Page 17 of The Don's Forbidden Obsession

I sighed. “My entire life.”

“Yeah,” he shot. “You know traffic is that way every day. Get your ass here on time!”

“Sorry, Captain,” I whispered faintly.

Apologizing was not my forte.

“What’s with you?” he asked, his brow raising. “I usually can’t kick you out of this building, and now you’re late for a debrief and making excuses—” he took a deep breath and contorted his face in disgust, “—smelling like a distillery.”

I shrugged and he shook his head, frustrated.

"Listen up, Betrami,” he grumbled. “Some big shot got himself killed last night, and the whole city wants answers. So, who gets to give them their answers?”

“Us,” I sighed.

“You and Davis are on it.”

I groaned inwardly. My progress on the underground crime front was being pushed to the back burner.

Did he not give a damn about all the work I’d put into this?

There were plenty of other detectives who could work the case. Most of them didn’t have an assignment. Why me? I was in the middle of something big.

I was only hours away.

I balled my fists and took a deep, frustrated breath. I didn’t want to say something I would regret, but he needed to know I wasn’t happy.

" Captain," I protested, desperation seeping into my voice, "I've been making real headway on my case. I can't just drop everything now!”

His hardened gaze silenced me immediately. “This is your priority, Betrami,” he replied firmly.

I knew when he made up his mind that that was it.

It didn’t mean I wasn’t going to push back.

“I understand that this is a priority, but," I continued to protest, my voice tinged with frustration, "I've been getting close. Real close! We're about to expose the leaders of the mafia, and you want me to drop everything and focus on one murder? What about all the murders the mob causes every day?”

“I know you don’t have political leaders breathing down your neck, but I do, Betrami,” he growled. “They want answers, and I need my best. If you have a problem with that, then maybe you aren’t what I thought you were.”

I nodded begrudgingly, swallowing the rest of my objections. His words echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of the uphill battle I was always on.

Women weren’t taken as seriously.

I had to work twice as hard as the best-working male detective.

If it was one of them arguing, I’m sure their reputation wouldn’t be in question. But mine was.

If I kept pushing it, I knew what followed wouldn’t be good for me.

I had to suck it up.

As much as I didn’t want to pause my case, I knew that this was my priority now.

I had no choice.

“Now, go find Davis and get to work.” He dismissed me with a wave of his hand. "This case is high-profile, and we can't afford any screw-ups. You're the best we've got, and I need results. Youwillbring this person to justice.”

I sighed, realizing I was defeated.

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