dirty. And being lumped in with the pieces of shit responsible for Miguel’s death is bullshit,” Kyler said, meeting and holding his superior’s observant gaze and reining in his mouth before it ran away with his career. Kyler was coming down on the side of Breslin being the real deal, and he wanted to earn the man’s respect. And get out from behind that fucking desk.
Commissioner Breslin nodded. “Hang in there, Detective. I know this investigation is a burr on your balls, but we’re moving as quickly as we can. I promise you that. And our methods will become clear soon enough.”
Whatever that meant. But as he had no choice but to wait for the investigation to end, there was really only one thing for him to say. “Understood, sir.”
“Good. Then we’re done here, Detective. But my door is always open. Don’t hesitate to use it.” His boss gave him a pointed look, and Kyler nodded. “Dismissed.”
Back at his desk again, Kyler forced himself to plow through some of the paperwork that buried the worn surface. The more he kept himself busy, the faster time would pass. But his mood was at least a little better than it had been earlier in the day. Because the more Kyler thought about it, the more positive his impressions of his conversation with the commissioner became. Without question, Breslin wasn’t against him. And that counted for more than a little.
So Kyler would just keep his nose to the grindstone and make sure it stayed that way.
Chapter 5
The gallery opening was going even better than Mia had hoped. The place was packed. Buyers were opening their checkbooks. The four spotlighted artists were already pulling her aside to tell her how pleased they were. The arts editor from the city paper was here doing a story on the gallery. And Mia was currently sipping a glass of champagne that her boss, the gallery owner, had brought to her moments before with the words, “I knew you were the right person for this job.”
Mia was on cloud nine.
“Girl, this is amazing,” Dani said. She and a couple friends from DC had come up for the show, and Mia appreciated the support and the bodies. Nothing worse than an empty gallery on opening night. Not, it turned out, that she’d needed to worry.
“It really is, isn’t it?” Mia said, a little stunned herself.
“Don’t act so surprised. You made all this happen.” Dani held up her glass and they clinked.
“I’m so glad you’re here to share this with me,” Mia said, squeezing her friend’s hand. Dani was tall and athletic, with wavy, shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair and pale blue eyes. The light and snarky to Mia’s dark and more serious. They’d been fast friends from almost the moment they’d met in college.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else. You know this.” Dani peered around them, then leaned in close. “So, when are you going back to see the blue-eyed orgasm machine?”
Mia nearly spit out her champagne. This is what spilling all the details got her. “Oh, my God, sshh,” she whispered, unable to hold back from laughing. “I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow. Though maybe I shouldn’t, because he said he wasn’t looking for a relationship.”
“Dude, isn’t that what all guys say?” Dani arched her eyebrow. The woman was a lawyer in a high-powered law firm and had been the managing editor of her law review, and she still said “dude” all the time. Mia loved it.
Shrugging, Mia managed to swallow the bubbly this time. “Maybe? I don’t know.”
“Isn’t it win-win either way? You go and he plays again and you die of”—Dani’s voice dropped to a whisper—“orgasmic bliss. Or you go and he doesn’t want to play and you find someone else who’s awesome? You said this club had more of the kind of men you like there than anywhere else you’d ever played, right?”
Mia nodded, peering around to make sure they weren’t being overheard.
“I say you go,” Dani said as if that settled it.
Mia was just about to
Commissioner Breslin nodded. “Hang in there, Detective. I know this investigation is a burr on your balls, but we’re moving as quickly as we can. I promise you that. And our methods will become clear soon enough.”
Whatever that meant. But as he had no choice but to wait for the investigation to end, there was really only one thing for him to say. “Understood, sir.”
“Good. Then we’re done here, Detective. But my door is always open. Don’t hesitate to use it.” His boss gave him a pointed look, and Kyler nodded. “Dismissed.”
Back at his desk again, Kyler forced himself to plow through some of the paperwork that buried the worn surface. The more he kept himself busy, the faster time would pass. But his mood was at least a little better than it had been earlier in the day. Because the more Kyler thought about it, the more positive his impressions of his conversation with the commissioner became. Without question, Breslin wasn’t against him. And that counted for more than a little.
So Kyler would just keep his nose to the grindstone and make sure it stayed that way.
Chapter 5
The gallery opening was going even better than Mia had hoped. The place was packed. Buyers were opening their checkbooks. The four spotlighted artists were already pulling her aside to tell her how pleased they were. The arts editor from the city paper was here doing a story on the gallery. And Mia was currently sipping a glass of champagne that her boss, the gallery owner, had brought to her moments before with the words, “I knew you were the right person for this job.”
Mia was on cloud nine.
“Girl, this is amazing,” Dani said. She and a couple friends from DC had come up for the show, and Mia appreciated the support and the bodies. Nothing worse than an empty gallery on opening night. Not, it turned out, that she’d needed to worry.
“It really is, isn’t it?” Mia said, a little stunned herself.
“Don’t act so surprised. You made all this happen.” Dani held up her glass and they clinked.
“I’m so glad you’re here to share this with me,” Mia said, squeezing her friend’s hand. Dani was tall and athletic, with wavy, shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair and pale blue eyes. The light and snarky to Mia’s dark and more serious. They’d been fast friends from almost the moment they’d met in college.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else. You know this.” Dani peered around them, then leaned in close. “So, when are you going back to see the blue-eyed orgasm machine?”
Mia nearly spit out her champagne. This is what spilling all the details got her. “Oh, my God, sshh,” she whispered, unable to hold back from laughing. “I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow. Though maybe I shouldn’t, because he said he wasn’t looking for a relationship.”
“Dude, isn’t that what all guys say?” Dani arched her eyebrow. The woman was a lawyer in a high-powered law firm and had been the managing editor of her law review, and she still said “dude” all the time. Mia loved it.
Shrugging, Mia managed to swallow the bubbly this time. “Maybe? I don’t know.”
“Isn’t it win-win either way? You go and he plays again and you die of”—Dani’s voice dropped to a whisper—“orgasmic bliss. Or you go and he doesn’t want to play and you find someone else who’s awesome? You said this club had more of the kind of men you like there than anywhere else you’d ever played, right?”
Mia nodded, peering around to make sure they weren’t being overheard.
“I say you go,” Dani said as if that settled it.
Mia was just about to
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