Page 37 of Hard Game

Guilt sluices through my gut as I wince again. Elijah's right, though—bringing this to his doorstep is despicable of me.

“I had no one else,” I admit through gritted teeth. “I’m sorry.”

“Jesus Christ, Diess,” Elijas wails. “So, what, is this like one of those memes where you tag the person most likely to help you hide a body, and you chose me?”

I sigh, hating that it only gets worse. “Uh, Maddox said my apartment is clean.”

Elijah stops pacing and stares at me in horror. “Clean?” He squeaks, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, what?”

“He said it’s clean,” I say, licking my lips. “Will you come with me?”

Elijah groans and points a finger at me. “You fucking owe me, do you know that? If Taron is there, we have to call it in, Diess. No fucking around.”

I nod eagerly and take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I’m about to ask him.

“What now?” Elijah growls as he yanks his hoody over his head.

“What if he’s not?”

“Ha!” Elijah looks heavenward and mutters something inaudible under his breath.

I’m glad I didn’t hear him.

19

LAUREN

Ican’t keep still. My leg jiggles violently as Elijah drives us to my apartment, his jaw tight. I feel terrible for dragging him into this because he is one of the good guys. He’s one of the best, and I’ve just dragged him into my fucked up world, where moral code is questioned every step I take. Being a detective means you don’t have a life. I know Elijah has put everything into his job, just like me. He doesn’t have a personal score to settle, but he’s always been a strict law enforcer. He dots every I and crosses every T. He doesn’t turn a blind eye to anything, and up until now, neither did I.

“I’m sorry,” I say again as Elijah looks at me.

“Did you know he was going to kill him?”

I shake my head and gaze out of the window. “No. I’d have stopped him.”

“I believe you,” Elijah says slowly. “This Moreno dude…what’s going on between you?”

I frown and shake my head. “Nothing.” I’m not lying. Sure, there’s a connection between us, an attraction that’s deadly and electric…but I’m a detective, and he’s a killer. Not to mention a trafficker. Guilt gnaws at me until I shift in my seat and clear my throat. “But…”

“Uh oh, I don’t like the sound of this,” Elijah says with a sigh, resting his elbow on the car door as he drives.

“Moreno worked with the ring.”

Elijah turns to stare at me for so long that he has to turn sharply to avoid hitting a car coming toward us in the opposite lane. “What?!”

I take a deep breath. “He said he did odd jobs for cash when he was younger but ended up driving vans for Alastor.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Elijah mutters but allows me to continue.

“He had to wear noise-canceling headphones and go wherever they told him,” I explain, shaking my head.

“For real?” Elijah frowns and sighs. “So what happened when he found out?”

I look down at my bitten fingernails and wonder what did happen. I didn’t ask, too enraged to listen to his shit explanations for ‘not knowing.’“He said he tried to leave, but they wouldn’t let him. Convenient, huh?”

Elijah pulls up beside my apartment and cuts the engine, turning to look at me. “You know as well as anyone that there are many victims of trafficking.”

“Of course, I know that,” I hiss, tears stinging my eyes. I still haven’t told Elijah about my sister’s fate because I can’t bear to say it out loud. I also have to tell my father, and I don’t feel strong enough. If I can get this ring, then maybe I will. Maybe I’ll have the strength.

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