Page 134 of Stella
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I say as Cash turns to look down at me.
Tag closes the door before any more Rebels can stick their noses in.
“You’ll get used to him, it’ll just take about five years or so.”
“Is it too early to be calling you dad?” I give him a lopsided grin.
“Jesus, you make me sound so fuckin’ old.”
“I’ll take that as a yes, but maybe I’ll start with pops?”
“Long as you don’t call my ol’ lady mom, then again, she might get a kick out of it. You’re almost the same age.”
“I think D is just fine for now.” I shift in the bed. “Good talk.”
“Yeah” He grins. “Good talk, son.”
I like hearing that. Maybe it is the missing piece of the puzzle I needed.
Well, we both needed this. We had to have the conversation. Life may not be all rosy, but we can only build from here. And I’m willing to do that. I want to get to know my dad, and he wants to get to know me. That’s all I could hope for, even if it was a bullet that took both of us to get our heads out of our asses.
Slowly but surely, I’m confident we can get there.
EPILOGUE
Stella
Two weeks later
“Holy shit,”I say, turning to Cale, who’s propped up in bed. “Was this you?”
He shrugs, a smirk on his face.
The police chief, commissioner and several other cops are being stood down, according to the news. I turn up the volume.
“It’s alleged the mayor was involved in a racketeering scheme that involved several law enforcement officials in the NOPD,” the reporter says. “The mayor was gunned down by Detective Cale Callaghan after Mayor Vanders allegedly blew up the NOLA Rebels Clubhouse; seeking revenge on the club’s president, Cash Hudson. Mayor Vanders has been linked to organized crime under his legal name and several aliases, and involved in several other criminal organizations, which authorities are now investigating. There have been several arrests, including the forced resignation of Superintendent Seymour Montgomery…”
“None of them are Rebels’ arrests,” I sigh, turning the volume down. “Thank goodness.”
“I told you, friends in high places,” Cale says. “The night of the explosion, I emailed my friend… well, Troy Shepherd; someone I hoped I could trust at the city council, just in case anything went down and I couldn’t get the truth out. He took swift action, dropping all charges against Cash, and standing down Montgomery until the investigation is complete.”
“Dougie was one of the ones arrested,” I say. “I hope he enjoys life behind bars, he’ll be there a while.”
“It’s all gotta go to trial, but the evidence we have, thanks mostly to Sawyer, isn’t going away anytime soon. Corrupt cops will not win,” he maintains. “I’m so sick of the corruption in this city. It has to end.”
We’ve talked about him returning to the force, but he’s hesitant, and I can’t say I blame him. Half his team were involved in this. Big kickbacks from higher up will corrupt the ones who have no soul, officers who are in it for the money, not justice.
“What will you do?”
He shrugs. “I need to think things through. Willow will be promoted, hell, she may even step in for Montgomery, which would be amazing because New Orleans needs people like her at the top to stop corruption in its tracks. She’s perfect for the job.”
“What about you?”
He shakes his head. “I was happy doing what I was doing, but now? Now I’m not so sure.”
I smile, then Calli flips over onto her back, her legs in the air as she snores. “I think she agrees,” I laugh. “But seriously, babe, you need to take all the time you can to heal. Think about your options. I know how much you loved your job, and it feels shit now, but it won’t feel like that forever.”
My man is a little heartbroken and hurt over the guys in the force he thought were his friends, or had each other’s backs, and now half of them are dead, or have been arrested. One thingabout Troy is he takes no prisoners, and that’s what we need. Someone in the force who isn’t corrupt, and will stop at nothing to fight for justice. Just as Cale has.
