Page 50 of Give Me Redemption

I rest my elbow on my desk and rub my forehead. On top of all this mess I’ve gotten myself into, I’m still talking with Monroe who’s been in Maine now for weeks and still hasn’t found anything.

This shit is crazy to me. How can he be hiding so well? How, after all these years, have we not found anything?

I look at my watch and exhale. Time for therapy. Grabbing my coffee, I stand, sliding my hand into the back of my pants to make sure my shirt is tucked in.

I wave to Davy as I head out. “Dalton,” he says.

I stop and backtrack, slipping my head inside his office. “Yeah?”

“How’s the case going? Are we getting any closer to shutting this down?”

“Working on it,” I reply.

He narrows his eyes at me. “Get that boy’s trust already and get this shit done. This should have been easy for you.”

“It’s not as easy as you’d think. I can’t just ask the man if his brother has an illegal gambling operation under his club.”

“No, but you can get him to take you there. Get him drunk, get him talking. Do whatever it takes.”

“Yes, sir,” I reply. “Can I go to therapy now?”

“Yes.” I nod and hit the edge of the door as I walk away. “Oh, Dalton?” he says. I turn to look at him through the glass.

“I know you’ve been skipping out.”

I smirk. “I know you’ve been cheating on your diet.”

His lips snap shut.

I wink and then laugh before exiting the office.

_____________

It’s late as I sit in my unmarked car outside of Red. I’m scoping the place out to see if there’s a door people are entering from the back. So far, I’ve had no luck, and I’ve been here for hours. I have seen some mean-looking men walk into the club, though. One guy in all black with slicked back hair and tattoos. He stood out from the rest. I’m pretty sure he isn’t here to dance and hang out. I went in after him, but once I got inside, he was nowhere to be found. The line to get in this place is insane, and I can’t exactly flash my badge and demand they let me in.

I sigh and hit my hand across the steering wheel, thinking about how therapy went earlier today.

I decided to talk about what I’ve got going on versus talking about my past. After all, I only had Malcom to talk to, and that’s pretty much a bust now. Cathy is getting paid. I might as well get something out of it.

“Can we not talk about my past today?” I ask as I take a seat across from Cathy, my therapist. I play with my watch, looking over the office. Books cover a whole wall, and a grandfather clock sits proudly on the other side, ticking away.

“What’s on your mind?” she asks.

I lick my lips and readjust myself in the chair. “I’m on a new case. I’m undercover, and it’s turning out to be a challenge.”

“How so?”

“Because I’m falling for the guy I’m lying to.”

Her eyebrows lift.

“Let me be clear. His brother is the one breaking the law.” I look at the notepad in her hand. “I’m using him to get info.”

She rubs her chin and sits back in her chair, resting her pen on top of the notepad. “Have you slept with him?”

“No,” I reply. “But we have kissed and kinda agreed to take things farther.”

“Kinda?” she asks.

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