Page 29 of Hacker Betrayed

I figured right after sex wasn't the best time to point out she screamed loud enough for the offices above to question what happened in my office. "Doesn't matter. I'm sure you've had sex in the dungeon at the club."

Mia swiped her shirt from the ground and tugged the fabric over her head. "People go to the club to have sex. Everyone here just heard us."

I pulled her close. "I’ve heard rumors your boss and Jessica are caught having sex all the time."

"That's different. They go to the club."

I pressed a kiss to her lips. "And many people who work here also go to Club Rose."

Dr. Cliff wouldn't bother me unless there was an emergency or a question about a consultation. "Go home, take a bubble bath and relax. Because tonight we are going to spend the entire night getting to know each other."

CHAPTER10

Mia

Ipulled my hair into a ponytail and straightened out my wrinkled shirt. While Paxton opened the door to his office, I slid my underwear into his top drawer. I only saw a picture of Dr. Cliff on the wall, but the older gentleman wasn’t alone. Detective Higgins, the officer who had grown out his gray beard was there. Next to him was a younger officer I’d never met before. Great, the bitch called the cops on me.

Blackwood had worked with the police on many cases. Normally, when they needed extra help, they came to us. Brock didn’t bill the station for hours we put in. A few of the cops hated when we received credit for solving the case the police brought us in on. They thought it looked bad for the department. So far, Detective Higgins hadn’t given us any issues. I hoped that would continue and I wouldn’t end up in the back of a squad car.

“Detective, not sure why you were sent to arrest me, but I think now is a good time to tell you I plan to press charges as well. She drew blood.” I pointed to the slight scratch on my arm.

“I’ll get to you in a few minutes, Mia. I’m not here about something you did—the list is probably a mile long. Dr. Paxton and I need to have a conversation,” he explained.

“You found something?” Paxton shut the door after the two officers walked in. I caught the smirk from Dr. Cliff right as the door closed.

“Today’s visit is not about your mother’s case. Like I tell your sister every other month, we aren’t actively investigating her death. It was a hit-and-run, and back then, we didn’t have cameras on every corner. Nobody saw the man or woman who caused the accident,” Higgins replied, his voice terse. “I’m here to discuss a separate murder. I think this is something we should do privately.”

He gave me a clear get the fuck-out-of-the-room glare. “Not leaving, Detective. I’m staying to make sure Paxton says nothing to incriminate himself.”

“I’m sure his daddy will buy him out of the charges just like he’s paid off officers each time Javion is arrested for a DUI. At least the men you normally associate with don’t use their power to buy off the police. I’ve known Paxton a long time, but the evidence is stacked against him.” The detective crossed his arms over his chest.

“I can guarantee he has killed no one. Which is why I’m not leaving the room.” I moved to stand next to Paxton.

“I agree with Mia, she’s not leaving the room, Detective. I’ve never used Ruben’s money to get myself out of a single problem. What he does with his biological son is between them. I don’t speak to Javion. Now tell me what you think I did, so I can get back to running my business,” Paxton demanded.

The younger officer, silent up to this point, pulled a notepad from his jacket and flipped a couple of pages. “A woman by the name of Tabitha Clark was killed a month ago. A video places you with her at lunch and evidence in her apartment places you inside.”

“Impossible!” I took a step away from Paxton.

“I planned to meet with you next, Mia. I told you it would be better if we talked with him alone. We’ll get to the part where Brock never mentioned the victim was your sister. He was the one who called the murder into the department.” Higgins paused. “There were no photos of you on the wall. I didn’t find out about your ties to her until I dug into Tabitha’s life. Did you know Paxton and Tabitha were dating? A neighbor in the building saw them arguing outside.”

For a second, I paused. We had the name of the man Tabitha dated, but he was a ghost. No phone records existed between her and this other person. Lucas had told me a couple of places Tabitha and her boyfriend went to eat, and there was no evidence she was ever at any of them. Not to mention, Paxton wouldn’t have a motive to kill Tabitha.

Paxton shook his head. “The first time I heard Tabitha’s name was the morning you and Brock discussed your connection to her.”

I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t divulge too much information. “He’s correct. I also know Brock had a team go into the apartment. There were no fingerprints.”

No way did I plan to tell the detective that I was the one to investigate Tabitha’s apartment. Two things he’d said were off. Only Tabitha’s body lay on the floor—the table wasn’t at the house when I arrived. All her furniture was gone. I pulled every photo of Tabitha and me from the apartment. Brock did his digital magic which made Tabitha and me strangers. Except according to Detective Higgins we were linked. The person we were dealing with was good, to be able to undo everything we put in place.

“The people who work for Brock aren’t officers of the law,” the younger officer snapped. “We should arrest Brock for sending people to the crime scene before calling the cops. Maybe the good doctor here paid Brock off. Ruben couldn’t pay the chief off a year ago, so maybe the new workaround is a corrupt mercenary company.”

“First, I’ve paid no one off, and I sure as hell didn’t kill Tabitha. On the date of her murder, I was on the other side of town,” Paxton replied, giving away too much information.

“So, you know way more about this case.” Higgins’s eyes had narrowed. “I never said the exact date of the murder. And you know where she lived.”

I had to do damage control before Paxton got his ass arrested. “Paxton and I are in a relationship. I told him about my sister’s death and where she lived. Detective, we’ve worked a lot of cases together. Are you going to sit here and let this cop say shit about Blackwood? Brock never even charges the station when we help. As for collecting evidence, I’m sure my time in the CIA trained me a hell of a lot better than anyone at the police station.”

“I’ve known Paxton and his siblings since the night his mom died. This was never a conversation I thought I would have with Paxton. But I also realize you grew up with the Ellison family. People change. They become greedy. I didn’t want to believe the evidence either, but Officer Fredricks showed me everything he has,” Higgins replied.

---