Lane
They didn’t waitfor River, but I didn’t expect them to, either. If they had a warrant, they could search whenever they wanted, but it was worth mentioning River’s name just to see the looks on their faces. I recognized Officer Paxton immediately in the crowd of cops who entered the apartment. He stepped up to Agosti as soon as he got in the door.
“Detective, I’d like to exclude myself from this search,” he whispered low—probably so his cop buddies wouldn’t hear—but I stood close enough to catch the conversation.
Agosti turned to him and crossed his arms, though the jovial expression on his face didn’t disappear. I had my fair share of experience with detectives like this one. They aimed to confuse the perps with their happy manner, and it was easier to play good cop-bad cop, too. Dad had given me some pointers about law enforcement, and I’d never forgotten those lessons.
“Why is that, Officer….” His gaze dipped to the badge on Officer Paxton’s chest. “Jayce Paxton.”
Paxton cleared his throat. “River Demchenko is my partner, sir. We live together. Me being here is a conflict of interest if he’s their lawyer.”
Agosti’s eyebrows jumped high, and he took a moment to give Paxton a once-over. It was the kind of look that had me ready to beat the detective’s judgmental expression off his face, like he couldn’t quite believe a cop was with a lawyer like River. Amusement replaced the censure and he nodded. “Take you and yourworkpartner back to the station, Officer. Tell them I have enough men.”
Paxton nodded. “Thank you, sir.” He gave me a short smile before he patted another cop’s arm and said something to him. Together, they walked out of Ross’s apartment.
Agosti gave us a grin. “Well, that was an eye-opener.”
I shrugged and hooked my hand into Ross’s elbow, giving Agosti a pout. “You seem to be surprised a lot today, Detective. It’s not difficult to believe that a cop would be dating a lawyer, and it should not be difficult to believe that I would be dating Ross. Once River gets here, you’ll be sorry you ever knew our names.”
“I get off on threats, Lane. Or should I call you Stormy?”
I smiled at him. “Oh, honey, you can call me whatever you want. Stormy is just a nickname, of course, nothing more.” Plucking the warrant from Ross, I gave Agosti a wink before I read through the paper in my hand. I’d seen this kind of document before when they were trying to get my father for corruption. It went nowhere, and I suspected whatever Agosti was doing now would end similarly. All we had to do was grease the right palms. “What are you searching for exactly?”
“We’re here to arrest Mr. Midberry on public lewdness. In addition to that, we have reason to believe he solicited you for sex, which in our world is patronizing prostitution. That’s a class-A misdemeanor. He’ll go away for up to a year if I have it my way.” Agosti smiled wide, flashing me perfect teeth, and I thought about punching them in. “We’re here to search for any evidence of paid sexual transgressions.”
“That’s ridiculous.” I started to walk forward, but Ross grabbed my arm and dragged me back.
“That’s the law,Stormy. If you’re not careful, you might be next.” He never lost that arrogant expression. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
He walked around us, and Ross held me tighter, like he was afraid I’d lash out at Agosti as he strode past. I thought about it, but the last thing I wanted was to end up back in that cell. River would tear me a new one.
Ross drew me back against his chest, and I glanced over my shoulder at the rigidness in his face. Between the watery eyes from his hangover and the dark expression, he wasn’t the man I was used to seeing. I didn’t blame him, though. These men searching his apartment were trying to destroy his life, and all we could do was stand here and watch.
The sound of crashing from somewhere in the bedroom had me wincing.
“I should go,” Mark whispered from beside us. He’d been so quiet that I’d forgotten he was there. I glanced at him just as he gave Ross a sad pout. “I’ll let Vane know what’s happening.”
Ross nodded but looked like someone had pissed in his cereal. Not that I blamed him. Mark hugged Ross goodbye, and they were awkward enough that I thought it might not be a usual thing between them, before Mark gave me a short glance that told me he really didn’t want to talk to me but had to acknowledge me somehow. With a final wave he was out the door.
River ended up getting to the apartment fifteen minutes later, with another lawyer who worked with him, who I knew as West, right at his heels. They stalked in through the door. River had murder on his face, and he set his sights straight on Agosti, who gave him a finger-wiggling wave that made River’s face turn red. I’d never met anyone who could make the tight-assed lawyer react that way, and I stepped farther back into Ross, waiting for River’s reaction. I didn’t expect him to attack Agosti, because if River was anything, it was composed, but who knew what would happen. Agosti pushed at all the right buttons with people.
“Detective Agosti. Why am I not surprised?” River huffed and stalked over to us, ripping the warrant out of my hands and passing it to West, who went to work reading it.
“Because you only have one feeling, Demchenko, and that’s coldness,” Agosti said from his spot leaned against the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen, where detectives were opening the drawers and the food pantry. How they expected to find proof of soliciting prostitution in there, I didn’t know. The smell of fresh coffee drifted from the pot and my mouth watered. I’d put it on this morning and had forgotten all about it when Ross woke.
Agosti headed back into the living room and grinned. “As I’ve explained to your client and his… alleged boyfriend—” He stopped to give me a smirk. “—we are arresting Mr. Midberry on public lewdness and patronizing a prostitute.”
“With what proof?” River snapped. “And what probable cause did you have to get a search warrant?”
“We have video proof of Mr. Midberry and Mr. Kennedy, who are both your clients apparently, exchanging money. And sex.”
“That video could have been tampered with.” River stepped closer, his hand gripping his briefcase so tightly that I thought he’d swing it at Agosti’s face. “You know this won’t hold up in court.”
“He was giving me money for rent,” I said quickly, stepping up beside River. “He’s my boyfriend, and I was struggling.”
Agosti’s brows did a dance on his forehead. “You own your apartment, Mr. Kennedy. You don’t even have a mortgage.”
“Since when are you working vice, Agosti?” River interrupted, the coolness returning to his face. His grip on his briefcase eased.
