She snorts. “It’s super original, but that’s about as smart as he is. It’s 0-0-0-0-0-0.”
I can’t argue with her on that. Manny Garcia is a fucking idiot, although he did play the long game. He got a job here, worked through his probationary period, and became a full-fledged officer before he started shit with me.
Although I’m fairly certain it was more because we never had a shift together than anything else. He was biding his time, then saw me in the precinct and decided to shoot his shot. It’s fine that he couldn’t wait. I’m ready to be rid of him.
The first thing I do is swipe through the apps. He’s got some restaurant and shopping apps, which aren’t very interesting, but then I see a dating app. It logs straight in because the idiot has his passwords saved. Which is comical. Especially since this is supposed to be a second secret phone or some shit.
He’s got several messages, but nothing other than some dick dates with some random women in Raleigh. Then I go to his photos. That’s where I find the good stuff. There are some pictures of parties, but not just parties.
He’s not just drinking beer and hanging out with friends.
In one picture, he’s snorting a line of coke off a table. In another, he’s got a naked girl in his lap, she’s got her back to him, her legs spread wide, and his fingers are buried deep inside her while they both smile for the camera. More cocaine on the tablein lines waiting. Then I flick my gaze to her face, and I realize she’s a sergeant.
Interesting.
This could ruin two people’s lives.
And I’m supposed to be the dirty cop in this situation.
As I flip through the other images, I see money, more sex, and different people in different positions. There are two other guys from the day shift in the pictures, and then I recognize the evidence technician.
And that is it.
One phone call, and I can bring them all down. Turning to Bullet, I clear my throat. He shifts his gaze from the computer screen to meet mine.
“He’s partying, fucking, doing coke, and whatever else with two officers, an evidence tech, and a sergeant. Nobody will look into his death.”
Bullet grins. “We’ll kill him, burn the house, and then send this phone to the department in care of that sergeant.”
“You are diabolical,” Juliet says from her place on the bed.
Bullet smiles. “Yeah, it’s kind of our thing, being diabolical and shit to our enemies.”
“And what happens to me in all this?” she asks.
She probably doesn’t believe we’d just let her go. But honest to fuck, I can’t imagine putting this woman through any more bullshit. She’s been through hell and back with Manny.
“You think you can keep all this shit to yourself until the day you die?” Bullet asks.
“Manny who?”
I chuckle and take a step backward. I am ready to nail this fucker to the wall, and I know he’s home tonight.
“Sounds good to me,” Bullet says. His gaze shifts to meet mine. “You good with that?”
“I’m good with whatever you decide.”
Bullet jerks his chin toward me, then shifts his attention back to Juliet. “Then after tonight, we’ll get Viking to take you home. You live your life.”
“And forget Manny Garcia ever darkened my door. And for the first time since I was eighteen years old, breathe easy.”
She lifts her hands to wipe the tears that have silently fallen. I watch her for a moment, and I feel for her. At eighteen years old, she didn’t know what the fuck she was getting into. I think about my Millie at eighteen and how fucking perfect she was. I wasn’t good to her, but I didn’t physically hurt her. I couldn’t ever do that.
“Juliet,” I call out.
She lifts her eyes to meet mine. “Move somewhere. Start over. Live.”
I don’t want to hear her response, so I slip out of the bedroom and head to the bar, where I see Goose and Maverick. I make my way straight for them. My phone buzzes as I approach them, and I look down at a text from Bullet.
