Clari just seems to want me, and from now on, that’s who I will be. She’s right about me killing myself, that I’ve been doing it because I’ve been feeling like less ever since I walked into the station and saw her sitting there afraid and alone.
I’ll never know how Wyatt lives with the shit that happened to Ellie without going nuts.
“I will, babe. I will if you promise to take it easy and not fight me so much about work and the security.”
That makes her blush, and I grin when she bites her lip and nods.
“Fine. I won’t complain about them shadowing me if you promise not to go all Rambo on me again. I miss you. A lot.”
“I miss you, too. Now come here, woman. I started kissing you last night and failed epically when I couldn’t follow through.”
She giggles and starts squirming on my lap, and I know that I am right where I need to be right now.
Veronica and her cohorts can go to hell for one day, as can Dobson and that ex of hers. Right here and now I have everything I need and want, and I’ll keep my promise to her even if it kills me to share responsibilities with the others and watch from the sidelines.
***
“Your woman spoke to you, huh?”
“Jace, I swear, if you get all smug and shit and start giving me the ‘I told you so’ speech, I’ll knock your ass right the hell out and leave you here for the militia to find.”
We’re hiding in the woods bordering the swamp, of all places, as a truck that Jace has been tracking for two days slowly makes its way to a rickety little hut tucked away at the edge of the water.
I know exactly what this is. I’ve seen many exchanges over the years, and this is one of the sloppiest I’ve ever seen. Either Dobson is getting slack, or whoever is driving that truck doesn’t care all that much about being spotted and caught hauling a few hundred kilos of meth, coke, and marijuana.
Jace starts chuckling when the door opens, and I’m groaning before the fool hops out of the truck and starts clapping hands with the filth that piles out of the hut.
“That cocky little bastard.”
“Aw c’mon, bro, you know you love how sneaky Roman can be. Besides, look at the way he’s making pals with the enemy. Isn’t this what you were hoping for all along?”
“Yeah.”
But I never thought that I’d be left holding my own dick while my brothers start taking over my freaking job. I recall Clari’s words and sigh heavily. Christ, I really am turning into a family man when I start smiling about her reprimanding me for working too hard while my fool cousin saunters into a den of drug runners and traitors as if he were born to do it.
We cool our heels in the woods, taking photos with our night-vision cams and waiting on Roman, when I hear another vehicle coming down the road at a speed that does not bode well.
“Is that Dobson?”
The car screeches to a halt and the fat asshole jumps out, followed by one of his crooked pals, and starts yelling at one of the men who come running out.
My sixth sense starts tingling like hell when I hear a gunshot and see the others dragging Roman out behind them.
“Christ!”
“Wait, bro,” Jace mutters, pulling me back down when I would have run from cover.
Dobson starts slapping Roman and turns to punching the guy when he regains consciousness, and it’s then that he raises his voice enough for us to hear.
“Are you IA, Lane?! Jesus Christ, Tommy vouched for you, asshole.”
The hitting escalates to kicking, and I’m about ready to start shooting to kill when I hear another car screeching down the road. It’s a pink Beetle that sends the dust flying when it stops.
“Daddy, no! What are you doing?”
“Is that Melissa Dobson? What the fuck is going on here, Jace?” I demand, watching Roman lift his bloody face with effort and smile at Melissa.
“She’s his cover and one of his sources, bro. Roman started talking to her when she came into the department one day, and they’ve been buddy-buddy ever since. She’s helping him collect info and proof on Dobson, and she’s his ticket into this mess. Just watch.”
I turn back to see the girl yelling her head off at Dobson and slapping at the men holding him down. My idiot of a cousin just grins and lumbers to his feet before picking the girl up and kissing her, bloody mouth and all.
What I see has me shaking my head and grinning in disbelief. That clever asshole. He’s in all right, and not just with the drug running that’s going on here, but pretty soon Dobson will lead him right to the main players in this cell.
Soon Melissa starts dragging Roman along behind her on her way back to her car.
“Melly, honey, I’m sorry!”