Page 69 of Draven

Louise downs the rest of her coffee and rises to her feet. “Let’s go eat,” she says. “Tomorrow, it’s showtime.”

Chapter 25

Louise

The next morning, my knees won’t stop shaking as I park my car in my usual spot at work. Draven and I stayed up all night, going over and over our plans until I almost felt too prepared. He hasn’t tried to dissuade me again, but the worry in the depth of his eyes told me he wasn’t happy with my decision. I wish I didn’t have to do this, either. I’d have been even more nervous without the security of Dayton’s tattoo, too. I keep touching it, reminding myself of its presence as though it might have fallen off in the night. Then I get frustrated at how stupid that thought is. Nerves. That’s all this is. As soon as I walk on stage, so to speak, I’ll calm down.

Following my normal routine, I go to my office, grab a coffee, then open my laptop. Morgan, the lead detective on the homicide unit, has sent me some files overnight, and I begin reviewing them. The captain rarely arrives at the office before ten, and I can hardly go barging in there before he’s even removed his coat. Draven and I decided that eleven o’clock is a good time for me to show up.

My questioning of him has to be subtle enough to be believable, but not so subtle that he misses the underlying message. We need him to bite for this to work. If he doesn’t, it’s back to square one, and no one wants that outcome. Even if Draven and I ruined the Jersey gang’s plans, across the country, women are still going missing every day, all believed to be victims of the wider ring of traffickers.

Allan arrives for work clutching a box of donuts, and I decline his offer of one. My throat is too dry and too narrow to cram down such a sugary treat. Even drinking coffee is a challenge because I simply can’t swallow.

At five minutes before eleven, I leave my office and take the stairs rather than the elevator. There’s less chance of bumping into anyone that way. When I exit the elevator, I head down the hallway, with my eyes focused on the office at the far end. The captain’s office.

“I’m here,” I whisper. Wearing a wire is making me nervous, but it’s only for this part. It’s not like the captain is going to ask to strip search me.

“Breathe,” Draven’s voice rumbles through my earpiece. “You’ve got this.”

I fluff my hair, making sure the earpiece isn’t visible, and do as he instructs by sucking in a deep breath, and letting it out slowly through pursed lips. I don’t speak to him again. We agreed to keep communication to a minimum, but just knowing Draven and Pete are listening to every word calms me down. I think the wiretap is a waste of time, but equally, if the captain does say anything incriminating, it’ll be good to have it on record. I just can’t see him making an error like that. He’s not stupid. Far from it.

I rap once on the door and wait.

“Come in!” he calls out.

I push open the door and step inside. “Sir, I’m sorry to bother you. Do you have a moment?”

He squints as though trying to figure out who the hell I am.

“Rhodes, sir. Detective Rhodes.”

His eyes narrow. “Ah, yes. Rhodes. The little troublemaker.” He beckons to me. “Don’t just stand there. Come in.”

After closing the door behind me, I cross over to his desk but remain standing, with my arms linked behind my back. “That’s why I’m here, sir.”

He gestures to the chair opposite his desk. I can’t help but notice the seat is positioned lower than his own, probably to give the asshole a sense of superiority. What a jerk-off. Still, I tuck my skirt beneath me and sit.

“Permission to speak freely, sir.”

He arches a dark brow as his steady gaze holds mine. “Granted.”

“I’ve come to apologize, sir. My actions, while understandable, were inappropriate. My desperation to rescue my sister overtook my training, and I allowed myself to be coerced into acting in a manner unbecoming of a New Jersey detective. Sir.”

My insides twist violently as I wait for a reaction. He lets me stew, leaning back in his chair and linking his hands on his desk. Several seconds scrape by during which neither of us speaks.

Eventually, he breaks his silence. “You have caused me untold problems, Rhodes. I am far from unsympathetic to your plight, but we are, first and foremost, police officers. Before family, before friends, before lovers, our job is to uphold the law, and you, with your hasty, ill thought out exploits, have fucked up a highly sensitive and expensive operation.”

How I refrain from leaping across the desk and putting my hands around this evil bastard’s throat, I’ll never know.

“Yes, sir,” I say quietly. “I’m aware, sir.”

“And you’ve paid a heavy price, Rhodes. I’m aware of what happened to your sister, and I’m sorry, but you have to admit you’re partly responsible for her death.”

A powerful rage sweeps through me, an anger so hot it burns me from the inside. My legs shake, and a violent urge to maim and kill the man sitting opposite me is almost impossible to resist. There isn’t a sound in my ear from Draven. I can’t even hear him breathing, but I can feel him tense every muscle in his body, even though that’s not possible. I just know that’s what I’d be doing if the roles were reversed.

Using every ounce of steel I can muster, I clench my fists, my fingernails digging into my palm hard enough to draw blood as I force a nod. “It’s constantly on my mind, sir. All I want to do now is work hard and make up for my mistakes. I know the investigation into my conduct is still ongoing, but I hope by coming here and showing remorse and a commitment to make up for what I’ve done, that it will go in my favor. My detective badge means the world to me, sir. I don’t want to lose it.”

The words stick in my throat, and it takes a monumental effort to push them past my lips.

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