Page 17 of Disavowed

Why he felt so irritated by such a wimp, he had no fucking clue. He put the glass of scotch to his mouth, then realized it was empty. He was wound so tight he’d downed three fingers in one shot and didn’t remember doing it.

“Dom,” Gray shouted over the pounding music.

“What?” He turned to see his partner sporting an amused look in his silver-gray eyes. “You don’t have to jump down my throat, for Chrissake.”

Lt. Frye snorted. “Yeah, he does. You haven’t heard a word we’ve been saying.”

“Fuck,” Dom muttered. He needed to get his head out of his ass and stop staring at Daisy. And he sure as hell had to quit wanting to kick the shit out of any of the dozen or so men he’d caught ogling her.

“I was saying,” Gray continued in a hushed tone, “that I want to back you up Tuesday night when you meet with Schneider. Lieutenant Frye agrees. It’s too dangerous for you to go it alone. You at least need someone waiting outside.”

“And how do you propose to back me up when you’ll be on your honeymoon?” He waggled his eyebrows.

Gray got in Dom’s face. “This isn’t funny so don’t fuck with me. I’ve already talked to Alex, and we’re postponing our trip to Hawaii.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” He shook his head. “Not a good way to earn brownie points with the new wife.”

Gray glanced to where Alex stood with her friends, and Dom was hit with a wave of envy at what his partner and his new wife had. Theirs was a strong bond of love, friendship, loyalty, and respect. He couldn’t stop himself from searching the floor for Daisy and her wimp-ass dance partner.

“I told her it was important, and she understood,” Gray went on. “So like it or not, I’ll be around the corner in a parked van. If you don’t come out within thirty minutes after going in, I’ll break down the door and haul your ass outta there.”

“No, you won’t.” He jammed his hand into his pocket and leaned closer to Gray. “Because not only will you be on your honeymoon as planned, but I don’t want you to get picked off by the Pyramid’s counter-surveillance. If they so much as detect anyone tracking me, they’ll put a bullet in your brain first, then mine, before either of us can say oh shit. Then Alex will be even more pissed at me. The only surveillance I want is on Schneider, and then only by A-list teams.” The NYPD had some of the most experienced surveillance cops in the world. Surveillance was all they did, and they were the best.

Two other detectives from the squad sauntered up. Teddy Pulaski and Artie Griffin had both been giving him the stink-eye while he’d been dancing with Daisy.

“Lieutenant. Gray,” Teddy said with a nod, then sneered as he looked at Dom. “We’d both like to request a transfer.”

“Denied.” Lt. Frye’s tone was sharp. “Now get the hell out of here and go have fun. This is a wedding, not the office.”

“But, Lieutenant—”

“No buts,” Lt. Frye snapped. “Go freshen your drinks and quit being crybabies.”

“Careful out there,” Artie said to Gray before both men walked off. “It’s hard for someone to watch your back when they’re drunk.” The men cast Dom another derisive look before making their way to the bar.

He caught the pissed look on Gray’s face and knew his partner was about to say something he’d regret. He grabbed his partner’s arm and subtly shook his head. “Not worth it, buddy. And I so feel what they’re about.” He felt the tension in Gray’s arm ease and was relieved when Gray let it go.

Shit. Dom exhaled harshly through his nostrils. He’d known this would be part of the gig, but having guys he’d worked with for ten years think he was a stinking drunk and a total fuckup was harder to stomach than he realized. Again he wondered why Daisy hadn’t believed he was drinking on the job, while men he had known for years did.

Lt. Frye jiggled the ice cubes in his empty glass. To Dom he said, “Partner up with Gray Tuesday night. And you,” he said, turning to Gray, “don’t get made. You boys figure out how to play nice while I go top off.”

“Yes, sir,” they answered in unison.

Gray’s gaze narrowed as he cast a look toward Teddy and Artie at the bar. “I was about to start a fist fight at my own wedding. Alex would have killed me. And for the record, she isn’t pissed at what you did to Daisy. Disappointed, maybe.”

He groaned inwardly. In the last year, he’d developed a hearty respect for Alex, and what she thought of him mattered. Almost as much as what Daisy thought of him, he realized.

His eyes landed on Daisy’s perfectly round backside as she was pulled into a tight embrace by the jerk she was dancing with.

“I don’t agree with you about keeping your distance from Daisy,” Gray said. “But I understand it.”

“Good.” He nodded absently, his eyes still glued to Daisy. With every passing second watching that guy skim his hands up and down her back, his muscles ratcheted tighter.

“She’s a beautiful woman,” Gray went on.

“I know that.” He gritted his teeth. “I don’t need you to remind me.”

“Just saying, any guy with half a brain can see that,” he added, then pointed to the dance floor where Daisy smiled up at her dance partner. “That guy definitely sees it.”