Though he’s five years my senior, his face is soft and youthful. I probably look like an old man with the amount of stress I’ve endured since I saw him last.
“Word on the street is you pissed off a very important, very dangerous person.”
I roll my eyes. Twenty-four hours and already the entire NYPD knows what I’ve done? Corrupt motherfuckers. The lot of them.
“You know me, Ted. I piss off just about everyone.”
He chuckles and nods. “You never know when to stop, do you? You weren’t happy with pissing off the entire New York police force you just had to go and piss off the bad guys too?”
Ted knows better than anyone why I did what I did.
“I’m doing what I have to do.”
“I know.” His dark, chocolate eyes narrow in on me. “Is that why you called me?”
I nod. Ted shakes his head and adjusts his stance, widening his legs. “The NYPD doesn’t know anything. You were there when the commissioner handed the case over to the higher ups. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you, brother.”
He thinks it’s that simple? That it’s over because someone else’s organization has taken over the case? I step closer to him.
“Oh, but you can. The FBI, Special Task Force and SWAT are all working under your roof. The precinct is crawling with information that can help me…information I’m sure you can get access to.”
Ted’s jaw clenches. I’m pushing him out of his comfort zone. I wouldn’t normally put so much pressure on someone, but this isn’t a normal circumstance. I won’t get the information I need without applying a little pressure.
“Jai, I can get into a lot trouble.”
“I wouldn’t ask you if I wasn’t desperate.”
He shakes his head and I exhale. There’s an incident I remember and I didn’t want to use it against him, but he’s giving me no choice.
“Do you remember the time—”
Ted pushes off the car, his six foot four frame towering over me. “Oh, hell no. You can’t use that against me, man.”
“—you shot that poor old ladies dog?”
He snarls at me, but I don’t flinch. It’ll take a hell of a lot more than his height to intimidate me.
“He was fucking huge and he was vicious!”
“You shot it.” I push forward. “And I covered your ass when that woman wanted your badge on her mantel piece next to her dog’s ashes.”
Ted turns away from me, running his hands over his head. Last time I saw him, his hair stood two inches off his skull. Now it clings tightly to it. A buzz cut like his girlfriend always wanted.
“You can’t do anything with that information. No one will believe you now.”
I frown. “I don’t want to use the information against you, I just want you to remember that I was there for you when you needed it and all I ask is that you do the same for me. If not, if you can’t help me, forget I said anything and forget I called you here tonight. I’ll do it on my own.”
He doesn’t turn to face me and I don’t expect him to. I’m asking a lot of him—more than I have the right to. I know the last thing I should be doing is pulling another innocent into my mess, but I need him. I need someone I can trust that has access to new information.
A small eternity passes and I turn away from Ted with my answer.
I’m on my own.
The third step I take echoes in my head and I slump my shoulders. Where the fuck do I go from here?
“Who’s the girl you’re with?” He calls after me and I stop dead in my tracks.
My blood runs cold, chilling me down to my bones. Slowly, I turn around. Where’d he get that information from?
“What girl?”
Surprisingly, my voice sounds detached. Good. No one can know about Emily.
He stuffs his hands into his pockets. “I might have dug around a little, looking for your ass. Word is you took off with Skull’s girl.”
I scoff, unable to hide a sneer. I feel it contort my face. “Skull’s girl? She’s not his.”
Ted raises his eyebrows and I clench my jaw until my teeth ache.
“Word on the street is you pissed off a very important, very dangerous person.”
I roll my eyes. Twenty-four hours and already the entire NYPD knows what I’ve done? Corrupt motherfuckers. The lot of them.
“You know me, Ted. I piss off just about everyone.”
He chuckles and nods. “You never know when to stop, do you? You weren’t happy with pissing off the entire New York police force you just had to go and piss off the bad guys too?”
Ted knows better than anyone why I did what I did.
“I’m doing what I have to do.”
“I know.” His dark, chocolate eyes narrow in on me. “Is that why you called me?”
I nod. Ted shakes his head and adjusts his stance, widening his legs. “The NYPD doesn’t know anything. You were there when the commissioner handed the case over to the higher ups. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you, brother.”
He thinks it’s that simple? That it’s over because someone else’s organization has taken over the case? I step closer to him.
“Oh, but you can. The FBI, Special Task Force and SWAT are all working under your roof. The precinct is crawling with information that can help me…information I’m sure you can get access to.”
Ted’s jaw clenches. I’m pushing him out of his comfort zone. I wouldn’t normally put so much pressure on someone, but this isn’t a normal circumstance. I won’t get the information I need without applying a little pressure.
“Jai, I can get into a lot trouble.”
“I wouldn’t ask you if I wasn’t desperate.”
He shakes his head and I exhale. There’s an incident I remember and I didn’t want to use it against him, but he’s giving me no choice.
“Do you remember the time—”
Ted pushes off the car, his six foot four frame towering over me. “Oh, hell no. You can’t use that against me, man.”
“—you shot that poor old ladies dog?”
He snarls at me, but I don’t flinch. It’ll take a hell of a lot more than his height to intimidate me.
“He was fucking huge and he was vicious!”
“You shot it.” I push forward. “And I covered your ass when that woman wanted your badge on her mantel piece next to her dog’s ashes.”
Ted turns away from me, running his hands over his head. Last time I saw him, his hair stood two inches off his skull. Now it clings tightly to it. A buzz cut like his girlfriend always wanted.
“You can’t do anything with that information. No one will believe you now.”
I frown. “I don’t want to use the information against you, I just want you to remember that I was there for you when you needed it and all I ask is that you do the same for me. If not, if you can’t help me, forget I said anything and forget I called you here tonight. I’ll do it on my own.”
He doesn’t turn to face me and I don’t expect him to. I’m asking a lot of him—more than I have the right to. I know the last thing I should be doing is pulling another innocent into my mess, but I need him. I need someone I can trust that has access to new information.
A small eternity passes and I turn away from Ted with my answer.
I’m on my own.
The third step I take echoes in my head and I slump my shoulders. Where the fuck do I go from here?
“Who’s the girl you’re with?” He calls after me and I stop dead in my tracks.
My blood runs cold, chilling me down to my bones. Slowly, I turn around. Where’d he get that information from?
“What girl?”
Surprisingly, my voice sounds detached. Good. No one can know about Emily.
He stuffs his hands into his pockets. “I might have dug around a little, looking for your ass. Word is you took off with Skull’s girl.”
I scoff, unable to hide a sneer. I feel it contort my face. “Skull’s girl? She’s not his.”
Ted raises his eyebrows and I clench my jaw until my teeth ache.
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