Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 82187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
The last time he’d helped this gang, they’d paid him five grand to simply know if or when God had secured a warrant for the warehouse they’d been dealing from.
Nothing crazy, just wanna know God’s next move.
Vasquez remained silent until the payoff number flashed across the screen.
How about I up the ante…? 10k
Vasquez cursed as he thought about the stack of overdue medical bills piling up on the counter, his rent that was going up again in five months, his credit cards that were maxed out, his ten-year-old car that broke down often and was held together with duct tape and a prayer…the empty inbox on the dating site.
Ten thousand dollars wasn’t just a tempting offer. It was an amount that could make him sleep better. An amount that could get him and his dad out of Atlanta, leaving all his haters and debt behind.
Vasquez quickly jabbed in a response before his conscience got the better of him.
I’ll see what I can do, not making any promises.
Lawson (Law) Sheppard
Law was on his third cup of black coffee—it was stale, but it warmed his cold palms—as he sat on top of the breakroom counter, tapping an anxious rhythm on the bottom cabinet with his boot.
Midnight was rolling slowly toward him like threatening storm clouds.
Wes was beside him, scanning the options in the vending machine. The zipper of his tactical gear was halfway down, revealing the smooth planes of his chest under his compression shirt.
He was uneasy, jittery, but suppressing it better than he was.
“We’re gonna kick ass tonight.”
Wes arched one brow.
“We’ve been training for weeks. No one expected us to come up with half the shit we did.” Law gripped the back of Wes’s neck and pulled him between his legs. “It’ll protect the team…and us.”
Wes nodded, lifting his head toward Law’s mouth when the door burst open.
An officer stepped inside, tall, with broad shoulders, wearing a starched polyester uniform and a wide smile.
“Evening, fellas,” he said, far too cheerful for the time of night. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your pre-op ritual.”
Law slid off the counter. “No problem. We’re just killing time. I’m Law, and this is my partner Wes.”
“Oh, I know who you are, Hollywood boys.” The man extended his hand. “I’m Vasquez.”
Law shrugged nonchalantly, but secretly, he liked that their names were making the rounds.
“The department sure is lucky to have you guys’ skills. Well, God is lucky. His task force is the best answer to our drug problem.”
Law nodded.
“I’ve wanted to be on God and Day’s team for years. But apparently I don’t have the chops. So I’m more than happy to back them up and assist in any way possible, like crowd control, transport, booking, paperwork, you name it.”
“Cool. Appreciate that.” Wes shook Vasquez’s hand again.
Vasquez went to the cabinet, took out a stained mug, and filled it with the last of the sludge in the bottom of the coffee pot.
“It looks like you guys are about to move out.” Vasquez looked them up and down. “Let me know where you guys are gonna be, and I’ll get some of my own guys on standby. I know he’s got Hart, but the more guys to back God up, the better.”
Law’s heart warmed at the camaraderie.
“We’re gonna execute a sneak and peek at the Briarcliff Heights,” Wes answered. “It might be a good idea to be in the area just in case.”
Vasquez smiled like a fan. “Ah, the classic sneak and peek. Smooth, stealthy entries that make for better stories than the ones I tell from my beat.”
“Yeah, well, let’s hope they’re not telling our story on the six o’clock news.” Wes exhaled.
“Fuck that, you guys are golden,” Vasquez said confidently. “With Syn running point, everything will go smooth as butter. It’ll be nothing like before.”
Wes did a double-take. “What does that mean?”
Vasquez shooed him off. “Don’t worry about it. The other consultants God used died valiantly.”
“Whoa, what the fuck do you mean died?” Law bit out.
“God’s had a few informants he flipped, and at least a dozen consultants that…”
“Spit it out,” Wes snapped.
Vasquez sighed. “Well, you’ve heard the phrase, no good deed goes unpunished.”
“Fuck,” Wes whispered, running his hand through his hair.
“Then there was the crime scene interpretation specialist from Penn, who was in the process of getting his duel masters.” Vasquez tsk’d. “God had him analyzing a crime scene when all hell broke loose. Poor guy was taken hostage and tortured before his body was dumped back on the precinct steps.”
“Holy shit, Law, what in the—”
“Hey.” Law gripped Wes’s shoulders and spun him to face him. “I would never let anything happen to you.”
“Guys, I didn’t mean to tell you that to scare you,” Vasquez waved nonchalantly. “All that was years ago. Syn and Ro run a tight ship, and their first priority is always to their team.”