Page 86 of Exposed

I think about all the times I’ve sat in his office and chewed the shit with my boss for longer than I should have. Brax and Micah are tight. They have been since they were roommates in the academy.

The DEA is my second career. It’s a whole different battlefield than the one I was used to as a Ranger in the Army. It’s been an adjustment, but one I made easier since the man sitting in front of me pulled every string possible to get me back to Miami. It was my turn to step up for Trippy after Don died. Lake can only do so much from Illinois and she can’t be back and forth all the time with her asshole husband and Willa in school.

“You know, I thought you’d be different,” Tim starts as he stares out the window at the view of downtown. “Brax and Micah have been with me since they were young. Brax couldn’t see straight until he finished what he set out to do when he hired on. I knew he wouldn’t stop until he took down the Marinos. When I look back on it, that’s when I lost control.”

I frown. “Lost control?”

Tim looks back at me and sighs. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. I really wasn’t surprised by Brax. But Micah? I didn’t think Micah would ever settle down. Well, you know how that went.”

“Yeah,” I agree, hoping Tim just needs to talk it out. If that’s the case, I’m here for him. “I was here for the tail end of that.”

“But you?” He narrows his eyes on me. “I didn’t think you’d do this to me.”

I hold my hand out low. “For what it’s worth, I didn’t think I’d do this either.”

“Man, that does not make this okay. You made her a confidential informant ... and now this.”

I say nothing, because he’s not wrong, but I’m not about to confirm anything.

He leans forward and lowers his voice. “With Brax, we were basically wrapping shit up and had enough evidence to take down ninety percent of the cartel by the time Landyn came along. Micah might’ve used himself as a shield, but he was never a target. This is different.”

Tim is the shit, and we’re close. I’ve gotten to know his family. His in-laws live in the same community Trippy moved to three years ago. Hell, I’ve eaten more meals at his table than I have my own in the last year. Probably the year before that too. His wife is the shit.

Micah has Brax and vice versa.

In the short time I’ve been here, I feel like Tim is that to me. I have no fucking idea if he feels the same, because we talk work and sports. What we do not do is discuss shit like this.

I finally take a seat. “This isn’t different.”

His stare is intense. “It’s Carter and it’s in our backyard. You fucking know it’s different.”

“I can handle it.”

“You’ve never gone undercover with a group like the Carter Cartel. Not like this.”

“Are you saying I can’t do it?” I bite. “Because that pisses me off.”

“If I were asking you to bulldoze your way into a warzone to take out the enemy, I have no doubt you’d lead that charge and conquer all. But this is not that, and you know it.”

“I’ve been fine.”

“You have not been fine. I’ve listened to every op you’ve been on undercover. You might’ve been fine last night, but before then, you were awkward as fuck, and you know it.”

I shrug that off. “I had to pop my cherry. I’m good.”

“Better is not good. And I wouldn’t normally worry about a confidential informant. They know what they’re getting themselves into, but she is not normal. You know Dex Carter. You’ve been after him for years. You cannot afford to be exposed. Even here in Miami, I’m afraid of what will happen. So now I’ve got to worry about you not only watching your own back, but hers, too, because all I’ve had to do is listen to you for five minutes on the feed last night to know you have lost your fucking head over that woman.”

“My head is just fine,” I assure him.

“Is that so?” He leans back in his chair. “Did you go home last night?”

He knows exactly where I was last night. Micah was as chipper as a puppy when I got here this morning and told me that Tim knows everything. “I’m a grown fucking man, so I’m not going to answer that.”

“That’s because you know that I know. You’re lucky I’ve allowed you to continue with this Daniel Armstrong bit, because you might be solid in every other part of the job, but undercover you are as fresh as newly fallen snow.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me,” I assure him. “And I can fucking assure you nothing will happen to Goldie.”

He lifts a hand to point at me like he’s dotting a damn exclamation point. “And that right there is what will get you exposed.”

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