Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Long story, I’ll tell you later. What’s going on?”
Just then he spotted Lirim being dragged toward a cruiser, his arms cuffed behind his back.
“A raid,” Tam said.
Lirim caught sight of Z and his eyes narrowed. “You did this!” he shouted. “You couldn’t just leave it alone, could you?” The cop who’d been escorting Lirim opened the back door and shoved him in before Z could reply.
“What the fuck?”
“He was arrested for possession,” Ansel said.
The cash he’d been about to give Lirim burned through three layers of fabric like an accusation. Possession? Lirim had drugs even though he’d swore he didn’t? After Z had fucking disgraced himself and everything he stood for just to help him out?
“The cops just burst in right in the middle of our performance,” Jae said.
“Fucking assholes.” This was from the other new guy, Hop Lovage.
“Are you guys okay?” Z asked them. He’d known Lirim was in trouble. Could he have done more?
How had the cops gotten involved?
“We’re fine,” Tam said. “They questioned us and searched our things, then let us go. They came for Castor, not us. Lirim was just collateral damage.”
Z tugged at the fringe at the back of his neck, wishing he had the comfort and familiarity of his long locks right then.
“What is happening? Lirim is arrested, you cut your hair, and I have a boyfriend. Have we been sucked into an alternate dimension where I’m the stable one?” Ansel focused on the huddled group of cops near the entrance of the club. “Oh my God, I recognize that guy. He was in here a few days ago, right before Keller took off, remember that, Tam?”
Z followed their line of sight and his stomach dropped. It was Raoul, Connelly’s partner.
“No,” Z whispered.
From across the distance Raoul glanced over, saw him, and visibly winced. Turning his back, he spoke into his police-issued radio as cop after cop exited the building carrying boxes and bags of evidence.
“Z? What’s wrong?”
Wherever Raoul was, Connelly wouldn’t be far behind. Which meant, his lover had planned this raid. The man who’d convinced Z to drop all his guards, to break all his rules, was responsible for one of his best friends being arrested. He looked to where Lirim sat alone and sullen in the backseat of the cruiser, and Z’s heart clenched. He remembered Connelly asking about Keller, remembered telling him about Lirim’s relationship. But what did that have to do with this?
He’d thought they’d been chatting like lovers did but maybe Connelly had just been grilling him for information. Had any of it been real? Had he just been a pawn?
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with. I’m going to have all your jobs for this,” Castor said as he was led out in handcuffs by none other than Connelly.
The sight was a blow right to Z’s solar plexus and he gasped with the force of it.
“Z? Are you okay?”
He shook his head. He wasn’t okay. How could he be okay when he’d been betrayed so badly?
Connelly glanced his way briefly but didn’t acknowledge him as he pushed Castor forward. Camera crews had arrived at some point and were now filming the entire scene.
“I want my lawyer,” Castor said. “This will never stick.”
“Wanna bet?” Connelly said, loud enough to carry over the buzz.
“You’ve got nothing on me.”
“We’ve got your warehouse in Red Hook.”
Z’s entire body went cold with those words, and suddenly he couldn’t hear anything but the pounding of his own heart. He couldn’t feel anything but the stabbing pain in his chest and he couldn’t see anything but Connelly’s eyes.
They were still warm.
But now they didn’t offer Z comfort. Instead they exposed all of his weaknesses, all of his secrets.
And it hurt.
It hurt so much he didn’t think he could stand it. So he turned, and without another word to his friends, he walked away.
* * *
“Raoul,” Connelly shouted for his partner and shoved Castor toward him. “Take care of him?”
“Sure thing.” Their eyes met and a silent conversation passed between them. Raoul understood that he had to go after Azariah. And Connelly understood that if he fucked up the case, he’d be ruining his partner’s career.
He’d do anything for Raoul. He’d take a bullet for the man and he knew Raoul would do the same for him. They weren’t just partners on the job. They were brothers.
But there was no way he could ignore the pain in Azariah’s eyes. He found his way through the curious crowd and just caught sight of Azariah’s thin frame as he turned the corner and disappeared from view. Connelly picked up his pace until he was almost running. He didn’t dare call his name aloud. That would draw too much attention.
Right, like his running down the sidewalk wasn’t going to have people raising their brows? He could feel a few of the cameras turn his way and immediately slowed to a casual stroll even while his heart raced. He tried to remember how close the nearest subway station was or if there was a bus stop nearby. Would Azariah be so desperate to get away that he’d hail a cab?