Page 82 of Fatal Attraction

Chief nodded down to Percious Welch’s picture. “Gibbs and Hammett have been working undercover for quite some time now investigating all of the illegal street drugs that’s been making its way through the Pines.”

“Okay?” Spike tiffed. “What does that have to do with Percious Welch?”

“A little over two years ago, Percious was one of the lawyers working alongside Peter in those investigations. Apparently, Percious had a bad history with drugs but had been clean for quite some time, that was until Gibbs and Hammett busted him for buying drugs from a street thug named Rio Sanchez, the same man who was responsible for Fiona McMann’s death.”

Spike and I shared a surprised look, our brows raised high up to our hairlines.

“This was before he was transferred to Harley’s firm though,” Chief continued. “Peter pulled some strings to get Percious away from Narcotics and had convinced Harley to hire him. That information alone and given that both Amber and Daniel Strickland were drugged with Rohypnol is all we need to arrest Percious. But first, we have to find—”

His words were cut off by his cell ringing, and he sighed, rolling his eyes when he glanced down at the display.

“What is it? I’m talking to Spike and—Are you fucking serious?—Oh my God!” Chief glanced between us then, his eyes widening in both relief and horror. “We’ll be right there.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked when he hung up and demanded we follow him, refusing to breathe another word about it.

“Chief,” Spike growled. “What the fuck is going on?”

“It’s Charlotte,” he snapped, cursing as he burst into a jog, insisting we follow. “She’s here!”

He ran faster toward the doors.

“SHE’S BEEN SHOT!”

Thirty Five

Spike

Iran with the doctors and nurses with Phoenix and Chief beside me, struggling not to lose my fucking mind as we rushed Charlotte through the halls, on the way to an operating room. She was unconscious, and her beautiful, horrendously pale face was covered in yellow and black bruises. There was a gunshot wound to her left shoulder. Blood steadily trickled out of the wound.

He's dead. I swear on my goddamn life Percious Welch was dead meat.

“This is as far as you go,” one of the doctors stated firmly as he broke away from the group, raising a hand to us as Charlotte was taken inside the operating room.

“You have two options,” I darkly growled as Phoenix followed my example, approaching until the doctor’s back pressed flush against the door, his eyes wide. “Either you let us in, or—”

“I can’t. It’s against protocol. You have to wait out here—”

“Forgive me,” said the chief, “but I’dstronglyadvise you let them in there. It will get ugly if you don’t.”

The doctor shook in absolute terror while Phoenix and I sized him up, pinning him in from both sides.

“I’ll letoneof you come in. But onlyone.” He swiftly spun around, opening and gently shutting the door behind him.

“I’ll go in,” I said, turning to Phoenix. “It has to be me.” I leaned in closer so Chief wouldn’t overhear, and whispered, “Youhave somewhere you need to be tonight. One of us needs to be here to guard her just in case he decides to come back.”

“But what about Carter?”

“I’ll handle it,” I promised, really needing him not to fight me on it. “Please, Phoenix. The sooner you’re done with Crow and his bullshit, the faster you can get back here. It has to be you, and you know it.”

Phoenix’s teary eyes settled on the door, and one slithered down his puffy cheek as he rested his hand against the metal and pressed his forehead against it, expelling a sharp, trembling breath. “Just promise me you’ll take care of her. Carter too. Call me if anything happens, and I meananything.”

I faithfully nodded before wrapping my arms around him and pressing a tender kiss to the side of his temple.

“I promise.”

Thirty Six

Phoenix

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