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“No argument there, I see.” He tilts his head. “So tell me, what do you want? Money? Women?” He looks over his shoulder at the girls before finding my gaze again. “Advancement in your career. Name it. I promise, I can make it happen.”
There’s only one way for him to give me what I want. I curl my finger over the trigger…
“I want your name,” I demand.
His dark eyes stare into mine. “I go by many.” A smile lights his face. “You won’t find Dorian McGregor on any of your wanted lists, but it’s the one I choose to go by most often. I promise, I’m a man of my word. Anything you want, I can make happen. Name your price.”
I don’t blink. I look him right in his eyes as I squeeze…
“Lower the weapon!”
My finger halts mid-pull, my hand trembles with restraint, and I know this is my last chance—
“I said, lower the gun, Detective Quinn.” I recognize the voice. In my peripheral, I spot Agent Bell moving into the center of the warehouse.
The sound of booted feet trampling
the scene reverberates through the building as the Feds raid the warehouse. A ruckus of shouts and collection of weapons and apprehending the masked men…all while I still have my sight laser-focused on the Alpha.
“Quinn.” Her voice is steady, calm. “You’re better than this. It’s over. Lower your gun and let’s bring him in. The right way.”
I release the trigger and pull back my gun. A searing breath grips my lungs as I suck it down. Then I force my eyes away from the Alpha. I look at Special Agent Bell as the Alpha is taken to the ground and handcuffed.
“You used me,” I say to her. “You used my department.”
Her eyes widen with a hint of remorse, but I doubt she feels any at all. Her career is made. She gets the fame of bringing down the head of a criminal network.
She sighs as she reaches into her jacket pocket and brings out the phone she gave me. “I wasn’t sure if you’d put together a side op or not,” she says. “But when I tracked the phone and discovered it stowed in one of the perp’s vehicles…” She shrugs. “Good evasive tactic. You did have a couple of my agents chasing this phone around the city for a few hours.”
I’d hoped for longer than a few. I had Carson dump the phone in one of the perp’s cars our uniforms were tailing. It was reasonable to believe that I’d keep close watch over the two perps who we busted in the body transport van. Eventually, they might’ve led us to the Alpha.
But we didn’t have time to wait.
I just needed Bell and the Feds off my case and away from Lark and Gannet.
“So it was the Feds hacking the transmitted auction signal.” I holster my gun. “You could’ve gotten someone hurt, or killed. You almost blew the whole thing.”
Bell turns to watch the agents begin reciting the buyers their rights, then she swings her gaze to me. “Guilty as charged. You’re not the only one with inside intel, detective. I’ve had my eye on McGregor for a while. The tip about the auction came from a protected source.”
She steps closer. “We had it covered. No one was in immediate danger. I know somewhere deep down, you knew the right thing to do was to call me. And even though you never did…subconsciously, you wanted it to happen this way.”
I shake my head. I fucking hate psychobabble bullshit. “I think the phone taking a scenic tour around town speaks for itself. You should’ve been transparent with my department on who you were investigating from the start.”
She raises her eyebrows in mock indignity. “You want to talk transparency? After I find you here with only two for backup?” Her dark eyes drill through me. “Just what was the plan, Quinn? Would you have pulled that trigger?”
I don’t avert my eyes, but I don’t give her an answer. I’m not sure I have one.
She rubs her forehead. “No, you’re right. We should’ve trusted each other enough to work together. This could’ve gone bad. It didn’t…but next time, we really should work together.”
Next time.
Because the Alpha isn’t dead.
Teeth clenched, I glance back at Sadie. “I don’t want anyone else going down for this,” I say. “It was my op. I put it together. My colleagues were only following my orders.”
“You got it,” she says, and I look at her, surprised. “You were in charge of helping your department organize an op within the parameters of the FBI task force. That’s how it will be reported.”
Unbelievable. “And if it had gone bad?”
