"They'll eat you alive at 52." I turned to Hawley with uncharacteristic directness. No charm. No deflection. Just raw truth. "It's not pretty there. Especially not for me anymore."
Hawley held my stare steadily. Dark and unflinching. "It's not me they want to devour."
The statement hung between us. Heavy with meaning.
He was right, of course. I was the one with the target on my back. I was the one who'd failed. I looked away first. Unable to maintain that intense contact when I felt so exposed.
I leaned against the car. Suddenly felt every hour of missed sleep. Every ounce of stress I'd been carrying since my transfer. The smiling, flirtatious Detective Carlson who brushed off every slight with a joke. He slipped away completely.
I was so fucking tired.
Hawley didn't offer empty reassurances. Noit wasn't your faultoryou did your best. Instead, he stood there. Solid and present. Just... waiting.
"What do you need to prepare for tomorrow?" Practical. Focused. Cutting through my spiral of guilt and dread.
The question caught me off guard.
Notare you okay?Notyou did your best.Just:What do you need?
Oh.
I looked at him. Really looked. At the way he stood there, solid and immovable, like 52 couldn't touch him. Like it couldn't touchmeas long as he was there.
"I don't know," I admitted. First honest thing I'd said all day.
He nodded once. Started walking toward the car.
I followed.
And for the first time since Murphy said Daniel's name, the knot in my chest loosened.
Just a fraction.
Just enough.
Tomorrow, we'd walk into 52 Division together. Back into the station that had chewed me up and spit me out. Back into the case that had destroyed my career.
But this time, I wouldn't be alone.
Chapter 20: The Records Room
Ryan
The sun blazed as we stepped out of the car. Its glare bouncing off 52 Division's glass front. A stark contrast to 51's weathered brick and peeling paint. This place screamed money and power with every sleek line and polished surface. Wind whipped around us. Carried the scent of expensive cologne and ambition.
"So this is where the pretty people work." Hawley squinted up at the building.
"Pretty on the outside." I adjusted my tie. Daniel's warning echoed in my head. The drug ring expanding into 51's catchment. Corruption reaching further than I'd initially thought. "Rotting from within."
He studied me. "You ready for this?"
I flashed him my trademark smile. The one that had charmed witnesses and suspects alike. "Born ready. Just try to keep up and don't growl at anyone important."
Hawley snorted. His focus lingered as we approached the entrance. My body changed with each step. Spine straightening.Shoulders squaring. Chin lifting. The transformation wasn't conscious, but it was complete. By the time we reached the glass doors, Detective Ryan Carlson of 51 Division was gone. Replaced by the ghost of 52's former golden boy.
Air conditioning hit us first. Then silence. Conversations died mid-sentence as heads turned toward us. Hawley tensed beside me. His natural instinct to prepare for confrontation kicking in.
"Easy, Bear." I kept my composure firmly in place. "They can smell fear."
