EVANGELINA
9TH PRECINCT - PHILADELPHIA
Iswayed back and forth in my chair, only half focused on the file in front of me, feeling wired, even though I’d had a shit night. In just a few minutes, Yuri Belov would be sitting in front of me. The underboss of the Belov crime family and the last person in contact with James. This interrogation was a long time coming. Blood whirred in my ears at the anticipation of being in his presence, the man possibly responsible for James’s death. From what we’d uncovered in the past week, we knew he owed Yuri money stemming from a deal that had gone sideways. And I could only speculate Belov might have felt double-crossed. It seemed like a plausible motive.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t interrogate him on any of those findings—some bullshit about a conflict of interest and circumstantial evidence.
My cell buzzed against my desk, and I hated the quick fluttering inside my belly when Derek’s name lit up my screen. It had been nearly a week, six days, to be exact—not that I was counting—since I’d seen or spoken to him. I hated that I missed him. I hated even more that I’d thought about him nonstop, even though he’d acted like a dick. Derek was such an enigma. One moment, he was so charismatic and sweet, then the next, it was like something else entirely came over him.
I silenced the phone and clasped my hands together to keep them under control, tearing my eyes from the tempting device and trying to occupy myself with the notes in Yuri’s file.
DEREK
Angel, can you talk?
The audacity of him to think he could just text out of the blue and use nicknames after being rude and ghosting me for a week.
I tapped my nails on the desk, contemplating if I should reply. And what would I even say?
Damn it.
Picking up my cell, I pushed the call back button before I could regret it and sat back in my chair, waiting for him to say his piece… but mostly craving to hear his voice.
I was weak. Sue me.
“Derek.”
“Eva. I know you’re at work, so I don’t want to keep you. I just want to apologize for being a dick.”
I nodded as if he could see me. “Yes, you were.”
He chuckled low on the other end. “That wasn’t my intention. My past is—”
“I get it. I won’t bring it up again. Anything else?” My tone was curt, meant to sting, but I died a bit inside when I was met with his silence. Treating him this way felt wrong and unnatural.
Especially after coming so hard last night with his name on my lips.
“I’m sorry, angel. I’ll let you get back to work.”
That’s it?
“Wait…”
Shit.
“What is it?”
Sam poked his head into my cubicle before I could answer. Maybe it was divine intervention because Lord knew I was about to sound much too desperate.
I looked down at my watch. “Nothing. Listen, I’m about to go into an interrogation with Belov and…”
“Did you say Belov?” he asked, his voice sounding strangled.
“Yes, but I can’t really get into details—”
“Evangelina.” I heard him exhale into the receiver.
“What is it?”
