Page 54 of The Consequences of Love and Vengeance

“I danced with a man, that’s all. Nothing special. Nothing that’ll lead anywhere.”Because it can’t,I tell myself. “I’ll never see him again outside anything work-related.”

“Ooh,” she coos. “He’s a cop then?” She rubs her hands together hungry for more.

“No, he’s not a cop.” I laugh at that thought. “The opposite.”

“What’s the opposite of a police officer?” She cocks her head at me. I raise an eyebrow until she gets what I’m saying. “A criminal?” She bursts out in a quick laugh then covers her mouth, glancing over at the playpen. Gabe must be sleeping. When he doesn’t make a sound, she turns back to me.

“That”—I start, but pause, weighing my options on what I can tell her—“still remains to be seen.” She nods. “That’s all I can say about it.” Taking a step, I follow up, saying, “I’m just going to grab Gabe and get home. Thank you so much for keeping him.”

“Oh, you don’t have to get him yet. You go get out of that sexified little dress you’re wearing and take a shower or whatever it is you planned to do when you get home. Leave him and then when you’ve had a chance to unwind, come back over for him. Sound good?”

“Sounds excellent, but you’ve had him long enough, don’t you agree?”

“Never!” She stands.

“I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful for your help.” I take a deep breath. “I know I need to call the chief and find out why I can’t get in touch with his contact.”

“Bri, honey, we don’t want some stranger taking care of our little Gabe. He needs us.”

“No, he needs someone who knows what they are doing and can take care of him the way he needs to be cared for,” I disagree.

“We do know what we’re doing,” she chastises.

“You know what you’re doing. Me? I don’t have a clue most of the time.”

She shakes her head.

“You just take yourself across the hall and walk right into a shower and don’t get out until you think differently. You hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah.” I turn, leaving, knowing not to argue with her further.

It’s not Gabriel’s fault he’s in this situation. We aren’t given choices on our parents. It’s their fault he’s getting half-ass parenting—at least from me anyway. Ms. Lincoln has this shit down.

I don’t know how she does it so effortlessly. Kids are a lot of work.

CHAPTER NINE

There is a ding on my smartwatch as I push the door of my car closed, telling me I have a text message. Flipping my wrist, I glance down, seeing it’shim.

Drago

Care to have lunch with me?

Dropping my arm, I cross the road, heading toward the white building across from me. When I enter the side door, I don’t see anyone, so I head up the stairs tohisoffice.

He’s boldly ignoring the fact that I told him there should be no interaction between us that doesn’t pertain to finding evidence he has illegal dealings—or not, and potentially proving he’s not as bad as my colleagues believe.

I don’t reply. What’s the point? I’m here, after all. And why am I here?

I’ve been avoiding anything and everything to do with Drago Acerbi since I got off the phone with him last week. If it weren’t for the email in my inbox from the chief, I wouldn’t be here now.

Tom wants an update. One I don’t have, so my hands are tied. I had no choice. This is the last place I want to be, but it is my job, and at the end of the day, if I want to keep it, I have to suck up whatever hang up I have with Drago.

Why did I have to sleep with him?

That has to be the biggest screw up I’ve ever made on the job. Not that I was on the clock, but I’m treading a thin line. If I’m not careful, I’ll crash and burn.

Then what? Ask my father for a job.

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