we do.”
His ire rose. Trust? See everything ? The fucking pervert. Before Ramon could question Jude further, the waitress returned with their food. She left again without a word. Ramon toyed with his scrambled eggs. “I’m corny because I care.” He dropped his fork. “Jude, what doesn’t he trust you to do or not do?”
She munched a piece of crispy bacon and shrugged. “Talk to cops.”
He swallowed hard. “Why?”
Jude stabbed a chunk of hash browns. “He’s sure they’ll find out that the girls go above and beyond the call of duty.” She tapped the plate. “And then there’s the condom packs that aren’t really condoms. Some are, but some…”
“What are they?” Like he didn’t have a pretty good idea…
She lowered her voice and shrank back in her seat. Her brow furrowed. “Drugs. Cocaine and heroin. You’ve been given some to sell, haven’t you?”
“He gave me some to peddle. I haven’t had time.” He poked the sausage link. “I’ve kept an eye on you. You don’t sell. How do you keep yourself clean?”
“I keep my mouth shut, but see… You work there, so I figured you knew.” She froze. Her eyes widened and her cheeks paled. “Why do you look like you didn’t know?”
He flicked his fingers to swat away her fears. “I’m supposed to test you. Nothing big, promise.” He smiled, hoping to reassure her.
Jude dropped her fork and rubbed her temple. She inched to the edge of the booth seat, fumbling for her purse. “I need to go. Breakfast was great, but I need to go.”
Ramon stood and touched her arm. Jude paused. Her shoulders slumped. “Honey, you didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. It’s fine.”
She covered her face in her hands. “You don’t understand. He’s got eyes everywhere. He probably knows we’re talking. It’s what happened to Slade and Astra. And I like you. I don’t want to find you…” She trailed off and her eyes widened. “Never mind.”
Ramon wrapped his arms around her. Her sobs racked her body and made him tremble. The operation at the club went deeper than the force even figured. Randy—as Slade—must’ve got too close. What had Randy known? What had he seen? Hell, what had she seen?
“Take me home, Ramon.”
Ramon kissed her temple. He needed to talk to Wallace, but, damn, he didn’t want to let her go. “Yes, babe. I’ll take you home. I’m sorry I pushed.” He flipped a handful of bills onto the table and led her out of the diner. “Let’s get you home where you feel safe.”
* * * *
Forty-five minutes later, Ramon strolled alone, not into the Sanborn, but into the foyer of the MacAdam Grande Hotel in Carrington Falls. The urge to beat the hell out of the drug lord weighed heavily in Ramon’s mind. Who gave Tiny the right to live out his voyeuristic tendencies with unsuspecting women? He grinned at the redhead behind the counter. “Hello, lovely. I need the room key for five-oh-six.”
She handed him the key card with a piece of paper wrapped around it.
He nodded and sauntered away. Around the corner, he unfolded the note. Use the motorcycle when you leave. Balthazar put a tracker on the Nissan. Damn it. Balthazar knew where they’d gone. Probably heard the conversation through some sort of spy system. Ramon balled his fists. Jude shouldn’t have to work for the bastard. She didn’t deserve to live in fear. She’d earned the right to have a normal life. Tiny’s behaviour merited nothing less than a six by nine cell…and yet right now Ramon worked for him.
Ramon continued to the meeting room. He knocked and inserted the key card. Time to tell his fellow officers what he knew.
Chapter Four
Four hours later, Ramon stopped outside Jude’s door. His heart slammed triple time within his chest. After the briefing with Mateo and the verbal sparring with Wallace, Ramon had doubted his day could get worse—until he’d found all the miniature cameras in his apartment and cursed the fact that he
His ire rose. Trust? See everything ? The fucking pervert. Before Ramon could question Jude further, the waitress returned with their food. She left again without a word. Ramon toyed with his scrambled eggs. “I’m corny because I care.” He dropped his fork. “Jude, what doesn’t he trust you to do or not do?”
She munched a piece of crispy bacon and shrugged. “Talk to cops.”
He swallowed hard. “Why?”
Jude stabbed a chunk of hash browns. “He’s sure they’ll find out that the girls go above and beyond the call of duty.” She tapped the plate. “And then there’s the condom packs that aren’t really condoms. Some are, but some…”
“What are they?” Like he didn’t have a pretty good idea…
She lowered her voice and shrank back in her seat. Her brow furrowed. “Drugs. Cocaine and heroin. You’ve been given some to sell, haven’t you?”
“He gave me some to peddle. I haven’t had time.” He poked the sausage link. “I’ve kept an eye on you. You don’t sell. How do you keep yourself clean?”
“I keep my mouth shut, but see… You work there, so I figured you knew.” She froze. Her eyes widened and her cheeks paled. “Why do you look like you didn’t know?”
He flicked his fingers to swat away her fears. “I’m supposed to test you. Nothing big, promise.” He smiled, hoping to reassure her.
Jude dropped her fork and rubbed her temple. She inched to the edge of the booth seat, fumbling for her purse. “I need to go. Breakfast was great, but I need to go.”
Ramon stood and touched her arm. Jude paused. Her shoulders slumped. “Honey, you didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. It’s fine.”
She covered her face in her hands. “You don’t understand. He’s got eyes everywhere. He probably knows we’re talking. It’s what happened to Slade and Astra. And I like you. I don’t want to find you…” She trailed off and her eyes widened. “Never mind.”
Ramon wrapped his arms around her. Her sobs racked her body and made him tremble. The operation at the club went deeper than the force even figured. Randy—as Slade—must’ve got too close. What had Randy known? What had he seen? Hell, what had she seen?
“Take me home, Ramon.”
Ramon kissed her temple. He needed to talk to Wallace, but, damn, he didn’t want to let her go. “Yes, babe. I’ll take you home. I’m sorry I pushed.” He flipped a handful of bills onto the table and led her out of the diner. “Let’s get you home where you feel safe.”
* * * *
Forty-five minutes later, Ramon strolled alone, not into the Sanborn, but into the foyer of the MacAdam Grande Hotel in Carrington Falls. The urge to beat the hell out of the drug lord weighed heavily in Ramon’s mind. Who gave Tiny the right to live out his voyeuristic tendencies with unsuspecting women? He grinned at the redhead behind the counter. “Hello, lovely. I need the room key for five-oh-six.”
She handed him the key card with a piece of paper wrapped around it.
He nodded and sauntered away. Around the corner, he unfolded the note. Use the motorcycle when you leave. Balthazar put a tracker on the Nissan. Damn it. Balthazar knew where they’d gone. Probably heard the conversation through some sort of spy system. Ramon balled his fists. Jude shouldn’t have to work for the bastard. She didn’t deserve to live in fear. She’d earned the right to have a normal life. Tiny’s behaviour merited nothing less than a six by nine cell…and yet right now Ramon worked for him.
Ramon continued to the meeting room. He knocked and inserted the key card. Time to tell his fellow officers what he knew.
Chapter Four
Four hours later, Ramon stopped outside Jude’s door. His heart slammed triple time within his chest. After the briefing with Mateo and the verbal sparring with Wallace, Ramon had doubted his day could get worse—until he’d found all the miniature cameras in his apartment and cursed the fact that he
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