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)
My phone rings, vibrating across the nightstand.
I scrub a hand down my face and reach for it. Captain Franklin's name flashes across the display. I glance at the time and curse. There's no way he'd be calling me at midnight for anything less than a catastrophe. No one would dare wake him up this late for anything less than that, especially after he worked all weekend.
"Hernandez," I murmur, flinging the covers back and sitting up on the side of the bed.
"We've got a problem, son," he says.
"What's wrong?"
"Curtis Kaleo is dead."
"You're kidding me." I climb to my feet and head toward the closet, knowing I won't be getting sleep any time soon. "What do we know?"
"Not a whole lot," Franklin says, his voice grim. "He broke into January James' house about an hour ago. Kincaid called Luke Santiago for help and then went in after him. When units arrived on scene, Kaleo was dead in a bedroom, and Ms. James was code blue."
"She's dead?" My blood runs cold, dread clawing its way through me. January James is Kincaid's girl. It's her family that was killed years ago. If she's dead, Kincaid is going to lose it.
"Not sure about that either, but she wasn't breathing when paramedics arrived. It looks like Kaleo shot her."
"¡Hijo de puta! What hospital is she at?"
"Good Samaritan."
"I'm on my way." I yank the closet door open and grab a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, worry pulsing through me. If Kaleo shot January, Kincaid is probably raging right now.
"Keep me updated," Franklin orders before disconnecting.
I quickly get dressed before hurrying to the bathroom to brush my teeth and splash cold water on my face. Halfway there, my phone rings again. Mila's name flashes across the display.
"Did Roman call you?" she asks as soon as I answer.
"No," I mutter, though I'm not surprised. Roman staunchly supports Kincaid where the investigation is concerned, and I don't hold that against him. Charging Kincaid with murder is the last thing I want to do, but I might not have a choice, especially not after this. Fuck. Why couldn't Kaleo stay missing until ballistics on that gun came back? "My captain called me."
"Oh." Mila flounders for a moment before pushing forward. "Um, bring Faith over here. Roman says Knox Cooper is on his way over to keep an eye on us until…well, until someone is able to come home."
Mierda. I didn't even think about the fact that there's no one to sit with them. Faith isn't going to like having someone new in her space. She's still leery of men she doesn't know.
"He made Knox promise to stay outside," Mila says as if reading my mind. "She'll be okay here with me, Octavio. I promise I won't let anything happen to her."
I hesitate for a split second and then curse. There isn't another choice here. Luke and Roman are both tied up—Finn likely is as well—and I have to go. This is my case. "We'll be there in ten."
"Okay. See you soon."
I quickly brush my teeth and then head toward Faith's room to wake her up. She's started sleeping in her bed again, but even then, she curls herself into a tiny ball as if, even in her sleep, she's trying to make herself as small a target as possible. The sight makes my heart ache. So do the sounds of her cries when she wakes from another nightmare. She isn't sleeping enough. That much was obvious long before I woke her in Dr. Shapiro's office today.
I hit the switch for her bedside lamp before I wake her. "Faith, angel," I call her name softly but don't touch her. She no longer flinches away from me, but I don't know what she's dreaming about. I don't want to frighten her. "Wake up, conejita."
Her eyes pop open almost immediately. She blinks like a little owl, her face scrunching up. "Octavio?" She sits up, looking so adorably sleepy that I want to scoop her up in my arms and hold her close. "What time is it? What's wrong?"
"There's been a shooting. I have to go."
She blinks at me again and then understanding dawns, her sleepiness vanishing. "I'll get dressed."
"Roman and Luke are both tied up on this one too."
"Oh." Trepidation filters across her face as she pushes her hair back. "Is it bad?"
"Yes. The victim is Kincaid's girlfriend, January."
"Oh no," Faith whispers, her face falling.
I've told her enough about the case for her to understand how serious this is. She's the only one I feel like I can talk to about it. She's the only one who doesn't have an opinion on the issue. Roman and Luke, even Finn Bethel, all firmly support Kincaid. Half the guys in my precinct are pissed because I'm investigating a cop. The other half are mad that Franklin gave me the case instead of them. The last week has been a nightmare. The only bright spot was bringing in Mikhail Marozava.