Page 55 of The Consequences of Love and Vengeance

Fuck. That.

When I step up to the second landing, I see Drago’s office door ajar. I stop dead in my tracks when a bark comes from behind his door, and I’m not talking about the four-legged kind.

The heat in his voice cuts me like he did that night at the club. He’s angry, pissed at someone.

“Goddamn you. That wasn’t the fucking agreement.” There’s a pause, so I step closer. “I’m not some fucking babysitter. I have a job to do here. One job, do you hear me? And that isn’t it.” He stops speaking, but the silence doesn’t last. “Fix it. I don’t give a shit what you do. Get this shit off my back.”

When I hear a thud, I take the opportunity to push his door open without knocking. His eyes snap to mine, and if I’ve caught him off guard, he doesn’t show it.

He leans back, reclining in his office chair, staring at me not saying a word. His face is blank, unreadable, which irks me to no end. Reading people is something I do well, but he eludes me every time.

“Who were you talking to just now?” I ask since he’s not bothering to inquire why I’m here.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business, detective.”

His anger is still present in his voice. He does nothing to mask it.

“Perhaps it is. Perhaps it’s not.” I shrug. “No idea unless you enlighten me. Any”—I pause, leaning into the doorframe—“illegal dealings I should know about?”

His jaw locks, and I know I’ve hit a nerve. Usually, there’s a satisfaction that follows when I achieve that goal, but it’s nowhere in sight. In fact, there is a twist in my gut that’s foreign.

“If you’re here to nag me, please leave. I’m not dealing with your cop shit today.”

“Why not? I would think the sooner you answer my questions, show me anything I want to see, be honest with me, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair. I would have thought that would be something you would want. Don’t you want to prove your innocence?”

“You don’t have shit on me. We both know that. If you did, I’d be in handcuffs, but I’m not, am I? You think I’m dirty. Your boss thinks I am, so what? I don’t give a shit, Bri. You’re not going to find anything because there is nothing to find.”

“I don’t think you’re dirty,” I defend myself quicker than I realize what’s coming from my mouth.

Sure, it’s my job to find evidence if it exists, but my gut has known from the day I met him that he wasn’t dirty. I don’t think he’s a drug smuggler either, but I know he’s keeping something a secret.

Something isn’t right about this case. I’ve felt that since my interview with Gabriel’s mother.

“Then why are you here if it isn’t to dig up something you think I’m dirty of doing?”

I move, taking a step into the room, getting closer to him, and not for a professional reason. His remark hit something inside me and not in a good way.

“D,” I sigh, taking another step. “This is my job. A case that involves you was assigned to me. My job is to determine if there is any validation to the accusation against you. I am going to be thorough in this investigation whether you like it or not.”

I tap my index finger on his desk to drive my point home.

“But at no point”—my own anger starts to seep out of my voice—“did I ever give you the impression I thought you were dirty.”

I’m getting mad, and I never show emotions or lose composure while on the job before. The fact that I am now, with him, only agitates me.

His dark eyes cut away from me, but I see the moment his temper takes a step back. After another second, he looks down.

“The first day we met, you told me you thought I had an illegal business relationship with Diaz.” His eyes glide up. “Are you saying that’s changed? You no longer think I’m in bed with the Mexican Devil?”

This isn’t what I need. The lines between us are more blurred than I thought.

He’s right; I did say that. It was a tactic I often use. A tactic I wanted to work on him, but it didn’t.

My knee touches one of his, startling us both. I hadn’t realized I’d moved this close. Too close. I shouldn’t be in his personal space. I know better, yet I don’t step back.

“I’ve heard a lot of things about your family, mostly of your father through others on the force, but I never believe anything as truth until it’s proven. Until I see it for myself.”

I place my palm on his shoulder.

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