Page 86 of Whatever You Want

I dabbed at my eyes and shook my head. “Don’t worry, Mom. I promise, I have no intention of letting him go.”

My mother packed a bag and went to the police station to give them her official statement. Logan booked us a flight to Orlando, where my mother would be staying temporarily with Maria’s sister.

Madison and I were going to help her get settled and wait for things to cool down. When Logan dropped us off at the airport, he hugged my mom and told her he was proud of her. He said goodbye to Madison and made her promise to catch a lizard and bring it home, so Splish and Splash would have company.

He saw me roll my eyes and drew me in for a long, slow kiss. What I wouldn’t know until a few days later was that it would be the last kiss we would share. And I would be breaking that promise I made to my mother, along with my heart.

I used to get a thrill working undercover back when I was young and fearless. Pushing my luck and putting myself in dangerous situations was as much as a turn-on as hooking up with a beautiful woman. I’ve seen and done it all. I’ve signed up for every assignment. But spending the last two nights looking through surveillance videos and sitting in a seedy strip club wasn’t as exciting as I remembered it to be.

Mike and I sat on our barstools, nursing our draft beers. The pounding bass speakers shook the walls as the topless dancers pressed their bodies and ran their hands along the men who dished out dollar bills for their attention. While I always admired a beautiful woman, it sucked that this was how some of them had to make a living.

I spotted the red hair and black-framed glasses through the mirror over the bar. We’ve spent the last month learning his routines. We learned his gym schedule, his eating habits, and even the brand of cigarettes he liked to smoke when no one was looking. Ironically, it was one of those cigarette butts found at the crime scene that led us to him. We also had a physical description from a witness that saw him harassing the victim the night she was killed. Yet, it still wasn’t enough evidence for us to charge him. We needed something more concrete. He’s been under heavy surveillance twenty-four seven, walking around living his double life as a dentist in Valley Forge. I’m sure he thought he got away with ending the life of that young woman, which was why I couldn’t figure out why he would risk coming back to the scene of the crime.

Without saying a word, my partner, Mike, gave me a nod as we both caught sight of him.

I gulped down a good portion of my beer, edged out of my seat, and kept a close eye on Kevin Wilson as he strutted through the club. He acted like he didn’t have a care in the world. When he reached the back door that led to the alley, he looked over his shoulder and caught my gaze. His eyebrows knitted together as if he were trying to place me.

He slipped out the door, and I moved in that direction, keeping a slow pace. I didn’t want any unwanted attention, and the last thing I needed was to have my cover blown.

As soon as we stepped outside, I did my best to ignore the smell of urine and the dirty dumpster that filled the air. There were all kinds of questionable activities that took place in these alleys at night. I didn’t even want to think about what I’d find in broad daylight.

We walked quickly and quietly, and I spotted the new camera in the corner that the owner had finally installed. The cheap bastard was reluctant to fork over the cash, but I guess a dead woman found in the alley behind his establishment wasn’t all that good for business.

I kept my hand on my Glock, ready to pull it out at a second’s notice. My eyes swept across the narrow passageway, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Why the hell didn’t he leave through the front entrance? Was he looking for something? Was he waiting for someone? He looked over his shoulder, spotting us—again.

Fuck! I turned my head to the right, trying to keep my face hidden. He ducked across the street and beeped the locks to a car sitting at the curb. We were so focused on catching up to him; we didn’t notice the dark shadow until it was too late.

The cold tip of the knife pressed against my side. “Empty your pockets now.”

You’ve got to be fucking shitting me.

“You don’t want to do this, man.” I raised my hands in the air and met Mike’s eyes. He gave me a look that said exactly what I was thinking. What a fucking idiot.

Everything in me wanted to pull my gun out and show this shithead who he was dealing with. But that would only lead to more paperwork, and it wouldn’t look good for me professionally. Sure, it was self-defense, but I was trained not to use my weapon unless I absolutely had to.

The guy’s pupils were dilated, and the knife shook in his hands as he swayed to the left a little bit. Great, a druggie who was looking to score his next hit.

“I know exactly what I want, so stop fucking talking and hand it over.” He licked his lips a little too eagerly as his eyes darted to my pockets. Did he think we were just going to hand over our money and walk away? I counted in my head how many steps it would take to get out of this alley, all the while keeping my eyes locked on the skinny fuck with the knife pointed in my side.

The cop in me took one long look at him. Trying to remember every little detail about his weathered face, just in case things went south. He had a birthmark on his right cheekbone, eyes as black as his worn T-shirt, and three bottom teeth, chipped and yellow. A jagged scar ran down the right side of his neck. I could pick him out of an oversold crowd at an Eagles game if I had to.

“Listen, pal.” Mike stepped forward, trying to distract him. “We don’t have anything you want, so let my friend go.”

“Shut up, and empty your damn pockets.” Spit flew from his mouth as the blade pressed deeper into my side. “Or I’ll slice his ribs in half.”

“All right.” Mike held his hands out. “Calm down.”

We weren’t prepared for this, but we were trained to deal with these types of situations. Mike patted his side, feeling for the butt of his gun. The poor fucker had no idea what was coming.

I gave Mike a signal to keep distracting him so I could knock him off his feet. He was smaller than me but high as a kite and probably felt like he had a good chance of getting away. He was going to be very disappointed.

“Stop right there,” he yelled at Mike, and moved the point of the knife up toward my chest. I felt the tip of the blade cut through my clothing and the point pierce through my skin. A burning sensation spread through my insides. I didn’t even hesitate. I whirled around and twisted his arm. The blade fell from his hands, and he screamed out in pain. I slammed my good elbow into his stomach, watching the knife skid across the pavement. When he went to reach for it, I slammed my entire weight into his side.

I don’t fucking think so, shithead.

I bent at the waist and tackled him to the ground. My shoulder ached as we rolled around on the filthy, piss-stained concrete. I had to give the guy credit; he was putting up a damn good fight for a skinny bastard. A tingling pain shot through me as we both smacked up against the green dumpster. There was a small amount of blood soaking through my shirt. It wasn’t horrible, but it still fucking hurt like hell.

Mike advanced on him, ripping his hands off of me. He yanked him back and lifted him up, grabbing him by the shirt. The guy didn’t look like he gave a fuck that he was about to get his ass kicked.

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