Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
I shove my hands deeper into my pockets, fighting like hell not to back her up against the wall to kiss her senseless.
"Thank you, Octavio," she whispers, slowly dropping her arm back to her side. "For everything."
"Es mi placer, conejita," I murmur, my voice a gritty rasp. Taking care of her is my pleasure. "Te veré pronto."
"See you soon," she whispers back.
"This is such bullshit," Rick Sanders growls, glaring balefully at Roman and Finn Bethel as he removes his gun from the holster on his hip and drops it carelessly onto Finn's desk. "She fucking wanted it."
I growl, taking a step in his direction as the desire to slam my fist into his face rushes through me. As if sensing how close to the edge I am, Roman throws his arm out, blocking my path. Which is probably for the best. Breaking the little bastard's jaw in Finn Bethel's office probably won't win me any favors.
Finn is a hardass who doesn't pull punches. He's been over the ATF's gang unit and SWAT team for over a decade. He's damn good at his job and expects a lot of his men. He doesn't take shit from anyone. I have a lot of respect for him. Jeopardizing my working relationship with him over Sanders, especially after Finn has gone above and beyond to help stop the gang war and violence in the city, doesn't appeal to me.
Sanders is another story, though. Any respect I might have had for him—and I had very little to begin with—died the instant he put his hands on Faith. Knocking him down a couple of pegs is all too appealing.
"She screamed for you to stop, kneed you in the balls, and locked herself in a fucking bedroom," I snap at him, barely concealed rage in my tone. "She didn't want a goddamn thing, Sanders."
"Whatever, man," he snaps, clenching his jaw. "You weren't there."
"You're right," Roman says, his voice lethally soft. "He wasn't there, but Gunner was. He saw what happened. You backed a witness into a corner and tried to force yourself on her. She asked you repeatedly to stop, but you refused until Gunner interrupted you. She kneed you in the balls and fled in tears. She didn't want a damn thing. And even if she had wanted it, as you claim, you'd still be off the Gang Unit for trying to hook up with a witness."
A stab of guilt twists in my stomach at Roman's words. He's right. Pursuing her while she's in custody is wrong. I'm nothing like Sanders…but what does it say about me that I can't seem to keep my hands to myself where she's concerned?
Sanders opens his mouth to spew God only knows what.
"If I were you," Finn barks, his dark eyes full of warning, "I'd shut the fuck up while you're ahead. You can plead your case with Internal Affairs and hope they let you keep your job, but as of right now, you're off my unit. There is no room on this task force for cops like you, Sanders."
Sanders turns a baleful glare on Roman and then on me, hatred in his blue eyes. His hands clench as if he wants to take a swing. I almost wish he would. The way I'm feeling right now, I'd have no problem laying him out. It's bad enough that he backed her into a corner and put his hands on her. For him to now act like he's the victim has my blood boiling.
He doesn't say anything and doesn't take a swing. Instead, he tosses his badge on the desk beside his gun and then storms out of the office. The door slams so hard behind him that it rattles the windowpanes.
"Little prick," Finn mutters, picking up the weapon to check it over. Once he's done, he turns an apologetic look in my direction. "I apologize for his behavior, Hernandez. I can assure you; he won't have a job when we're finished with him."
I jerk my head in a nod, not sure I trust myself to respond yet.
"I checked into putting someone else on her detail, but the big wigs don't want to approve it. Unless she gives us something solid soon, they want us to cut her loose," he says.
"Cut her loose," I reply, trying not to take my frustration out on him. "Whatever progress I'd made with her, Sanders blew. If we can get her to talk now, I'll let you know. Until then, I'll be keeping an eye on her."
"Are you sure you don't want to put someone else on her?" Finn asks.
"Even if you could manage it, she's scared enough already. Locking her up with someone else she doesn't know won't help her learn to trust me."
"Luke and Mila are going to help us keep an eye on her," Roman tells his boss and longtime friend.