Chapter 14 #2
The room was dim, with the shades half-drawn.
In the bed lay a wiry young man with close-cropped hair and a thick, white bandage wrapped around his shoulder.
He was connected to several monitors, and an IV drip was running, probably with some good pain meds.
However, his suspicious eyes sharpened and tracked them immediately.
Anger lived there, coiled and waiting. He wasn’t happy to see them—too damn bad.
“Jayden Cruz,” Brian said, unnecessarily checking the file. He already had the guy’s name and age memorized. “Eighteen. You’re a lucky man. Unlike your buddy.”
Jayden gave a short snort, mouth twisting. “Guess luck ran out for Malik.”
“That it did,” Brian said evenly. He strode across the room, rested his ass on the windowsill, and crossed his arms. “You don’t seem too broken up about it.”
The guy shrugged, then winced. “Never cared for the guy. Only reason we let him hang was his cousin’s cool.”
“You want to tell us who pulled the trigger?”
Jayden’s gaze shifted to the muted TV, a sitcom rerun playing on the screen. “Don’t talk to pigs.”
Rafe leaned against the wall, his arms folded and his tone mild. “Funny thing about pigs? We’re the ones keeping the guys who shot you from showing up to finish the job.”
“Didn’t see who it was,” Jayden muttered.
Brian watched him, searching for any expression changes or tells. “The shot was close range—somebody looked you and Malik in the face and pulled the trigger. And since your ass was on the pavement right next to his when officers rolled up, it’s a little hard to believe you didn’t see who shot you.”
Jayden’s jaw flexed, but he stayed quiet.
Rafe picked up where his partner left off, his tone still casual. “So let me guess—you had a run-in with the Devil’s Crew? Diego got pissed off and started shooting, or was it one of the other idiots in his gang?”
Jayden’s eyes widened for a split second—fast, involuntary—before he closed them. His hands clenched into fists. “I said I didn’t see who it was. Just leave me the fuck alone.”
Brian let the silence settle. He’d broken harder cases on silence alone. Jayden returned to staring at the TV.
Rafe exhaled. “Suit yourself. You’re not the first kid to pick the wrong side of this decision.”
Nothing.
Brian set a card on the tray table—not pushing it toward him, just leaving it. “If you change your mind, you know how to reach us.”
Jayden didn’t look at it.
They stepped into the hall and let the door click shut behind them. While Cruz thought they were done with him, they were just getting started and would be back later to lean on him a bit harder.
After saying goodbye to the officer on duty, they walked down the corridor, the floor squeaking under their shoes.
“Stubborn little shit,” Rafe muttered. “They wear loyalty like a badge, but it only gets them killed before they’re old enough to legally drink.”
Brian’s jaw tightened. Instead of waiting for the elevator, he headed for the stairs. “He knows it was Diego.”
“Yeah. And Diego probably already knows Cruz is still alive. Which makes him about as safe as a lit match in a fireworks factory.”
Instead of focusing on the case and what little they had to go on, his mind betrayed him, slipping back to the morgue.
To Tess. The way she’d moved—quiet, sure-handed, completely composed under the harsh lights.
The way her eyes had found his, calm and steady, like she comprehended more than he wanted her to.
It had hit him like sunlight in a place that hadn’t seen light in a long time.
“Man,” his partner said as they pushed through the stairwell door, “you’re not even listening to me.”
He blinked, snapping back. “I’m listening.”
“No, you’re not. You’re still back there staring at Hansen’s assistant like she’s the last beer in the cooler.”
His jaw flexed, a scowl tugging at his mouth before he could stop it. “Drop it.”
Rafe smirked, clattering down the steps beside him. “You two keep looking at each other like teenagers who just discovered hormones. Don’t tell me it’s nothing.”
Brian stayed silent, grinding his teeth so hard he was surprised they didn’t crack. He picked up his pace.
Now behind him, Rafe chuckled. “Jesus, Malone, it’s not complicated. You want her. She wants you. Quit acting like the world’s gonna end if you admit it.”
“It’s not that simple.” He shoved through the lobby doors, greeted by a sky every bit as gray and heavy as his mood. The forecast had called for rain, and it was almost upon them.
“Sure it is.” Rafe caught up and shot him a look that was equal parts exasperated and amused.
“You’ve been living by that no-attachments rule since before I met you.
Maybe it worked back then. But now?” He clapped Brian on the shoulder.
“Now you’ve got someone worth breaking it for. Just go for it.”
Brian didn’t answer. He unlocked the car and slid behind the wheel, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the sky hung dull and heavy, matching the weight in his chest. His partner was wrong—it was complicated as hell.
But that didn’t change the truth—Tess was in his head, and he had no idea how to get her out. And the worst part was, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.