Page 173 of The Consequences of Love and Vengeance

She turns her face, looking over her shoulder. A smirk slowly climbs up her lips. “And why would I do that,Detective?”

Shit. I guess she remembers me from the first time I was inside Drago’s office on the day we met.

Drago jerks away from her, his body and stool putting several inches between them.Was it guilt?He’s acting like it is. And the fact that I want to punch him in the balls for allowing her to touch him again doesn’t go unnoticed by him either. He visibly swallows.

“Because he isn’t yours,” I bark at her.

“Please excuse us.” Eric’s deep voice cuts like a sharp blade as I’m jerked away from them, and I’m hauled out the front entrance of the bar. He doesn’t stop pulling on me until he rounds a corner, where my back is pushed against a wall. My head tips up, looking into blazing eyes.

“What the fuck was that?” I cross my arms over my chest, needing the small barrier it places between us. Not that it helps much. He still looms over me. “Do you know how fucking hard I worked to spin your pregnancy when that dick of a boss of yours brought it into question?”

“I don’t care!” I yell, fuming mad. That bitch was hanging all over him.

“Well, I do,” Eric spits in my face. Placing his hands on my arms, he pushes them apart, taking a step into my personal space and scowling at me. He could be really handsome if he weren’t wearing that “someone pissed in his Cheerios” look all the time. “You can’t get spotted acting like the jealous girlfriend. What if—”

Eric is snatched backward, yanking me forward with him. I don’t have time to brace myself as my face plants in the center of his chest. Rapidly, he releases my wrists.

“Bri, are you—” he starts to ask me, ignoring the person who dare lay a hand on a cop.

I’m pushing off him when I hear Drago’s deep, fire-penetrating voice. Looking up, I see D’s mouth inches from Eric’s ear. Drago has him in a hold that Eric isn’t even trying to get out of.

“Don’t ever fucking touch her, E. She’s mine.”

E?

Where have I heard that before?

I step back, watching them. Eric’s body is being forced, held in an arch against Drago’s chest.

“D,” Eric says in warning through clenched teeth, clearly not likely being immobilized, yet still not making one move to get out of the hold he’s in.

A memory from weeks ago flashes before me.Ewas what Drago called a person he was having a telephone conversation with on a day I showed up at the dock unannounced.

They both stumble backward, landing against the wall on the other side of the hallway. Drago’s hold loosens enough for Eric to slip out and spins around to face him.

“Good God, look at you. You’re piss-poor drunk, you stupid fuck. I can smell it on you like it’s seeping out of your pores.”

They know each other. That realization hits me in the face, and suddenly, I’m wondering just who I can trust. Eric’s acted like—no, he told me he’s been investigating Vincent Acerbi for years. He never once mentioned knowing Drago on a personal level.

And now I’m wondering why.

What could possibly be the reason for keeping that major detail from me?

Drago goes to push off the wall and stumbles again, almost falling forward. I’m at his side without thought, gliding my body under his for support.

There is a lot both of them need to explain to me. Detective Justin Summers for one. Is he in on this too, or is Eric so deep into bringing Drago’s father to justice that he’s found a way to infiltrate Drago’s life? Could that be a possibility?

I can’t and don’t even want to think about that right now. I need to get Drago out of here and far away from that slut that clearly doesn’t have real feelings for him like I do.

“Let’s go, D. You’re coming with me.”

“Bri,” Eric bites out.

“We’ll talk tomorrow.” He gives me a look like he’s about to rip into me, but I beat him to it. “This isn’t up for a discussion. I’ll call you in the morning.”

I pull Drago away, leaving Eric standing there fuming. For a second, I wonder if I’m digging myself into a deeper hole than I already am. What’s Eric going to tell Justin? I don’t need him to re-open my Internal Affairs case. It would only ruin my chance to find Gabriel. I can’t let that happen, but I can’t and won’t leave Drago here.

Fear is a motherfucker.

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