Chapter 24
24
COURT
I couldn’t believe I’d told Ryan about the case. After everything that went down, I couldn’t continue to lie to him. I also had to hope he’d understand I’d lied because of my job, not because I wanted to deceive him.
The walk to my Durango felt like it took forever. My mind was spinning, and with each step, I kept replaying what had just happened. I’d thrown him a curveball he wasn’t ready for, and everything between us felt like it was up in the air. I didn’t blame him. I wasn’t sure if I could go back to him after this. Hell, I didn’t even know if he’d want me to.
Once I reached my SUV, I got in and slammed the door a little harder than I meant to. The engine rumbled to life, but the sound barely cut through the buzzing in my head. I had a job to finish. The case was almost done and I couldn’t afford to screw it up. Especially since I had to walk into the warehouse and pretend I had no idea Donnie was dead and wouldn’t be there when the shipment arrived.
I gripped the wheel hard with my good hand, my fingers tight around it. I couldn’t get Ryan’s voice out of my head: “Was dating me part of your undercover shit?”
I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head, but all I could think about was how much I’d just messed up. Telling Ryan the truth, especially before the case was over, was probably a mistake. He had every right to be upset—I knew that. Yet, the case had to come first, always. Still, a part of me couldn’t shake the fear that everything between us was slipping away. Maybe, when the case was behind me, I could find a way to make things right. But I wasn’t sure if he’d be willing to give me another chance.
“I don’t know what’s real and what’s not.”
Most of it was real, but I didn’t think Ryan would ever trust me again.
Pulling up to the warehouse, I unbuckled my seatbelt and then looked in the rearview mirror. No way could I hide the bandage on the side of my head, so I had to come up with a lie. Lucky for me, lying was something I was good at.
After getting out of my vehicle, I went inside, said hello to a few guys and then spotted Lo. He gave me a head nod before coming over for a fist bump.
“What the hell happened to your head?” He furrowed his brow.
I cracked a grin. “Drank a little too much the other night and hit my head on my coffee table.”
“Damn.” He blew out a breath. “You’re lucky you didn’t die.”
If he only knew.
“Yeah. My boyfriend had to take me to the hospital.” I clapped Lo’s shoulder using my good arm. “All’s good. How are things here?”
He shrugged. “Been trying to get ahold of Donnie, but can’t reach him. Have you heard from him?”
I shook my head. “Isn’t he out of town with Morgan?”
“Right, but I thought he was coming back today.”
“I’m sure he’ll show,” I lied. “He’s probably trying to get in as much time as he can with her before everything goes down in the morning and we all get super busy.”
“Probably. He’s so pussy whipped.” Lo chuckled and turned to walk farther inside the warehouse.
A few of the other guys were preparing for the shipment, which would arrive around 3 a.m. They were checking current inventory, getting scales ready, and making sure everything was set for the big drop.
“Everything lined up for tomorrow?” I asked.
Lo glanced at me. “Everything’s set. We’ll unload everything and Donnie will handle the payment once it’s confirmed we got everything we ordered.”
I pulled out the burner and saw I had a message from Dalton:
All good?
I texted back:
Yep
Tomorrow couldn’t get here fast enough.
I could hear the low hum of voices and the shuffle of footsteps as I made my way into the warehouse. The guys were already setting up for the shipment.
I checked my watch. The delivery wasn’t due for another hour, and Lo was already pacing, though he stopped to talk to a few of the guys near the loading dock. When he saw me approach, he said, “You ready for today?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Any word from Donnie?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Shit. That’s not good. What do we do?” The more I seemed out of the loop, the better. I needed to ask questions to not raise any suspicion.
Lo took a deep breath. “Not my first drop, so we should be good, but this isn’t like the boss. I’m worried.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I thought for sure he’d be here.”
“If he doesn’t show, we’re fucked. He has the money.”
“Should I go check his office or something for the cash?”
Lo laughed. “Cash? You really are green, huh?”
All the other guys laughed with him and I smiled because the ruse was working. “How does he pay?”
“Bitcoin. Donnie sets up the transaction.”
“And if he doesn’t show?”
“Hopefully he’s already paid or we’re dead.”
“Dead?” I balked. “Why?”
“Rafa will probably think we’re trying to pull a fast one on him. We should get our guns ready, just in case.”
“Okay, well, I … I don’t have a gun,” I stammered. At least not on me. Mine was in my Durango, but I was going to go out and get it before the bust.
Lo cracked an evil grin. “Then let’s hope you’re bulletproof.”
He walked off, but I kept my eyes on him as I moved toward the exit. I could hear Donnie’s men talking behind me as I made my way to my SUV parked just outside. I scanned the area, knowing Dalton and our team were already in place. Of course, I couldn’t see them, but I knew they were there. I could feel them, sense them.
Unlocking my vehicle, I pulled my gun from the gun case in the back of my SUV and wished I could grab my vest that was hidden in the storage compartment, but I couldn’t possibly hide a bulletproof vest from the guys. Especially one that had BOSTON POLICE written on the back.
After clipping my Glock under my shirt at the small of my back, I took a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen for my shoulder and head, then made my way back inside as quickly as I could, trying to act normal despite the adrenaline buzzing in my veins. Everyone was still scattered inside the warehouse, making final preparations.
Lo caught sight of me as I reentered. “You ready?” he asked, his eyes scanning me quickly, clearly looking for any sign of weakness.
“Yep,” I replied. “Just needed some aspirin for my head.”
