Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Instead, he began his undercover operation. Fuck everybody. He didn’t give a shit who was responsible for whatever theft Cash was there to investigate. He promised himself his old man would take the fall. Spend the rest of his shitty life in prison. The idea brought immense demented joy to his heart. “Remember that kid that got beat up by the street gang when I was younger?”
His father looked confused at the sudden change in topic as he thought over Dev’s question. The silence spoke to a memory that should have been etched in his parental heart. Any other father would surely remember the day his only son was left bruised and bleeding while trying to save another person’s life.
“His parents were hippies that stopped by, and you ran ’em off?”
“Was the dude tall with a long beard?” his old man asked, smiling. Clearly, he remembered.
“How the fuck would I know that? Anyway, that kid’s him.” He again tossed his thumb over his shoulder to where Cash had driven out of the parking lot.
Dev sealed the credibility for Cash’s presence. They had a long-standing connection that meant more than the high-class slumming it with the low-class. It should keep his old man from sniffing around Cash’s background until Dev had something more concrete to say.
He caught his father’s surprised expression. Dev might have been married but he’d never had a relationship with anyone before. He didn’t know how it worked or how to imply a committed coupling. He and Tena could barely stand one another in the best of times.
Dev finally finished the thought when nothing else to say came to mind. “We reconnected, I guess.”
“Okay,” his father said and shook his head. “Don’t really care. Think about what I said. It’s time for you to take on your responsibilities. Let me know what you decide at the barbeque this weekend.”
His father nodded and left Dev standing there, going back inside through the open warehouse doors. The overhead light flashed back on as he drew the cargo doors closed from the inside.
At least he had until Sunday to get his head straight.
He mounted the bike, grilling himself. He had to do better with the explanations.
~~~
“What the hell are you doing, Ryan?” David met Cash in the front foyer of the apartment building.
They’d been busy on the interior of the building today. The apartment directly below Dev’s had its door propped open. David and team had left the unit across the street and moved in. Their new apartment was already outfitted for their use. Which meant several card tables filled with monitors and computer equipment were set up in the middle of the living room. Nothing else was there.
Cash had been so consumed with exactly how fucked he was he barely noticed the newly installed window coverings in the front windows of the building, all closed tightly. Nothing could be seen from the street. There were two large cameras installed on both the ceiling and the base of the stairwell.
They were no longer hiding while inside this building.
Cash rolled his shoulders, wishing for a home gym where he could go for the next few hours and beat his body up. Since the mind couldn’t think of two things at once, the pain of such a workout might give him some coveted peace inside his head. A pretend sense of calm until his termination papers came through. “I’m assuming you’ve seen the video?”
“Everybody’s seen the video,” David bit out with disgust. “We all know every sordid detail.” David’s hand shot forward as he pointed a finger in Cash’s face. “So, I repeat… what the fuck are you doing, Ryan? You’re jeopardizing my life, and the life of every agent in this building. We all deserve better.”
He took a settling breath, absorbing David’s anger. He disagreed that the reveal of the video put anyone in any more danger than they were already in. What he had to keep in mind was his position in this case. He was the lead. He owed no one in this building an explanation.
His spine steeled as his hands went to his hips. His thoughts turned professional, if not superior, moving past the condemnation David was determined to dish out.
First things first. “Who’s seen the video?”
“I didn’t squash it if that’s what you’re asking,” David said self-righteously. “Everything you’ve been doing, I let pass because I didn’t technically know what was going on behind closed doors. But his phone has incriminating pictures of you. That video of you two is straight porn. I made the decision to turn it in. Either you didn’t know it was there, which shows me doubt in your investigating abilities or you determined the video was fine, which means you’ve put yourself in a position to be blackmailed. My safety is at risk with you.”