Chapter One
The Lucky Dragon was one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas, even if it was close to a bad part of town. An urge to walk the line of dark and light and see how long I could before I fell in either direction festered inside of me. I wasn’t worried about anything happening to me. After all the things I had done, it wasn’t my safety I was concerned about these days.
“I’m surprised you called me.”
It was hers. I’ll never admit it, but Dara reminded me of myself at one time: optimistic, law-abiding, and hopeful. “I’m surprised you agreed to meet me.”
She shifted on the chair and glanced around. “Didn’t this place get shot up last year?”
“Maybe.” I motioned to the server. “They have good food. I try to look past the minor details.”
We ordered drinks. I was the only one who ordered food. I cocked an eyebrow and flipped my menu shut. “Make that two sesame chickens, thanks.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Too bad. You’re going to eat.”
She narrowed her eyes, but after a short staring match, she sighed. The server walked away from the table. “Why are we here?”
“I was hungry,” I toyed with my silverware, “and I wanted to talk to you about work.”
“Work? Work as in work or. . .”
I rolled my eyes. “A little bird told me you’re considering quitting.”
“Stephen has a big mouth.” She concentrated on everything in the restaurant but me. “Edward fooled me. He used me, and I don’t know if I can get over it. I don’t know if I can get past the realization the one person I wanted to bring to justice the most was under my nose the entire time.”
“You know, the pity party was cute initially, but it’s getting old.”
Her gaze flashed heatedly to mine, exactly the reaction I wanted. “Excuse me?”
“I get you’re upset he fucked you in more ways than one, Dara, but you weren’t the only one with wool pulled over your eyes. He fooled everyone in the station, including me, so it might be time to find another excuse.”
“It’s not an excuse, it’s-” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s not an excuse, okay?”
“Whatever you say, Slim.”
“Why are you saying these things to me?”
I sipped my Coke through the straw. “Were you expecting we’d have sleepovers and braid each other’s hair?”
“You’re being unnecessarily cruel.”
“I’ve murdered twenty-one people in the past eight years. Do you honestly think I’m going to feel bad about a few harsh words?” I lowered my napkin into my lap. “Sorry, no can do.”
She remained frozen in her seat, watching me dig into my food. “Twenty-one?”
“Well, it’s a rough estimate, but last time I checked. . .” I lifted my gaze. “What?”
“Your fiancé that went missing?”
“He was the first man I killed.”
“Why didn’t you stop after him?”
I stabbed a piece of chicken with my fork. “What would be the point? Our justice system is a pathetic attempt at righteousness. What’s the problem with speeding up the process a little?”
“One person can’t be judge, jury, and executioner; it’s not how it works.”
“How does it work exactly? Murderers receiving short sentences for killing women and children? Pedophiles going free because they cried to a shrink and did community service? Is that how it’s supposed to work? Because if so, I don’t regret what I’ve done at all.”
Dara reached for her glass. Her hand was shaking. I didn’t believe it was me she feared, but I could be wrong; it’s been known to happen.
“You could have stopped. You can’t believe you can take every case into your own hands. There’s only one of you.”
“Sadly true, but I don’t pick numbers out of a hat or kill someone based on the type of shoes they wear; it’s about knowing your victim.”
She sipped her water, her gaze not wavering from mine. “You didn’t even hesitate when you stabbed him.”
“Would you rather I had let him kill us?”
“You know I appreciate what you did, but a part of me-”
“It wasn’t the plan for him to survive, but he did. He’s behind bars and not talking. That works in our favor for the time being.” I ate slowly, the image of the two of us as normal as possible. To the outside world, we were two women enjoying food and a lively conversation.
“You could have let him kill me.”
I tilted my head. “Guess I didn’t think that one through, huh?”
She gulped down more water, but a big gold star for not looking away. “You might change your mind.”
“I also might start believing Connor is the greatest singer in the world, but I kind of doubt it.”
Dara snorted, and I watched the tension in her shoulders begin to melt away. “Where does that leave us?”
“You can start by returning to work when you’re approved.”
