“No, he didn’t. It was the opposite. He said he would help me. He promised to protect me. How did he get in here, Cody?” I ask the more pertinent question.
“I don’t know.” His answer is cold. “We need to get out of here and do a sweep.”
“No, no, don’t tell anyone.” I’m quick to cut him off and then reach for his forearm when his shock and hesitancy are evident. “He has proof; he wants to work with… with us.” I include Cody, praying he’ll listen while a tingling sensation spreads through me that feels an awful lot like desperation. If Marcus knows who’s after me… I would rather work with one devil, than die by the hand of another.
“Hire new guys and have them do a sweep for precaution. Hopefully figure out how the hell he got in. But don’t tell them.” I peer into his questioning gaze as I plead with him. “Please. I want to catch this guy as much as you, but if he knows who’s after me…” I let my plea hang in the air, most of it unsaid as my heart bows in agony in my chest. What am I doing? What am I even asking?
“You need—”
With my hand on his, I leave only an inch between us, praying that he’ll listen to me. “I know what I need. I know the look on your face. The look that you know better and that I’m not all right.” I tilt my head up to meet his gaze and prove I’m all right, keeping my spine stiff and my shoulders squared.
“You want to make a deal with him? A deal with a murderer?” Cody doesn’t hide the slight disgust, which adds another layer to my shame, but there’s also a hint of hope. Because he didn’t say no.
“There was no deal…” I whisper the lie, finding it hard to keep eye contact with the man in front of me. A man who came back here to help me. A man I lie in bed with. A man who right now, looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
After a moment of quiet, he questions, “Are you sure about this?”
I don’t hesitate to answer yes. Swallowing thickly, I remember all of Brass’s case. I remember it all and vengeance spurs inside of me. “If we could get Brass—”
Cody cuts me off, changing the dialogue between us as he says, “If we could get Marcus, it would be the end to three open cases and a string of murders.”
“I know. I know.”
“You’re shaken up right now.” Cody’s strong hand lands on my shoulder, pulling me in closer and I pull away just slightly, hating that he’s placating me.
“Come here, Delilah. As me and you. For the love of God, let me hold you.”
“I don’t want to tell.” I offer up my end of the bargain and that’s exactly what this is.
“Let me hold you.” Cody repeats his, his brow lifting and his arms opening.
With my feet planted I tell him, “We aren’t telling anyone anything and we need to see what’s on that flash drive.”
After a short pause of consideration, Cody agrees and pulls me in, telling me he’s sorry he wasn’t here. Murmuring all the right things and it’s in his arms that I feel right again. My mind right and sound. But he can’t hold me forever.
Cody
“I saw your APB. Figured you’d want to come see this.” Officer Brady nods his head as I walk carefully across the street while avoiding piles of litter and head to the back of the convenience store.
“Just put it in last night,” I call out over the loud drone of traffic behind us. The APB for Herman Jackson went out the second I got his name from the flash drive Marcus sent. The fucker was as good as dead. Apparently someone else thought the same.
The city is bright and lively against the stark yellow tape I know so well, draping the crime scene and bringing in onlookers.
Brady lifts the tape and the two of us duck under. With my watch telling me it’s 9:00 a.m., I know it’s been an hour since the body was found. It took that long for me to get through morning traffic so I could see it for myself.
Someone offed Herman Jackson before I could. The rage that boils inside of me, knowing I can’t question him, isn’t unexpected.