Page 60 of Pulse

Talia glanced at the sergeant, whose expression was one of someone who’d swallowed sour milk as he observed their interaction. “Funny, isn’t it, Officer Newton, that you and your partner don’t seem to have a mark on you? Not a hair out of place, not a wrinkle in your uniform, not so much as a scratch, and yet Pulse looks like he’s been through some shit.”

Newton’s eyes narrowed.

That’s right, asshole. I don’t believe a word out of your lying mouth.

“We tased him before it got physical. It’s how we keep ourselves safe, miss.”

Oh, themisshad her hackles risking. Condescending jerk. But she didn’t let the annoyance show. She’d be damned if she let this guy know he got under her skin.

“I thought he was violently resisting. So, which is it? Was he violent with you, or did you tase him before he got violent? I’m just trying to get a clear picture.”

“He was lashing out, screaming obscenities, and making violent threats. We—”

“Lies.” Pulse’s cuffs rattle against the metal table. “All fucking lies.”

Talia rested her hand on his shoulder to quiet him. They needed to let this lying officer hang himself with his words.

“We tased him to protect ourselves. It was a lawful traffic stop, and he resisted. End of story.”

“Hmm. Pulse, could you explain to us what happened from your perspective?”

“Ma’am,” the sergeant broke in. “Please let us take the lead here.”

Ah, the pat on the head.Shh, little lady, wait your turn.

Pulse coughed, but it sounded like a poor attempt to cover a laugh. He understood she wouldn’t appreciate the sergeant silencing her. Pulse had no power in this situation as the one under arrest, but he still could have spoken up. He still could have told the sergeant he was out of line or demanded he speak to her respectfully. But he stayed quiet. Maybe some would find his silence to mean he didn’t have her back but viewed it the opposite way. It showed he valued her position and trusted her to handle the situation without backup. He respected her enough to try to assert himself in her domain. That meant more to her than any words he could have said in her support because handling misogynistic cops was her specialty.

She swung her gaze to the sergeant. “By all means,” she said in a syrupy voice. “The floor is yours.”

Talia sat in the chair next to Pulse. His leg bounced, tapping out an anxious rhythm with his boot. Beneath the table, she slid her hand to his thigh and gently pressed down. He stiffened for a beat but stopped fidgeting.

If it hadn’t seemed suspicious, she would have left her hand there for the duration of the interrogation to feel connected to him. But one of the cops would have noticed, making this experience worse for everyone.

“Mr. Vargas,” the sergeant said. “My officers pulled you over for going ninety-six in a sixty-five zone.”

Pulse barked an ugly laugh. “Bullshit. I was doing sixty-seven. I checked as soon as you lit me up.”

“Don’t worry.” Talia patted his arm. “This will all be on their dash cam recording. We’ll be able to verify every word they say.”

The sergeant continued as though they hadn’t spoken. “Once you were stopped, you became extremely resistant, forcing my officers to take drastic action to subdue and detain you.”

“Fucking lies.”

“What are the exact charges?” Talia asked.

“Speeding more than thirty miles over the speed limit, which is a traffic misdemeanor in Florida.”

“Thank you. I’m aware of traffic law,” Talia said. “What else, since I’m assuming there’s more.”

“Obstructing official business and resisting arrest with violence. You’ll be booked here tonight. Some federal agents would like to speak with you tomorrow and possibly transport you to DC. I am not aware of what the federal charges are or if there even are any. They are tight-lipped with their business. I just know they want you.”

A chill ran down her spine as she turned and met Pulse’s troubled gaze.

Nothing else mattered right then but getting him released as soon as possible. If she failed and he was allowed to be whisked away by the feds tomorrow, who knew when she’d see him again?

Probably never.

Something passed between her and Pulse, a nonverbal agreement to downplay anything related to the feds. They all knew the only reason he’d been pulled over in the first place was to hand him over to the government agents, but she couldn’t let these officers find out how terrifying that prospect was.

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