Saint is the best choice. “I’ll send him, but… if he’s made she’s going to know it’s me. If I go down, so do you. I’ll blame it on the pain meds and hang you out to dry. Sending you his contact info now.”

“Mercury Bar one hour,” I tell her
. “And thank you, Jules. I hope you’re giving Max a hard time.”

“Me? Please, I’m already working out again,” she says
, then whispers, laughing. “He hates it.”

Disconnecting the call
, I wait to receive Saint‘s information, then text him so he has my information as well. Opening a fresh bottle of wine, I take a hardy gulp, needing something to occupy me until she’s back here where she belongs. Printing off the various pictures I’ve taken of her, I store them in a drawer until the time was right to reveal them.

Working on my second glass
, my phone rings and I swipe it quickly. “Saint, she’s okay?”

“If pissed off qualifies as okay then yeah
, she’s fine.”

“Why is she pissed off?”

“Whoever this attorney is, she ain’t happy to see his mug. I know that much.”

“Send me a photo now and stay on her.”

“Already on it,” he says in his deep voice. “I don’t know her, but I do know dudes. This dude wants her. Looks like you have some competition, my man.”

Hanging up I already know who the fucking attorney is before the photo came through. When it does
, I white knuckle my phone debating on whether I should break my promise first, followed by Julian’s neck, or just wing it. The only thing keeping me here is the fact that she’s no longer interested in him, if she ever truly was. A chill races down my spine when I ask myself what the fuck he’s even doing at that bar. He’s a criminal defense attorney, not a fucking pro bono worker and he shouldn’t know anything about this.