Page 163 of Possession

Well.

It might come to that if Brax doesn’t convince Rocco to step away from the dark side.

We’re a unit. I’m not moving on until we save Rocco.

38

CHOOSE GOOD

Brax

“What the fuck?”

I ignore that and shut the door behind me. Rocco’s expression morphs from shock to something deeper and darker when I move to the table and pull out the chair across from him. Metal scraping across the floor echoes through the room as confusion settles in his features.

The eighteen-year-old pushes to his feet. “What the hell’s going on?”

I put a hand up, if for no other reason there’s a decent chance he might come across the table at me. “We need to talk.”

“What are you doing here?” he demands. His gaze shoots around the room before it travels the length of me, taking in the scrubs I’m wearing. “What happened to you?”

“I was grazed.” I point to the table. “Sit.”

His eyes widen. “You were shot? Where’s Landyn?”

“I’m fine. Landyn is fine. I’ll explain everything if you sit down and take a breath.”

He falls to his ass but leans forward and lowers his voice to a hissed whisper. “They said I rolled through a stop sign, but I didn’t. I did every fucking thing right, just like you told me to do. Then they arrested me because of some issue with the registration on the car. I call bullshit. Tell me you got a lawyer coming. I’m freaking the fuck out, boss.”

“Calm down.” I take a moment as he sits back in his chair almost violently. “We need to talk, and I need you to keep an open mind.”

“How did you get in here? This is the fucking DEA, and the only reason I know that is because I caught sight of the sign before they brought me in the back through the parking garage. The DE-fucking-A, and you want me to calm down?”

I sit back and tip my head.

He pauses a moment, and his eyes widen.

Well, now.

I think he’s finally getting it.

“No,” he grits.

I start to fold my arms across my chest until it pulls at my stitches. That’s going to suck for the next few days.

“Let me fill you in.” I glance at my watch. “In the next thirty minutes, the Jackals will surface on this side of the border with one of the biggest loads the Marinos have ever tried to transport. But that load will never make it to the streets. It’ll be taken down by federal agents.”

He shakes his head and stares at me like I’m a stranger. “No. No fucking way. I don’t believe it.”

“Believe it.”

He doesn’t stop shaking his head as his fingers dig violently through his hair. “You’re a cop?”

“You weren’t arrested. You were taken into custody for your own safety. Damian’s house is being searched as we speak.”

The blood drains from his face. “You set me up.”

I shake my head. “I didn’t.”

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