Page 119 of Snitches and Serpents

Confusion ripples through me. Pulling back slightly, I stare up at him. “What do you mean?”

He straightens. Confusion blows across his features too as he studies my face. “His bluff. About being able to charge us both.”

I frown, not understanding what he’s talking about. “What?”

“That he had no proof. We were just two college students making out in an empty room. There was no way for him to prove that the drugs were ours. The only way for him to nail us was if one of us talked.”

My mouth drops open. “Oh.”

He stares at me, his eyes as wide as my own. “What do you mean ‘oh’? Didn’t you… didn’t you figure that out?”

“Uhm… no.”

“But then what did you think was the reason why he released us both just now?”

“I just thought that his colleagues finally showed up here now that it’s morning and told him that he had taken it too far. That this was somehow against the rules or something.”

“So right up until this moment, right up until a few minutes ago when he surprised you by letting us go, you really thought that you would be going to jail if you didn’t sell me out?”

“Yes.”

He’s truly gaping at me now. “Then why didn’t you sell me out?”

“Because I understand the meaning of loyalty. Even if you hated me, I never would have sold you out. I’ve told you before. I protect the people I love as well. Fiercely.”

Astonishment shines in his eyes as he stares at me. Then he slides his hand up my throat and grabs my chin. Leaning down, he claims my lips and murmurs, “You’re fucking crazy, have I told you that?”

I laugh against his mouth. “No. But I’ll take it as a compliment.” Drawing back again, I fix him with a curious look. “But then if you figured out that he could only nail us if one of us talked, and you didn’t take his deal, that means you were putting an enormous amount of trust in me.”

A crooked smile blows across his lips. “Yeah. Once I realized what an idiot I was back in that annex when they arrested us, I remembered one of the many reasons why I fell for you in the first place. You know what it’s like to feel trapped. And I knew that you would never want either of us to be trapped like that again.”

I grin up at him. “So you do trust me?”

“Implicitly.”

“Good.” I glance towards the parking lot around the corner. “Because I’ve just had a brilliant idea.” I meet his gaze again and flash him a wicked grin. “Wait here.”

He raises his eyebrows in surprise but does as I said and remains there in the mouth of the alley while I round the corner and stride towards the parking lot.

Morning sunlight gleams in the windows of the cars parked there, and the bushes along the wall of the police station rustle faintly as a warm wind sweeps through. It ruffles my hair as well, blowing several strands out of place. I don’t bother fixing it.

Right as I reach the edge of the parking lot, my dad comes huffing out of the police station. Presumably after being told that his daughter has already left. He hasn’t seen me yet, but I study him. His jaw is clenched tight and his face is flushed with indignation. I’m not sure how he had planned to spend his Sunday morning, but I’m willing to bet that this was probably not it.

He sweeps his gaze over the parking lot, as if searching for me. Though, based on the way he jerks back a little, he looks surprised to have actually found me. Giving his head a quick shake, he stalks in my direction. I keep walking, meeting him halfway across the parking lot.

“Do you have any idea what you have just done?” he demands as he comes to a halt in front of me.

“Good morning to you too, Dad,” I reply.

Anger flashes in his eyes. “Do not take that tone with me, young lady.”

I grind my teeth at the use of young lady, but I decide to let it slide. I have other more important things to discuss with him. “Then I will be brief and get straight to the point.”

He blinks, as if stunned that I didn’t apologize.

“You’re going to transfer a very specific amount of money to my account,” I declare. Keeping my spine straight and my chin raised, I hold his gaze with confident eyes. “Or your daughter is about to become a drug dealer.”

His mouth drops open.

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