“You can’t be serious. I’m not sure I-”
“Being a cop will forever be important to you, and if you turn your back on it now, there’s no coming back. It’ll leave a hole inside of you that will never close.” I lowered my fork. “You don’t want the ache, trust me. Some things you can’t change, but for the things you can, wasting the opportunity will be the biggest mistake you’ll ever make.”
“Where does this leave us?”
“I’m not saying I’ll always remember your birthday or favorite color,” I joked. The weary look on her face sobered me. “Look, after years of lying to everyone, the fact someone knows…” I cleared my throat. “You hold my life in your hands. I could lose everything important to me.”
“I’m not going to rat you out. There are things I don’t understand, especially what happened with Edward, but what I do know is this.” She surprised me by reaching out to grab my hand. “You’re a good person with the right intentions, and you saved my life. I owe you my life.”
I pulled away. “The only thing you owe me is putting yourself back together again. Too many people are counting on you.” Relief washed over me when she nodded. I hesitated for a split second. It’s now or never. “There’s something else you can do while you’re at it.”
“Name it.”
Well, that’s a neat trick. “I don’t know if I plan to stop anytime soon. I don’t know if I can.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Things are complicated. Getting my hands on certain information will be even more difficult with what happened. You have connections I can’t access; files, databases. . .”
“Let me get this straight; you want me to use my job as a cover?”
“There’s no middle ground here; you’re either with me or against me. If you’re not going to stop me, you can help me. Will you help me?”
“I need time to think about it.”
“The way I see it, you’ve got two weeks.” I picked up my fork. “Your food is getting cold. Eat.”
“But I-”
“Eat.” For the second time today, a stare down of the century occurred. Slowly, she picked up her fork. I watched her devour the food before I returned my attention to my plate.
***
I waited until her vehicle turned the corner before heading to my car. Streetlights flickered to life, casting the city in a magical glow. I enjoyed walking around Vegas at night. It was a city that never slept, and blending into the numerous people who flocked to it was a welcome change. I didn’t have to be anyone amid them.
Slamming my door shut, I slid my key into the ignition. I had seen the hesitation in her eyes. There was a battle brewing between doing what she knew was right and doing what was morally acceptable. She wasn’t sure which one was which, and frankly, neither did I anymore.
“Do you think she’ll say no?”
I adjusted the rearview mirror and looked on to the image of Nicole sitting in the backseat. “I highly doubt it.”
“It wasn’t a bad idea; I’ll give you that. We’ll get the information we need without raising suspicion, and if she tries to get in our way, we have the perfect blackmail.”
“This isn’t about blackmail.” I grabbed the steering wheel. “This is about being able to keep an eye on her while making her feel as if she has a purpose in the general scheme of things. You’ll find people are more willing if they feel they’re getting in on the action.”
“Give her an inch; she’ll take the rope and run with it until there’s enough to hang herself with it.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. I have nothing to worry about, shut up, okay?”
Nicole smirked confidently. “Whatever you say, Slim,” she chuckled and leaned forward to point past me at the front windshield, “but if that’s the case, who’s that?”
My attention snapped forward in time to see a shadow shrink back from the building’s edge. I jumped out before I could think it through and gave chase, coming around the corner in time to see a figure sprinting away. I went past a broken fence with several loose panels. It wasn’t hard to break through the wood. After a quick jump, I appeared on the other side as the person went running by.
I grabbed the back of their jacket and pushed them toward the brick wall. The move to escape was blocked as I jerked my knife free from my boot and pressed it against their neck. I stared into the face of Ryan Hemsley, the man who unsuccessfully tried to stab me several months ago at Rita’s Diner. “I seem to remember the last time we met not ending well for you.”
“Please don’t hurt me!”
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t, and it better be amazing because I like hurting people.”
“I was sent to watch you. That’s it, I swear!”
“Why?”
“To ensure you kept your nose out from where it didn’t belong. I was told to tail you and report back what I saw.”
“Who sent you?”
“He’ll kill me if I tell you!”
I pressed the blade harder into his skin and watched blood appear. “What do you think I’ll do to you if you don’t?”
