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)
Wes didn’t answer right away, then said slowly, “Not a lot, but I called him a couple of times.”
Law pinched the bridge of his nose, hot tears spilling free despite his best efforts.
He covered the mouthpiece to muffle the ragged hitching of his breath.
“I can’t—” Law’s voice broke. He tried again, throat raw. “Wes. I…I gotta go.”
“Law—” Wes hurried.
“Good luck out there. I hope…you, um…you deserve it.”
“Law—”
“I gotta go.”
He ended the call before Wes could finish his sentence.
He sat in the darkness, phone still in his hand, chest heaving a though he’d just finished running a marathon.
Law dropped back against the couch, eyes squeezed shut as sobs wracked his body.
He rasped in a devastating whisper, over and over as the dark basement swallowed the sound.
“I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.”
Ramon Vasquez
Vasquez parked his battered sedan behind the precinct and went inside as inconspicuously as he could.
Once he finished in the locker room, he realized his uniform shirt was wrinkled and his pants could use a good wash.
His eyes felt grainy, lids heavy, his head aching.
He sat at the check-in desk, punching the same ten keys on the computer over and over, trying not to imagine God lurking around every corner.
Did he kill Day? Did he get arrested?
He jolted when a soft but deep voice spoke above him.
“Hey, handsome.”
He glanced up. And for a second, the gray precinct seemed to lighten.
Joshi stood there, leaning on the edge of Vasquez’s desk, grinning.
His dark hair was slicked back, perfectly in place. His shirt was crisp white with thin stripes of sky blue, and his blazer probably cost a month of Vasquez’s salary.
But his favorite was that Joshi smelled like clean soap and a spicy cologne that made him dizzy.
Vasquez felt a grin try to sneak across his face before he smothered it.
“Joshi. Uh. Hey.”
“You can call me Kiran if you want.”
“Okay, my name is Ramon.”
“I know.” Joshi smiled.
Vasquez felt like an idiot.
“So did you think any more about my offer?” Joshi asked, eyebrows lifted.
He frowned. “Offer?”
Joshi leaned closer, voice low. “Dinner, beers, conversation…alone.”
His face flushed, and he was sure it glowed red under the harsh lighting.
Joshi’s smile turned wicked. “You’re sexy when you blush like that.”
Vasquez scrubbed a hand over his jaw, mumbling, “I’m not blushing.”
Joshi licked his lips and Vasquez found he couldn’t turn away.
“You are, and I like it.”
He ducked his head like a shy man-child.
He didn’t understand. He’d always been able to shoot his shot when he saw someone he wanted. Regardless, he was typically shot down… But he’d never been afraid of chasing a hot ass.
But with Joshi, he became a fucking forty-two-year-old virgin.
“So, I can’t stay long and probably won’t even get a chance to grab a bite in the breakroom. I’ve got a crazy night ahead. A desk full of paperwork and bureaucracy bullshit.”
Vasquez cleared his throat. “What department are you in, anyway?”
Joshi stood straighter. “Auditor. Commissioner’s office.”
Vasquez’s heart hiccupped.
An auditor. Christ.
Joshi’s grin softened. “Relax. It has nothing to do with your department.”
He figured as much. Admin staff wasn’t shit and too low on the totem pole to worry about.
Joshi reached into his satchel and pulled out a small plastic Tupperware.
“Here,” he said. “I made this. Italian hoagie, extra meat. I like that you like my food…no one else does.”
Vasquez was stunned. His stomach let out a monstrous, echoing growl that had Joshi’s eyes widening.
Joshi laughed gently. “You may need to take a couple of bites of that now.”
Vasquez lowered his eyes. “I, uh…I overslept, so I missed dinner.”
“I put my number in your phone,” Joshi said. “Now the ball’s in your court.”
Dammit.
Vasquez no longer had a phone. God had smashed it. And since he didn’t have insurance, he wouldn’t be able to replace it anytime soon.
“Can I get it again? My screen got cracked, and I gotta get it fixed.”
Joshi pulled a business card from his wallet and scribbled a number on the back.
Vasquez took it as if it was a priceless relic. There was nothing on the front of the card except Joshi’s name.
No department, title, email, or office phone.
Joshi leaned forward, mouth near Vasquez’s ear. “I really hope you’ll say yes to that dinner.”
Vasquez could only nod, throat too tight for words.
They both jumped at the same time when a loud, anger-laced voice hollered his name.
“Vasquez! You fuckin’ piece of shit!”
He saw Day first, eyes brimming with fury. Behind him, Ruxs and Green fanned out on either side, tall, broad, and radiating menace like the hired muscle they were.
Oh no.
Before he could react or bolt, Ruxs launched at him, hooking his arm, grabbing his collar, and yanking him over the front of his desk.
It was so fast and violent that Vasquez hit both knees on the edge of the counter, making it feel like they’d been dislocated.
Ruxs flung him sideways right into Green, who drove a vicious punch into his gut.