My uncle is the black sheep of the family and the cause of a lot of stress in my mom’s life. I’m extremely angry at him for not protecting and searching harder for Liam. I’m downright irate that he never reached out to his dying sister.
Oscar chose his path; I’ve chosen mine, and I’m happy for our paths to never cross again.
And then I put two and two together. “Really? DOCB is asking for me to help because of Oscar? Wow, that’s really using everything they have at their disposal, isn’t it?”
Joe drops his forearms on the desk and looms closer. “I’m sure they’re keen to exploit the connection.”
Indignation flares faster than I can control myself, and Joe’s eyebrow raises in question.
“There’s no solid lead on him, and there hasn’t been for a long time,” I snap back.
He nods his head, agreeing. “Except, a man like Oscar wouldn’t just disappear. There’s been plenty of innuendo circulating. Some say he’s dead and got what he deserved. Others say someone’s playing a long game and is keeping him protected.”
I take a long sigh and let go of acting like a petulant child at the thought of being “used” by my employer, because catching criminals is part of my job description, after all.
“I tend to believe the second, actually. There are too many utterances, too much chatter about him for Oscar to be dead. Plus, I’m pretty sure whoever killed him would be gloating to have taken him out. A few years back, he was too prominent, involved in too much for him not to have upset someone or multiple someones. Or perhaps the Bratva solved the issue for all of us, Joe.”
Which is a horrible thought, but I still feel okay about it. Sometimes I think it would be a hell of a lot easier for me if someone did take Oscar out of the picture, and all I had to deal with was the aftermath.
“Irrespective, your job is to provide the DOCB an update. If he’s alive, we know which direction we’ve got to go. If he’s dead, we look at the issue differently. Or you don’t accept the transfer in front of you, which I don’t think is the right thing to do. I’ll support your decision, but you also need to remember, you’re the one in control of the Oscar situation, your career, and your life, Tally. You don’t sway away from who you are, and you don’t lose your morals, no matter who’s applying the pressure.”
I get where Joe’s coming from. Ever since I started this career, given my connection with Joe, and my uncle’s illustrious career in the Irish underworld, I’ve been pushing shit uphill. Throw in my Omega designation, and sometimes that hill has felt way too steep.
“Don’t let the bastards win,” he insists once I look at him. He uses his finger jabbing on the surface of his desk to emphasize the same message he’s always pushed. “You have more integrity in your little finger than most people have in their entire body. Coupled with your mother’s good heart, and my stellar influence, you’re the best cop around, and you’ll achieve yourgoals, then walk out of your service with your head held high. Now, go tell your supervisor he can shove his judgmental head up his arse, then clear your desk. You’re to report to your contact in two weeks.”
I grit my teeth so hard, I think they’re going to crack. “What’s the rush? Why are they pushing hard?”
“One of theirs, Special Detective Sullivan, with them for three years, good at her job. Solid. Got in her car this morning, turned the ignition, and got blown up.” He waits until I close my eyes to deliver the punchline.
I throw a bitch-loaded look his way. “Clearly she wasn’t solid.”
He stares me down for a minute, letting me see and feel his disappointment. As soon as I said the words, I wished I could take them back. I sit up straighter, wearing my shame, like I should, as he chastises with the truth.
“You’re better than that. Keep judgment out of this and focus on the facts. Some poor woman is dead because she was simply doing her job.”
I stare at the ceiling, letting Joe’s wisdom sink in deeper. “I’m a dick. I shouldn’t have said that, it was out of line. At the same time, Joe, you don’t get taken out for no reason.” Sitting up, ready to discuss the case further, I notice Joe’s expression has changed to concern, and it’s like a bucket of water, leaving me as tired as I look. “Make it three weeks, and you’ve got a deal. I swear, you better get used to me calling you any time of the day and night.”
“That’s a given, as is you getting us the results we need on all those outstanding issues.” He leans close again, squeezing my hand encouragingly before eventually breaking our connection to push the keys to my locker over his desk. “Go and relax. Let me know if you want a visitor, though we both know you won’t. And that is more than okay, Tally. You need a break.”
Chapter Three
TALLY
After leaving Joe, I spend a solid ten hours sleeping and dreaming of pizza. Waking with a craving for cheesy pizza and chocolate gelato, I order both, and while I wait for my delivery, I make the snap decision to spend my break in Italy.
Once I’ve devoured a whole pizza, I decide on Genoa and then focus on the best way to get there. It’s a risk travelling so soon after being pulled from my job, but I’m also pretty confident that, once I deal with the blonde extensions Nina wore, and lose her whole getup—glam on a budget—I’ll be unrecognizable.
By the time the hair stylist removes the extensions and strips the color, dyeing it closer to my natural copper, and I slide a pair of thick-rimmed black glasses on, instead of the blue contacts I’ve been wearing, I look more like myself than I have in years.
“What do you think?” he muses, running a comb through my hair while I pay his assistant.
“Stop asking! You know I love it.” And he should. I’ve lumped enough praise on the man.
“It’s so different, though, ducky.” He leans against the counter, his fingers running through the new long bangs he added after umming and ahhing for too long.
Well, honestly, it was probably a minute or two, but by the end of the third hour, I was ready to snatch the scissors from his hand and finish the makeover myself.
“Love it. Already left you a glowing review, and now I’m seriously late.”