“Please!”
“I’m losing my patience, Ryan! Spill it, or I spill your blood, and if it gets on my clothes, I will make sure it takes them weeks to find all your parts!”
“Trevor Malone!”
Startled, I almost lost my grip on him.
“He’s why I was at Rita’s! You were poking around and asking too many questions; you and the Jackson fellow.”
“You mean about Sergei Romanov?”
He nodded his head so hard it could have popped off. “I fucked up, but everyone got so distracted with The Artist that he told me to only watch you. He said you'd be left alone if you backed off.”
I tightened my grip and jerked him inches from me. “And if I don’t?”
“He said you’d end up dead like your friend.”
My heart pounded when the words started to make sense. I positioned the knife level with his stomach, the blade pointing toward his intestines. “What friend?”
“Henry Jackson! Please, don’t kill me.”
“Where?”
“The breakfast joint all the cops frequent off Main, okay? I overheard them saying it would go down when he returned to his car!”
I pulled away and watched him relax. Mistake number two. “I should kill you,” I snapped, “But fortunately for you, I don’t have the time to enjoy it.” I pulled my fist back, and the punch sent him crumbling unconscious at my feet. “That will have to do for now.”
***
“Henry!” I slammed my car door shut and cupped my mouth with my hands. “Henry, where are you?”
There was no answer. Walking toward the parking lot, I took off in a dead run when I saw his truck. I came running to the driver’s side and found him slumped over in his seat. I yanked open the door, and he slid into my arms.
“Shit.” I cradled him as we collapsed onto the pavement. “Can you hear me? It’s Angela.”
His pulse was weak, and I lowered him to the ground, taking in the shot to his lower abdomen. I didn’t hesitate to pull off my shirt and pressed the cotton material against the bleeding wound. “Stay with me. An ambulance is on the way.” I slid my hand into his and squeezed his fingers. He started to shake, and I cursed at the sight of blood pooling in his mouth. I pressed my hand against his face. “Focus. You have to stay with me.”
The wail of an ambulance stopped me from saying anything else. I kept pressing down on his wound to stop the bleeding, his blood coating my hands. His eyes opened, and I felt utterly helpless as I watched life there begin to fade. I took delight in the act in the past, but now, I felt empty.
“Angela?”
“Don’t try to talk; the ambulance is here.”
Suddenly, there was a swarm around us, and I rose to my feet to give the paramedics room, blood-coated hands dangling limply at my sides. Someone draped a blanket around me for comfort or to cover up my bloodied state, I wasn’t sure, but I barely noticed.
I looked down at my hands, my fingers sticky. A wave of sudden nausea hit me, and no force on Earth could have stopped me from throwing up.
***
Dried blood remained on my hands.
They had given me a scrub to wear as soon as I entered the hospital, but I didn’t remember putting it on, nor did I remember when everyone else showed up. I barely heard anything they said. Their faces all had the same desperate, shocked expression, and their words turned into incoherent mumbling.
A cup lowered in front of me, and I accepted it. Stephen sat down beside me. “The doctor said no major arteries were hit, but he experienced a lot of blood loss.”
His voice cracked, and I started to reach out to take his hand in mine when I noticed the blood. “I should wash my hands.”
“How did you know he would be there?”
I sipped my coffee, and the hot liquid warmed my insides. I couldn’t help but wish it was more potent. “I didn’t know,” I lied. I found it more challenging to do with him now than in the past. “I knew it was a popular place for law enforcement and took a chance.”
“Well, whatever the reason, I’m grateful. If you hadn’t found him…”
He looked like he would cry at any moment. I leaned in to press my forehead against his. “It’s going to be okay. Henry’s strong. He’s going to make it.”
Hearing the chime announcing its arrival, I spotted Adrian coming out of the elevator. The hair on the back of my neck stood up at the sight of Trevor Malone walking beside him. I stared directly at Henry’s shooter and felt anger roll through me like a storm. Stephen’s gun was in the holster to my right, my knife in my boot. My fingers twitched.
“I came as soon as I could. How’s he doing?”
