My stomach drops.“What’s over?”
“Me.My career.”He laughs, a dry, brittle sound.“Suspended pending investigation.The Internal Affairs meeting is tomorrow morning.”
My next thought hits like a fist.“Vincent did this?”
“Yes and no.”Eddie pulls a hand through his floppy hair, the gesture tired and defeated, and he looks around to make sure no one is within earshot.No one is.“ I don’t blame James.He was careful.But he used the same kind of adhesive I do.The same specialized polymer.And that alone would have been enough to raise questions.But there’s more.”
He pauses, his throat working.
“There’s security footage of my car at the scene that night that’s time-stamped and clear as day, even though I myself was not there.Even though I was…” He stops, his jaw clenching.“I was with you.”
My mouth drops open.The implications spiral out, dizzying.“What are you talking about?”
“Someone stole my car.”His voice is carefully controlled, but I hear the rage underneath, banked but dangerous.“They drove it to Michael Devlin’s street.Parked it where a neighbor’s security camera would catch it.Then brought it back before I even noticed it was gone.”
He looks at me then, really looks at me, and the hollow devastation in his eyes makes something crack inside my chest.
“A neighbor saw someone matching my description walking toward Devlin’s house.Someone who wanted me gone.Who needed me out of the way.”
The words hang between us.
“But…” I shake my head.
Someone stole his car, meaning they broke into it, meaning they knew our planwhile we were carrying it out.The only person I can think of who may want the detective removed from the board—who would benefit from the chaos—has a grainy face in security footage and a history of sneaking into cars.
Oh my god.
Red Hands.
I want to ask questions, but the words stick in my throat like broken glass.
“My badge is gone,” Eddie continues, his voice dropping to something quieter, even more terrible.“My gun.My access to the legal system.My ability to pull files, run searches, investigate anything officially, and keep you hidden from Vincent.”
He leans forward slightly, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes my skin prickle.
“But don’t think for one second that I can’t protect you anymore, Sera.I will.Always.Badge or no badge.Gun or no gun.I don’t need official authority to keep you safe.”
The fierce certainty in his voice should comfort me.Instead, it makes my guilt even worse.
The weight of it crashes down like a collapsing building.My Mind.The piece of my court who understood the system, who could move through the legal machinery Vincent controls with insider knowledge and official sanction, gone.
And it’s my fault.
Because it was my plan.My brilliant idea to help that broken woman by framing her abuser.My reckless, arrogant belief that I could tear abusers down without consequences to myself.That I could play this game and win.That I was smart enough, careful enough, ruthless enough to outmaneuver everyone.That I could play this game and win.
“Eddie—“
“Don’t,” he cuts me off, gentle but firm.“Don’t apologize.Don’t say it’s your fault.Don’t try to fix it because there’s nothing to fix.I have no regrets, Sera.Not about you.”
The words should feel like absolution, but they feel like knives.
“What now?”The question scrapes out of me.
“I don’t know.”A bitter smile ghosts across his lips.“But maybe it’s for the best.Maybe I was always going to end up here—just another dirty cop who thought he could bend the rules and get away with it.”
“You’re not dirty.”The words are fierce, almost violent.“You’re trying to help people.Trying to stop monsters.You’re trying to helpme, and my plan backfired all over you.You were not the one who was supposed to be stopped by this, Eddie.It was supposed to be Michael Devlin in handcuffs, not you facing termination.”
My throat tightens.“I’m sorry.I’m so fucking sorry, and those words don’t even begin to describe how sorry I am.”
