Chapter 25 – thiago #2
Helios has people everywhere, in police departments, courtrooms, government offices, and places I probably don’t even know about. I’ve watched them make problems disappear and create new ones whenever it served whatever they deemed the greater good.
For years, I accepted it because I believed we were protecting people from something worse. But lately, I’ve started wondering how different we really are from the people we hunt.
“Have a good night, Operative.”
The line disconnects without another word.
I shove my phone into my pocket and storm toward the entrance, where a clerk who couldn’t possibly care less who the hell I am meets me.
“Have a seat.”
That’s all I get. There’s no urgency, just rehearsed bullshit about protocol and procedure while Remi sits somewhere behind those walls.
Time drags by, and by the fourth time I get up to demand answers, I’m one irritation away from losing my shit.
“Officer Braga,” the woman behind the desk says with forced patience, “I understand your concern, but the inmate will go through processing like everyone else until she appears before a judge and her bond is set.”
Inmate.
Hearing her referred to that way makes something ugly twist in my chest. I grind my teeth and pull out my phone, fully prepared to call people above her pay grade, when movement near the doors catches my attention.
Valentina Cain rounds the corner, her phone pressed to her ear.
“Maksim, you do not need to fly out here,” she says firmly. “I’m fine, I promise. And Remi is as okay as she can be right now.”
“Valentina,” I say carefully.
She turns at the sound of my voice, and recognition flashes across her face.
“Baby, I’ll call you back.” She pauses, her eyes locked on me. “A friend of Remi’s.”
Hearing her call me Remi’s friend hits differently after the other night. Remi might still argue the point, but I’m starting to think I stopped believing her a while ago.
Valentina ends the call, slips her phone into her bag, then narrows her eyes at me.
“You’re Thiago, right?”
I nod. “I’ve been trying to see if there’s anything I can do, but so far, I’ve hit a wall.” My jaw tightens as I glance at the secured doors again. “Have you spoken to her? Is she okay?”
Valentina stares at me for a second before answering. “She’s fine. Mad as hell, but physically, she’s okay.”
Relief floods through me so quickly that I finally take a full breath for what feels like the first time since I saw her mugshot.
“What happened?”
Valentina glances around the station, clearly checking who might be listening in. “That’s probably not a conversation we should have here, or maybe not at all.” Her gaze returns to mine. “You should ask her yourself.”
She doesn’t seem nearly as worried as I expected, and then it clicks. These people have connections, protection, and enough money and influence to bend situations like this to their favor. Maybe even erase them entirely.
“So you came down here for her?” Valentina asks.
“A colleague let me know what was happening.”
She tilts her head, as if studying me more closely, and I get the distinct feeling I’m being evaluated.
“Remi is special, Thiago. To me and to everyone in our family.” A faint smile touches her lips, but I don’t miss the warning behind it. “I don’t need to tell you not to hurt her because I’m pretty sure you already know that.”
If she only knew.
I’m standing here pretending to be Remi’s friend while using the trust she’s given me to gather information that could eventually be used against her and everyone she loves.
And she has no fucking idea.
“I know,” I say.
Valentina holds my gaze for another second before her attention shifts past me, and relief washes over her face.
I turn and see Remi stepping through a thick steel door, an officer trailing behind her, looking less than thrilled about letting her walk free.
Whatever orders came down clearly weren’t optional.
Remi doesn’t acknowledge him.
She spots Valentina and heads straight for her, exhaustion and irritation written all over her face.
Her hair is a mess, dried blood stains her knuckles, yet somehow, she still looks as beautiful as ever.
They wrap their arms around each other, and I give them space even though I want to cross the room and touch her myself, make sure she’s okay instead of taking everyone else’s word for it.
When Remi finally lifts her head from Valentina’s shoulder, her eyes meet mine. Any relief I feel at seeing her vanishes as her expression hardens, and she walks straight past me without a word.
Valentina gives me a slight shrug before following her outside.
I stand there for a moment, wondering if coming here was a mistake.
After everything she’s been through tonight, the last person Remi probably wants to see is another cop.
But I’m too selfish and too worried about her to care, so I head outside after them.
“Remi, wait,” I call out as I cross the parking lot.
She keeps walking.
“Remi, come on. I didn’t arrest you.” I close some of the distance between us. “That wasn’t me.”
She finally slows and says something quietly to Valentina, who gives me a long look before getting into the car.
“I’m exhausted, Braga,” Remi says. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of having the day from hell.”
She still won’t look at me.
I step in front of her, gently turn her toward me, then take her hand. I expect her to pull away, but her fingers remain loosely curled in mine.
“You hit someone?” I ask, inspecting her bruises.
“They deserved it.”
I nearly laugh because I’m not even remotely surprised by that answer. My attention drops to the dried blood on her knuckles before I notice she’s favoring one side.
My hand moves to the exposed skin along her abdomen. “They hit you?”
Anger rages through me at the thought of anyone putting their hands on her.
“Lucky shot,” she mutters with a small smile, finally lifting her eyes to mine.
My jaw clenches as I look her over again, making sure there isn’t any other injury she’s hiding from me.
Then the cop in me asks the question before the man standing here with her can think better of it.
“Why’d you run from the cops, Remi?”
I know I fucked up when her expression sours. Whatever softness she allowed between us disappears as she pulls her hand from mine and steps away.
“Goodnight, Officer Braga.”
“Remi, I didn’t mean it like that.”
But she’s already opening the passenger door, climbing inside without looking back. A second later, it slams shut.