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We drive off. Stitches waits for a couple blocks to pass before he asks about him.
“Ex-boyfriend?”
“More like... a guy who won’t take a hint.”
“I bet you get a lot of that. No wonder Psycho’s kept such a close eye.”
I’m pulled from my thoughts about Cade and whatever important discovery he’s made. “Hmm? What do you mean he’s kept a close eye?”
“Oh,” Stitches says, flashing me a sheepish smile, “I mean... you know, with you staying at the loft. He’s been very worried about you.”
We’re pulling up to city hall within the next minute, leaving little time to process what Stitches says about Salvatore and his ‘close eye’. City hall and the police department are the only two places in Northam where Salvatore’s security can’t follow me.
Stitches parks by the curb outside the historic building, takes one look at the dark windows, and then meets my gaze in the rear-view mirror.
“I should come in with you.”
“You can’t. It’s city hall.”
“Nobody’s here.”
“Cade is meeting me. You come in with me and our cover is blown.”
“Oh. Right. He works the Cyber Crimes unit.”
“He does. Which means...”
“He’d love to rat us out to his cop friends and take down a guy like me or Psycho.”
“He has an update on Octavia Doukas’s death.”
“Make it quick. And keep your cell on you. If you’re not down in fifteen minutes, I’m coming up. City hall or no city hall,” Stitches says sternly. “I’ll say I got lost and thought it was the ice cream parlor.”
I smirk at him in goodbye, but don’t bother dignifying him with a response. As much as I’ve been looking forward to moving past this current chapter in my life, I’ve grown a little fond of some of Salvatore’s crew. Being a loner type by nature, Salvatore has said he’s selective of the men he welcomes into his inner circle. The more time I spend around guys like Stitches, I can see why he chose who he has.
The huge building looms above me as I climb up the many cascading stone steps. Upon reaching the doors, I scan my badge and slip inside.
With it being a Saturday morning, no one is around. The entire building is deserted and silent. Not even security works on the weekends. I ride the elevator up to my floor and then head down the hall toward my office.
The light’s already on and the door’s open. I slow up until I’m close enough to peer inside.
Nobody here.
It’s not until I cross the threshold that the door slams shut behind me. Someone was standing behind it. Someone who then presses something hard into my spine.
“Thanks for joining me, ADA,” Detective Galecki says from behind me. “Kept me waiting a few extra minutes, but I forgive you.”
24. delphine
“What are you doing, Detective?”I ask slowly. My heart punches at my ribcage, beating painfully hard. Yet, somehow, I manage to keep calm. I manage to keep my voice even. “Put the gun down.”
Galecki digs it into my spine. “Don’t think I will. Why don’t you drop your purse at your feet and then stand up straight with your arms in the air. No funny business.”
Damn it.
Since I’ve begun firearm training with Salvatore, I’ve started carrying myself. Just an extra precaution and layer of protection in case I ever need it.
Right now would be one of those times...
