Page 81 of Trigger

Icocked my eyebrows. “So… What happened?”

Heshrugged. “Long story short, Raj fell from a ten-story building.”

“Shit,”I murmured.

“Yeah.Not a pretty sight. And I’m telling you this because I saw him splattered onthe asphalt. It was the first time I’d cried in my life. His face was just… apulp, man. But your psycho partner…” Adam laughed bitterly, shaking his head.“He came up to him. He lifted the cover off him, and then he just stared at himfor, like, forever. Then he stood up and walked away without a word.”

Icould feel the bile rising to my throat.

“That’swhy I mess with Carter,” Adam added grimly. “Because he was supposed to haveRaj’s back, and he didn’t.”

“Youliked Raj?” I said what was obvious.

“Youbet I did. You see, I knew Raj from the police academy. We spent a lot of timetogether way back when. And he liked me. He wasn’t like the rest of you…laughing at me behind my back. Mocking me. Making fun of me. He was like abrother to me.”

“You’renot exactly making it easy for people to like you, Adam.” I told him the truth.

“Perhaps.But the point is that Raj is dead because he trusted his partner. And Carterdoesn’t give a shit about anyone. He has Vicky, but he doesn’t care about her.He had Raj, but he didn’t care about him either.”

Ishook my head in disagreement. “Carter feels a lot. He just won’t let anyonesee it.”

Adam gaveme a knowing look.

“Ilike you, Tye. And I don’t like a lot of people. So, listen to my advice and stayaway from Carter. He’s not worth it.”

“Whatis that supposed—?”

Heraised his hand. “Please, don’t. I’m a senior detective here. I’m neither blindnor stupid. Carter is a loaded gun hanging over the fireplace in the firstchapter. Don’t be his victim when it fires in the end.”

Chapter 17

The Housewarming Party

Carter

“Remindme why we’re doing this again,” Vic said, checking her reflection in themirror.

“BecauseTye is throwing a housewarming party, and everyone’s going,” I replied, tryingto sound aloof about it.

“Butaren’t you two in a fight?”

“Yeah,but no one in the station knows that, so it would be weird if I didn’t come.”

Imanaged to avoid Tye for the last few days. Since we couldn’t find Luz, thechief decided we should talk to Sophie Malik’s coworkers again, just to makesure we didn’t miss anything. So, each of us got a list of people who knew her,and we went our separate ways. Until today. Today, I had no other choice but toface him.

Iwalked up to Vic, who was standing in front of a mirror and fixing theimpeccable bun on top of her head.

“Youlook beautiful, Vic. Thank you for doing this.”

“Iwouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said with a smile, caressing my chest.“Although I wish you didn’t help Tye move into this building. We don’t know himenough to trust him. This stupid fight of yours is proof that I’m right.”

I toldher we argued about work. No way I was telling her that asshole shoved histongue down my throat in the middle of Nirvana.

“I’mtrusting him every day with my life, Vic,” I said with a sigh. “He is mypartner. This is more like lending a helping hand.”

“Iknow,” she said, lowering her gaze like always when she was displeased. “You’rethe best person I know. That’s why I like you.”

Like.We never said love to each other. I wasn’t even sure if what I felt for her waslove, but it was the deepest feeling I ever felt for anyone, so it had to belove. Ithadto be.

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