Page 68 of Dangerous Seduction

Walking back to my car, I felt the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders. Who could I trust? Dante, the man I was falling for despite my better judgment? Morrow, my mentor and ally? Or was I truly alone in this fight against corruption and betrayal?

One thing was certain – I was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter the cost. For Matt, for justice, and for my own peace of mind. The truth was out there, and I was going to find it, even if it meant burning everything I thought I knew to the ground.

The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped out onto Valentina’s floor, my mind still reeling from the day’s events. The hallway stretched before me, a gauntlet of identical doors that seemed to mock my confusion and frustration. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Val’s apartment, rapping my knuckles against the wood in the familiar rhythm.

Moments later, the door swung open, revealing Valentina’s smirking face. Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and she wore an oversized NYPD t-shirt that hung off one shoulder – a souvenir from our academy days.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Miami’s most notorious undercover hottie,” she drawled, leaning against the doorframe. Her eyes narrowed as she took in my tense posture and the shadows under my eyes. “Damn, chica. You look like you’ve been through the wringer. What’s up?”

I didn’t waste time with pleasantries, just pushed past her into the apartment. “We’ve got a problem, Val. A big one.”

Her brows furrowed, but she didn’t miss a beat, shutting the door behind me with a firm click. “Alright, lay it on me. But first, you look like you could use a drink.”

Before I could protest, Val was already moving towards her kitchen. I paced the length of her living room, my fingers twisting nervously as I tried to organize my thoughts. The apartment was quintessentially Val – a mix of sleek modernity and controlled chaos. Case files were scattered across her coffee table, and a half-eaten pizza sat on the counter, evidence of another late night poring over evidence.

Val returned with two glasses of amber liquid, pressing one into my hand. “Okay, spill. What’s got you wound up tighter than a two-dollar watch?”

I took a deep breath, then launched into my story. The words tumbled from my lips in a rush as I filled her in on Morrow’s infuriating dismissal of my suggestion to bring the information about the potential mole to Internal Affairs. I told her about my growing suspicions, the nagging feeling that something was very wrong with him.

By the time I finished, Val’s eyes were blazing with righteous fury. She slammed her glass down on the coffee table, sending case files scattering. “That asshole,” she hissed, her fingers curling into tight fists. “If there’s a mole in our midst, we need to smoke them out and make them pay. Not sit on our asses and continue as if nothing had happened. What the fuck!”

I nodded grimly, grateful for her unwavering support. “Exactly. But we need to be smart about this, Val. We can’t just go in guns blazing.”

She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Since when have you been the cautious one, Ramirez? Where’s that badass spirit that used to get us into so much trouble back in the day?” A mischievous grin spread across her face. “Remember that time as rookies we snuck into the evidence locker to ‘borrow’ that fancy tech for our off-the-books stakeout?”

Despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn’t help but crack a smile at the memory. “Yeah, and I remember spending the next month on desk duty as punishment. But this is different, Val. We’re talking about uncovering a mole, a traitor who could be embedded deep within the agency. One wrong move and we’re fucked, or worse.”

Val’s face sobered, her fiery bravado tempering into something more focused, more strategic. She flopped down onto her couch, patting the spot next to her. “Alright, so what’s the plan? And don’t give me any of that ‘we should wait and see’ bullshit. I know you’ve got something cooking in that devious mind of yours.”

I sank down beside her, running a hand through my hair. “We start by feeling out our contacts, the ones we know we can trust implicitly. See if they’ve noticed anything off, any whispers or rumors that could point us in the right direction.”

“I’ve already gone through all of them,” Val interjected, frustration evident in her voice. “Nothing, zip, nada. It’s like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands.”

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. “Okay, so we need to dig deeper. What about our CI network? Anyone been acting strange lately? Suddenly flush with cash or nervous about meeting?”

Val’s brow furrowed in concentration. “Now that you mention it, there’s this one guy – Julio. He’s been a reliable informant for years, but lately... I don’t know. Something’s off. He’s been dodging my calls, and when I do manage to get him on the phone, he sounds... scared.”

My pulse quickened. “That could be something. We need to talk to him, face to face. But we’ve got to be careful. If he is connected to our mole, we can’t tip our hand.”

Val nodded, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of the hunt. “I’ve got an idea. There’s this dive bar downtown where Julio likes to hang out. We could ‘accidentally’ run into him there, keep things casual.”

“Good thinking,” I agreed. “But what about Morrow? That stubborn jackass is just going to keep stonewalling us, isn’t he?”

Val’s face darkened. “Fuck Morrow. If he’s not going to help us, we’ll do this on our own. We don’t need his permission to do our jobs.”

I hesitated, torn between my instinct to follow protocol and the burning need to uncover the truth. “I don’t know, Val. Part of me still wants to believe he’s on the level, that he’s just being overly cautious. But the other part...” I trailed off, shaking my head. “I don’t know who I can trust anymore.”

Val reached out, gripping my hand tightly. “Hey, you can trust me, chica. Always. We’re in this together, no matter what. Partners, remember?”

I squeezed her hand back, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over me. “Partners,” I echoed. “And that’s why I need you to have my back on this, Val. We’re going to have to play this close to the vest, keep our cards hidden until we know exactly who we’re dealing with.”

Her eyes glinted with determination, a feral grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Just say the word, Ramirez. I’m locked and loaded. We’ll find this mole and make them wish they’d never even thought about betraying the badge.”

A small smile tugged at my lips as I nodded, already feeling the burden shifting, becoming more manageable with Val at my side. “Alright, let’s get to work. We’ve got a traitor to catch and a whole lot of asses to kick.”

Val stood up, cracking her knuckles with an exaggerated gesture. “Now that’s more like it. So, what’s our first move, partner?”

I rose to join her, feeling a renewed sense of purpose coursing through my veins. “First, we need to have a talk with Julio. If he’s our link to the mole, we need to know who he’s talking to, where he’s going. Then we hit that bar, see if we can’t loosen his tongue a bit.”

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