LONDYN
The knock comes hard,too early. “Prez wants you both in his office,” Turbo calls through the door. “Now.”
Malcolm’s already up, pulling on his kutte. My stomach twists so tight it hurts. Whatever they found, it’s bad. I can feel it.
We step into Maverick’s office together. The air is wrong… thick, heavy, brothers standing around the room like they’re expecting some shit to pop off at any moment.
Maverick sits behind his desk, arms folded, jaw locked. Turbo’s got his laptop open, fingers drumming with that restless, dangerous energy.
Maverick jerks his chin at Turbo. “Tell her.”
Turbo turns the screen toward me. “Your captain, Herrera… he’s not just a cop. He’s blood. Brother to Emilio Herrera… the man running the Mendaro Syndicate.”
The floor drops out from under me.
“No…” My voice cracks, the word barely making it out. “That can’t be right.”
Turbo doesn’t soften the blow… not even a little. “Family doesn’t make somebody clean, Londyn. I traced cash, hundreds of thousands of dollars, moving through shell accounts tied tohim. Phone records. Meetings, too. He’s been coordinating with cartel lieutenants for months.”
My chest squeezes so tight I can’t pull in air. “And Tony?”
Turbo hesitates. That’s worse than any answer.
His eyes flick up sharp. “Tony’s worse. He’s not just your partner. He’s Emilio’s nephew and a lieutenant in the Syndicate. He’s been feeding intel straight from your precinct. Every raid, every lead… they knew before you did. And… he’s the one who tipped them off that Ty was working with the DEA and FBI.”
I feel the floor tilt under me, grabbing the back of a chair to steady myself.
“He… what?” My throat closes. “Ty trusted him. I trusted him. I…”
Turbo’s eyes meet mine… no pity, just truth. “They knew every move Ty made. Every meeting. Every call. When he started feeding the Feds intel, they found out within hours. And once the Syndicate realized he was snitching? They put a target on your whole family. It was just a matter of time.”
Something in me tears open… rage, grief, betrayal… sharp enough to hurt.
Maverick leans forward, voice hard. “That’s the lesson. People are capable of anything. Doesn’t matter how close they are, how much you think you know them. Money, blood, power… it changes everything.”
I choke on a breath, vision blurring. “All this time… I thought my precinct had my back, thought they had my brother’s back. I thought they cared about me.”
Malcolm’s hand closes around mine, strong and steady. “They used you, Lolo. But you’re not alone in this anymore.”
“They walked you right to the edge and planned to push. You were never safe with them,” Turbo says with a slight edge to his voice.
Maverick’s eyes lock on me… hard, unwavering. “You wanted the truth. That’s the truth. Now I need to know if you’re gonna stand up… or fall apart?”
I swallow hard, steel sliding into my voice even as my heart breaks.
The tears are still burning, but the shaking stops. What rises in me isn’t fear, it’s fire.
I straighten, jaw set.
“My family didn’t die for nothing. They betrayed me and used me.”
The room holds its breath.
“I’m going to burn them down. Every last one of them, and anyone who helped them? They go down too.”
The room goes dead quiet. My words hang there like a promise
Then Maverick nods once, like he just witnessed something settle into place inside me.