“He’s going to live, and when he wakes up, he’ll tell us who shot him.”
Trevor shifted uncomfortably, but I knew I was the only one who noticed. “That’s good news. Did he say anything when you found him?”
“No.”
“Well, we should–”
“Where is he?” Dara’s panicked voice interrupted him. I saw her running toward us, Lilah and Johnny following at a slower pace. Her reaction didn’t surprise me. Despite their relationship ending, the man meant a lot to her. Her eyes darted wildly between all of us. “What happened?”
Stephen reached out to gently grab her shoulders. “He’s in surgery.” He tightened his grip when she visibly sagged. “His doctors are convinced he’s going to make it.”
I knew they weren’t, but there was no reason to upset her any further. She needed hope, not another reason to feel like her world was collapsing. The amount of loss in the past year she suffered would make even the strongest person doubt their faith.
My eyes went back to Trevor standing next to Adrian in deep conversation. As I watched, he headed toward the elevators. “Dara.” Her gaze flashed over to mine, and I thrust my cup at Stephen. “I want to talk to you in privately, please.”
“Angela. . .”
“We’ll be right back.” I ignored Johnny’s objection. “Dara?”
She followed me past the large group of CSAs and cops that gathered once the news of the shooting spread like wildfire. I watched her slump into a chair and bury her face in her hands.
“Has Henry mentioned any threats? Perhaps said anything about being followed?”
“He was getting close to a case he was working, but there were no threats.”
“I was followed today. Someone has been keeping tabs on me and Henry for a while.”
Her head shot up, and she stared at me. “Does it have to do with him being shot tonight?” Her voice rose several octaves, and nurses at the station glared in our direction.
I leaned against the opposite wall and debated my options before choosing one that would benefit both of us. “Ryan Hemsley, the same guy who attacked me at Rita’s, was hired by Malone to keep us quiet.” I sprung up from the chair, and my hand shot out to grab her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going to find the bastard and make him pay!”
I tugged her back in front of me. “This isn’t something you can handle. Do you understand me?”
“That’s Henry in there. He’s one of us. I have every right to want revenge on this!”
“The only thing you’ll get is twenty-five to life, Dara. They’ll take everything from you, and you’ll never see the light of day again. Is that what you want?” I watched her shake her head. “This is what you’re going to do. You’ll stay here ten minutes after I leave before you excuse yourself and go to his apartment to pack things for him. Pack clothes for you, too. Take your time because you’re going to be my alibi.”
Her eyes went wide. “Alibi?”
“If they do an internal investigation, I never left your side; do you understand?”
“Why do that? You’ve got as much to lose as I do!”
“Let’s not play the comparison game right now.” I let go of her. “I can take care of our little problem, but the window for our opportunity is getting smaller by the minute. I need to go now if I’m going to do this.”
She shook her head. “I have to stay here.”
“Hard plastic chairs aren’t suitable beds for anyone, Dara. You’re staying with me for a few days until we get this sorted out. If they came after us, you could be next.”
“If you take care of Malone. . .”
“He’s only one part of the puzzle. The man pulling the strings would never get his hands dirty like this.”
“If what you say is true, you’re only making yourself a bigger target.”
“Maybe that’s the point.”
“You have to think about Henry!”
“I am thinking about him,” I snapped. “I’m thinking about Henry, about you, and this team. You need to be careful, not go off half-cocked looking for revenge.”
Dara wrapped her arms around herself. “If we lose him, I’ll never forgive myself for not making things right with him.”
“He’s too stubborn to die like this, and you know it.”
“I don’t understand why you’re willing to risk everything.”
“They came after the both of us, which was their first mistake. Henry’s only the beginning, and if we don’t stop it now. . .”
I knew I rattled her with my words. “Okay, I’ll wait ten minutes before I leave.”
Shoulders relaxing, I pulled my keys from my jacket pocket. I stared at my hand, the red and pale skin color clashing with the silver keys. I cleared my throat, and my gaze met hers again. “I’m sorry I didn’t reach him sooner.”
“You reached him,” she whispered. “It’s all that matters.”