He chuckled. “All right.”
The sound of an engine outside cut through the air, followed by the screech of brakes. The truck had arrived, and it was early.
“It’s here. Let’s move,” Lo ordered.
We rushed toward the loading dock as the truck backed in. Once it stopped, the passenger door opened and a tall figure stepped out. I had to assume it was Rafa, the supplier.
“Get the crates unloaded. Now,” Lo instructed his guys as the truck driver opened the back.
Without hesitation, the guys got to work, moving crates inside. Lo stepped forward, his eyes scanning the goods as they were opened for inspection.
The man watched Lo for a moment, his face unreadable under the dim warehouse lights. When Lo finally turned to face him, the guy crossed his arms and leaned casually against some crates.
“You’re taking the product, then?” he asked. “But where’s the money?”
Lo didn’t flinch, his gaze hard as he gestured for the men to continue unloading. “Come on, Rafa, you know the money’s coming. Donnie’s not here yet, but he’ll handle it. He always does.”
Rafa took a step closer, his eyes shifting from Lo to the rest of the men in the warehouse. “I don’t fucking think so. Money before you unload.”
Lo’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t back down. “It’s all good. Donnie’s on his way. Has he ever steered you wrong?”
Rafa’s gaze flicked over to the crates being moved from the truck. “No, but he’s always been here and inspects the goods before you take them. You don’t want to be standing here when everything is unloaded, and no payment has been made. You understand?”
Lo took a breath and glanced at me for a second before saying, “You’ll get your money. We’ve got a deal, don’t we?”
Rafa looked past Lo, his eyes narrowing at me as though I had the answers. I did but I remained silent. “I’m done fucking around, Lo. You better get the money, or we’re gonna have a serious problem.”
From the corner of my eye, I caught the flash of movement outside the door. My pulse quickened, and instinct kicked in. This was it. Time to move.
A moment later, a flashbang detonated, flooding the warehouse with a searing burst of light and an ear-splitting blast. I blinked, trying to focus as my team rushed in. My ears rang as officers flooded in, guns drawn, shouting commands.
“Search warrant! Hands up! Let’s see some fucking hands!” Sergeant McCall ordered.
Rafa’s head whipped around with the sudden realization that something had gone wrong. He darted for cover behind one of the large crates, pulling a handgun from under his jacket. The truck driver wasn’t fast enough, and within seconds, his hands were in the air.
Lo froze and a split second of panic flashed across his face. The moment I saw him stop, I knew I had him. I moved fast, grabbing my gun and shoving Lo to the ground before he could think to pull his piece. “Stay down, Lo.”
I pressed my knee into his back, just as the first shots rang out. Rafa popped up from behind cover and fired at my team.
The warehouse was a storm of noise and chaos. Officers in tactical gear were yelling commands—some moving to take cover, others rushing to secure the area. Rafa was moving fast, ducking behind anything he could find for protection, clearly trying to make a break for it.
“Get down on the ground!” Dalton shouted, and I heard boots pounding the floor as more officers rushed in from the other side of the warehouse.
“You’re a fucking cop?” Lo asked as he struggled beneath me.
I pressed my knee harder into his back, forcing him down, even as he fought to get up. “Yeah, motherfucker. Been waiting for this moment.”
“Drop your weapon!” Officers closed in on Rafa from both sides. He was trapped and had nowhere left to run. He dropped his gun and surrendered.
“You’re under arrest,” I barked, pulling Lo’s arms behind his back. Dalton tossed me a pair of flex cuffs, and I secured it around Lo’s wrists.
“I can’t believe you’re a cop. Does Donnie know? Is that why he’s not here?” he questioned as I lifted him to stand.
“Donnie’s dead.”
Lo’s face paled, his eyes widening in disbelief. “What the fuck did you just say?”
I pulled the plastic tighter around his wrists, ignoring the look of shock on his face. “Donnie’s dead,” I repeated. Since the shooting at the lake was still under investigation, I wasn’t about to give Lo any more details.
Dalton moved toward me. “You good?”
I nodded. “You’ve got this handled?”
Dalton didn’t answer right away. His gaze flicked toward the supplier, who was now sitting on the floor, hands cuffed behind his back. “Yeah. We’ll get everything sorted. But we need to talk about you, Court. You took a hell of a risk back there.”
“I know,” I said, my jaw tightening. “I’ll deal with it. Just get Lo to the van.”
I’d gone off script. I wasn’t supposed to apprehend anyone during the bust. I was to stay undercover and wait to be arrested, but with all the commotion and finally having the bust go down, I couldn’t just lay on the ground and watch my team make the arrests. It was my case. My doing. My information that led us to shut down Donnie’s drug operation. Now that Donnie was dead, Lo would have likely become the one in charge.
Hell, the department of internal affairs was probably going to be up my ass about my relationship with Ryan too. Would I be able to tell them it was all part of the case? I guess that depended on Ryan.
Dalton nodded and signaled to the other officers, who moved quickly to secure Lo. As I turned back toward Rafa in cuffs, a sense of relief washed over me. But that didn’t make the ache inside my chest any easier to bear, because even though my job was done for the most part, I had to hope all wasn’t lost with Ryan.
After a shower and a nap, I grabbed my undercover phone and sent a message to Ryan:
Can we talk?
It took him a few minutes to respond:
About what?
Us
I need more time
I understand
Is your case over?
For the most part. Need to go into the office and do paperwork and stuff
Good
That was the last I heard from him.