Page 111 of Filthy Liar

“I passed out?” I asked as I tried to remember, peering around the room. I was lying on the floor in the office, the door shut to block out noise. Reid was behind his desk, his eyes on me as I spoke again. “Where’s Ander and Zav?”

“Crowd control. People obviously freaked when the car blew up, so Lavaro offered to help the crews get everyone inside,” Reid stated. “The Thieves have taken out two guys. One tried to use someone as a shield to escape, but they got him.”

“You just won’t die, will you? You’re like a cockroach,” Beckett said with amusement from out of my view, moving from behind my head to behind Logan so I could see her. “You’re every hitman’s worst nightmare.”

“They just suck at being hitmen,” I scoffed, wincing as I swatted Logan away so I could sit up. “Was anyone else hurt?”

Beckett shook her head, toying with her knife in thought. “Somehow, no. Two of the windows of the community center got blown out in the blast, but most people were on the other side of the building at that point. Only the one fatality and your injuries.”

“Cami sold me out,” I said quietly, remembering bits of our conversation. “Stefano threatened her. She’s the one that told him about how much the house meant to me.”

“She told you?” Beckett asked with narrowed eyes.

“Yeah. It’s what we were fighting about before I walked off. She was trying to get me in her car and take me to him to save herself.”

“He would’ve just blown the car up with you both in it,” Reid said tightly.

“I told her he’d still kill her, but she was stupidly drunk and panicking. She told him about Josh too.”

“Sounds like she deserved to be turned into a party popper then,” Beckett grumbled, putting her knife away and ignoring the dirty look I sent her. “Cops are everywhere outside. It’s not like we could hide an explosion at a public event with body parts scattered around the parking lot.”

“Have you shown them my phone? Stefano texted me,” I said as I patted my pockets to find it, coming up empty.

“Keep that bit to yourself,” Beckett said bluntly, perching her ass on Reid’s desk.

“Why?”

“Do you really want to bring the cops into this mess right now? If they start digging, they could find something connecting Lopez to the drug trade. They’d definitely connect Ander to it. It’s better that they deal with the body and treat it as a random attack while we deal with the mafia. Besides, just because we have a lot of cops in our pockets, doesn’t mean Stefano doesn’t have guys in the department too. He’s been around long enough now to pay someone to side with him. We’re powerful because of our money and the fact people fear us. Stefano also has that.”

“You think some of the cops could double cross you?” Logan asked slowly, and she shrugged.

“I think that money and fear talk. It’s not worth the risk.”

“Not even BG?”

She blew out a breath, shaking her head. “After he was investigated for corrupt shit with us last time, we try not to bring him into shit unless it's necessary. His whole department just about got overturned and replaced, and he almost got prison time. You know what happens to cops in prison, right?”

“So now what?” I asked, my gaze moving to the door as it opened and Rory appeared.

“Oh, good. You’re awake. BG wants to talk to you.”

I gave Beckett a quick glance and she raised an eyebrow. “Just tell them the truth. You were talking to a friend while smoking, walked off, then the car blew up and the blast knocked you down.”

“Just leave out half the story?” I asked dryly, making her grin.

“Exactly. They’ll mention you and Cami being at odds lately, so just be honest. She’s an alcoholic who was clean, then fell off the rails again and you were telling her you can’t be around her like that. Covers your ass if anyone claims they saw you arguing.”

Rory nodded in silent agreement, but she didn’t say anything.

I stood with a wince and stretched my arms and legs, trying to work out some of the aches and pains. Nothing was broken, but being thrown to the ground was always going to fucking hurt.

I reached up to touch the cut on my face, feeling a butterfly stitch near my eyebrow.

“You cracked your face on the ground. Re-split the spot that Stefano pistol whipped you,” Logan said, answering my silent question. “We’ll take you home once you talk to BG.”

Rory walked over and grabbed my chin, almost blinding me as she shone a light in my damn eyes with a frown.

“Keep an eye on her. It’s probably not a surprise, but she’s got a concussion. Beckett, go with them when they leave. We’ve stationed security around the house too.”

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