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“What about the digital copies?”

“That’s what I’m telling you, Diego,” he whispers, malice in his voice. “It’s all gone.”

What?

How in the hell is that even possible?

Physical files get lost sometimes; we don’t like it but it happens, which is why there is a digital version saved to a main server and safeguards in place to make sure mistakes like this don’t happen. For both of the files to be gone would mean that Luca and Gio have got a pretty big fish over at the police department on their payroll. Any commanding officer worth a damn would have been on top of each report taken that night and he would have made sure that the reports were filed properly.

“Fuck,” I mutter, trying like hell to wrap my mind around what all this means and what I need to do going forward to keep Izzy and our little boy safe. Without those reports, it’s so easy for them to make Izzy disappear and clean this whole damn mess up with a tidy little bow on top. Not to mention, that these guys are bigger and way more organized than I gave them credit for… unless they’re working for someone else and they’re just the errand boys.

“Just wait, it gets worse.”

My eyes widen. “Fucking how?”

“I also put a call into my buddy over at the dispatch center to see if he could get me a recording of the nine-one-one call just so you’d have some sort of proof but that had also been erased.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” I growl, running a hand through my hair and giving it a tug. “So, what you’re saying is that…”

“I’m saying it’s a fucking mess and that girl is in serious danger. If shit goes down, there is nothing to back y’all up and it’s so fucked. I wish there was something more I could do, Diego, but this whole fucking department,” he hisses, the outrage in his voice is something I’m all too familiar with. Shit like this is exactly why I made the decision to step away from the force and the blatant corruption I’d been fighting for years. At first, I told myself that I could do something about it, put a stop to it, but whenever we would cut off the head of one snake, two would grow back in its place. It was a vicious, never ending cycle and I’ve lost faith that it will ever get any better. Something slams in the background and he sighs. “It’s so fucking corrupt and half the damn time, I’m wondering what the hell I’m still doing here.”

“Why do you think I left, brother?”

He scoffs. “I’ve always known why you left. I guess I was just hoping that I could fight it better from the inside, actually make a difference.”

“Ah, yes… I remember when I felt that way. Odds are they’ll beat it out of you.”

“Shit,” he sighs. “I was worried you were gonna say that. It may be well past time for a change.”

“We might have an opening here. You want to ride a bike?” I ask, grinning cause I already know the answer. Max might be tempted by the club and our lifestyle but he’s too much of a Boy Scout to ever join up. Then again, the same could have been said about me before I ever met my brothers.

“Naw, you know it’s not for me. There is an opening for a detective in New Orleans though. I’ve been thinking about putting my hat in the ring over there.”

I nod, scrubbing a hand over my jaw. “Not a bad idea. Let me know if you need a reference and keep me updated if anything new comes up with Izzy’s case.”

“Yeah, you got it. Talk soon.”

I hang up and sigh, closing my eyes as I lean my head back against the seat of the truck, my mind racing. Okay, so obviously we can’t count on the department for any kind of back-up when it comes to dealing with Gio and Luca and we seriously need to find some more information on these guys. Memories of the morning after the attack, when I picked her up from Storm and Ali’s house, bombard me. The gash on her chest where Luca tried to slice her throat is healing up nicely and the bruises are fading but every time I see them, I can’t help but think of how close we all came to losing her. It’s unacceptable and I won’t ever let that bastard get near her again.

“What’s going on, Diego?” Izzy asks, barely masking the fear in her voice as she lays her hand on my arm. A jolt rocks through me and I open my eyes, turning to her as I try to think of the best way to tell her this.

“You trust me?”

She hesitates for a second and my heart stutters. I didn’t realize how important this question was to me before it left my lips but now, I’m hanging on the edge of a wire, desperate for her answer. Searching my gaze, she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip and turns to look out of the windshield before turning back to me with a sigh.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Can you give me a little time to fill the guys in and find out what Streak knows and then I’ll tell you everything?”

Pulling her hand back, she scowls and crosses her arms over her chest again. “Why the hell can’t you tell me now?”

“Because I really want to give you some good news, too.”

“Oh,” she whispers as the wall hiding her fear shatters, allowing it to shine in her eyes as she turns away from me in a desperate attempt to hide.

Fuck me.

My chest aches. I study her side profile, her bottom lip wobbling as she tries to rein her emotions in again. Since this all started, I had been able to see that Izzy was scared but she still had an air of confidence to her that made me think she wasn’t taking this as seriously as she needed to but now… now I can see how terrified she truly is and it kills me. I reach across the cab and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her across the bench seat and into my arms in the hopes that I can steal some of the fear from her heart and mind. She’s stiff at first, unwilling to allow the show of support but I hug her tighter and bury my face in her neck, holding strong because that is what she needs from me right now. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. A shuddered breath crashes between us and she melts into me, her body sagging into my embrace like she just ran fifty miles and I move my hand to the back of her head, massaging her scalp as I close my eyes.