Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
They were laughing about something, and I hated not being in on the joke. The way she laughed with her whole body, her head tilting back, she looked happy and free in a way that I hadn’t really seen before. The time we’d spent together was all anger and chemistry or centered on work. We worked, we fought, we fucked. We hadn’t had the opportunity for much else.
I had only seen a glimpse of her being light and funny. I hadn’t really seen her when she wasn’t preparing for battle.
Just looking at her across the room, I wondered if I knew her at all. Could I make her feel like she felt right now? Or would being with me mean that she would feel like she was always under a microscope and always had to be on? For a moment, just a split second, I wondered if I was doing the right thing. Then I watched as his hand went around her shoulders, and he pulled her closer like he was going to kiss her, like he dared to put his dirty, lying, criminal lips on my woman.
Absolutely not.
I made my way through the restaurant, leading the team of police to the table and almost running over the mousy hostess in the process. I didn’t even spare her a look, like I wasn’t going to spare a thought for anyone else I destroyed on my way toward what I wanted.
“Harrison, what are you doing here?” Eddie asked when she saw me.
“Arresting your date,” I said, stepping aside so the uniform behind me could take out his cuffs and start reading Doyle his rights.
Shouting over Doyle’s blowhard objections and the police officer’s droning voice, Eddie squared off against me. “You can’t arrest him.”
“I can, and I am,” I said matter-of-factly.
“He hasn’t done anything to you.” She tried to get between her date and the officer.
“Ma’am, I’m going to need you to move.” The uniform looked very uncomfortable as he tried to get around her.
“Not to me, Eddie. He has done quite a bit to the city of New York.”
“Are you kidding?” She looked at me, putting her cute little hands on her cute little hips like she had authority. “You’re arresting my date tonight? What would your fiancée say about this? Have you run this by your mother yet?” I kind of liked that she tried to stand up to me. It would make bringing her back to earth so much more enjoyable.
“Your date is a criminal. He’s the reason other criminals are still on the street. This has absolutely nothing to do with you. Move, or I will have you arrested for trying to impede justice.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she said through her clenched teeth.
I turned to look at one of the other uniforms and said, “Officer, detain her as well.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, looking back and forth between us.
“Yes. Just because she works in my office does not mean she is above the law. She interferes with an active investigation, she should be arrested and charged.”
“Harrison, you cannot be serious,” she said, her eyes wide and mouth opened.
“Absolutely.” I leaned in, to whisper in her ear, “You better start thinking of ways to get out of this. If you have a record, you will never get to join the bar.”
The blood drained from her face as I moved back and watched as both she and Doyle were put in cuffs, their rights read as they were escorted from the building with the entire world watching.
I grabbed another uniform and whispered in his ear, telling him I wanted them separated into different precincts. He was going to a rougher area where being a cop on the wrong side of the bars would make for an interesting night. She was going to a newer precinct, one that had a new wing that was just completed but wouldn’t officially be in use until next month.
She and I were going to need a little privacy as soon as I let her cool off for a while.
CHAPTER 31
EDDIE
Sitting in a jail cell contemplating murder was never something I had envisioned for my future. I knew it was a distinct possibility at some point. You didn’t grow up in the neighborhoods I grew up in or with the limited resources that we’d had and not realize that jail for many people was an inevitability.
Some people ended up here because they were lazy and took shortcuts, others because they were desperate and had no other options, and some just did dumb shit.
None of those were the reason I was sitting in this cell. I was here because I’d had the audacity to develop feelings for an asshole with money and power.
I didn’t know what Harrison was trying to pull, but he was right. If I were processed, I wouldn’t be mad or upset, I’d be terrified. If I were processed, fingerprinted, and put into the system, then I would have a record, and the chances of me getting into the bar were slim to none.