Instead, I’m here. A world away so long as I’m wearing this uniform.
“Can you guess why we’re here, Decker?” Allen props himself up against the door, arms crossed, muscles bulging, chest a little too puffed. Something’s about to go his way.
“You tell me,” I say. “This is your meeting.”
“Show some respect,” Wells barks.
Allen only grins. He pulls out his phone, taps the screen, and then angles it towards me.
I swallow. Shit.Shiiiiit. I take in a private breath, working to control my emotions, the knot twisting in my stomach.
“You want to describe what’s happening here?” Allen says.
Tilting my head, eyes on the video playing on the screen, I keep my face neutral. After a moment, I shift my attention back to Allen and straighten my spine. “Not sure a description is necessary, Sergeant, but if you’re having a hard time figuring it out, I have a couple websites you could explore that might be able to teach you the basics.”
“Cut the shit,” he snaps. “This is you. Last night. Fucking that biker slut Grace Donovan.”
“Sergeant,” Morgan says sharply. “Let’s keep the profanity to a minimum, please.”
I open and close my fist, willing my temper to stay in check.
Calm the fuck down. There’s a way out of this. There’s always a way out.
I look back at the video.
It’s shit quality. Grainy. Obviously taken from a car. Allen must have followed me last night. Which means this video could be the least of my worries. But yeah. That’s me. Bending a mostlynaked Grace over my bike. Grabbing her hair, pounding into her, right before she—I almost fucking smile as I watch her come, me immediately after. It’s a good video. If it wasn’t being used as an attempt to blow up my career, I’d ask for a copy. Then I’d fucking slaughter Allen for getting a look at Grace in that state. No one gets to see her like that but me.
My fingers ghost over my belt, looking for a knife that isn’t there. Right. I’m in uniform. The blades I carry in my off time are all safely at home. But fuck if I don’t want to cut this motherfucker’s eyes out.
“Much as I love a good home movie, I’m not really in the habit of watching porn with other dudes.” I force a dark smile. “You trying to tell me something, Allen? I’ll warn you now. I’m a cuddler. And I’ll expect dinner first.”
His nostrils flare. “You think you’re so goddamn smart, don’t you?”
I lift my head a fraction, keep my fucking cool. “Most days, yeah.”
Morgan clears his throat. “You admit to having a sexual relationship with a known associate of the Soldiers of Sin?”
Angling closer to Allen, I hit the play button again. They’d have a hell of a time proving the man in the video is me. No amount of zooming or enhancing would clean up the quality. But it’s definitely Grace. That muchisclear.
“That could be anybody.”
“Is that notyourmotorcycle in the frame?” Morgan presses. “Outside ofyourhome?”
I shrug. “So?”
Wells slams his fist into his desk. “That’s all you have to say?”
I run my tongue over my teeth, racking my brain for a way to talk myself out of this. I’m calmer than I should be. My body’s so used to running on adrenaline that shit like this barely fazes me, I guess. I’m numb. I shouldn’t be, because this could be theend of it. All my lies. My double life. They start digging, looking a little too close, they’re gonna find a lot more than that shitty video.
I release a breath and smile. “Without my union rep? Yeah. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
“Fine,” Chief Wells says. “Gun and badge, Decker. You’re suspended without pay pending an investigation.”
My heart lurches. “You can’t be fucking serious.”
Allen snorts. “What did you think would happen? You want to stick your dick in that dirty little slut, this is the consequence.”
I’m on my feet before I can stop myself, chair kicking back, my temper about to blow wide open. “Watch your fucking mouth.”
