Page 19 of Set Up By the Cartel

"You work construction?"He questioned, one eyebrow arched high on his forehead.

Javier flashed a winning grin, leaning forward to prop one elbow on the edge of the open window frame."Sure do!"He agreed right away."Been laying pipe all damn day!"

The pun hung heavy in the air between them, loaded with innuendo. Beside me, Kael choked back a startled laugh while I fought the urge to smack the smartass upside the head.

Seemingly oblivious to the subtext, the cop's brow furrowed in confusion."Laying pipe huh? What kind of pipe?"

Oh lord, give me strength...

"Plumbing pipes, sir,"I clarified with patience, resisting the impulse to roll my eyes."We're part of a crew installing new sewer lines downtown."

He hummed, clearly unconvinced by our story yet unwilling to admit it outright. His gaze flicked once more to Kael, lingering perhaps a beat longer than necessary.

Something about the way he looked at my lover set my teeth on edge, primal instincts screaming danger. Before I could react, however, he straightened and stepped back from the vehicle.

"I'm going to need you three to exit the vehicle slowly with hands raised,"he ordered with no room for argumentation, unsnapping his holster strap."Any sudden moves and I won't hesitate to shoot."

My heart stuttered, my mind racing through possible scenarios. If we complied now, there would be no opportunity to salvage the situation later. But refusing could escalate matters beyond control quickly.

As if sensing my inner turmoil, Kael placed a calming hand on my thigh, urging caution through his gaze. Swallowing hard, I nodded and pushed open my door, exiting with palms held aloft above my head.

Javier followed suit, moving to flank the officer while shifting his stance to block Kael from view behind his bulk. All the while, I was formulating a plan.

"Okay son, let's see some identification,"the cop growled, gesturing imperiously towards Kael who remained frozen in place beside me.

"My wallet is in my back pocket,"he replied with a shaky voice, starting to reach back to retrieve it.

"No! Keep your hands up!"The officer snapped sharply, leveling his gun directly at Kael's chest."You move only when told!"

Terror spiked through my veins at the blatant threat posed to my mate. Without thinking, I surged forward, placing myself squarely between them.

"Not another word out of you,"I warned darkly, green eyes flashing with barely leashed fury."Or I'll put you in the ground."

The man's jaw clenched, finger tightening reflexively on the trigger. For a moment, I thought he might actually fire... until Javier cleared his throat.

"Now hold on just a minute..."He began, raising his free hand in a pacifying gesture. At the same time, his other hand crept towards the small of his back where he kept a second concealed weapon.

Sensing the shift in dynamics, the cop's gaze darted between us, uncertainty flickering across his features. He wasn't used to being challenged, especially not by civilians. He also wasn't used to receiving death threats.

In that instant of distraction, I lunged forward, grabbing his wrist and wrenching his arm upwards until he cried out in pain. The gun clattered to the pavement as he staggered backward, face contorted in agony.

Without missing a beat, Javier pounced, driving a fist into the man's solar plexus before he could recover. As he doubled over wheezing, I wrenched the fallen weapon from his slack grip and trained it on his temple.

"Make one wrong move and I'll paint the outside of this truck red,"I snarled, every muscle coiled tight with tension.

Kael stood rooted in shock several feet away, eyes wide with horror as he took in the scene unfolding before him. Somedistant part of me recognized the trauma this must be causing him, but there was no time for gentle reassurances right now.

Javier finished binding the groaning officer's wrists tightly behind his back with zip ties before roughly hauling him upright by the scruff of his neck.

"What do you want to do with him, boss?"He asked, as if discussing nothing more serious than ordering dinner.

I glanced sidelong at Kael, noting how he trembled despite the balmy night air. This was not what I wanted him exposed to — the ugly underbelly of my world rearing its head far sooner than anticipated. Still, I knew that it would happen sooner or later.

Dwelling on recriminations would have to wait. First things first — disposing of this loose end before he could alert others to our presence.

Turning back to the captive lawman, I pressed the muzzle of his own gun harder against his skull, relishing the way he flinched beneath the cold steel.

"You have two options here,"I informed him, voice dripping with menace."Either play nice and walk quietly back to your squad car without making a fuss... or I put a bullet in your brain and dump your body somewhere it will never be found. Your choice."

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