Page 13 of The Devil's Embrace

“What the fuck happened to you last night?” Troya hissed between pressed lips, trying not to be noticed. He sat at Calix’s left side at the long table in the meeting room, pretending to flip through the information being presented on the screen at the front and on each of their holopads. “Word is some fuckers got the jump on you on the third floor. Seriously?”

“You know how it goes. Always trust what you hear on the streets.” Calix knew Troya didn’t like him, but the feeling had long since been mutual.

All he had to do was make it through this one last case and he could quit. Leave the International Police Force—better known as the I.P.F—and start his real life.

Whatever the hell that meant.

Honestly, he didn’t know. All he knew was he was tired of constantly carrying his past around. He felt bad for what had happened, but he’d paid his dues.

Flashbacks from last night came to him in snippets. Harsh breaths against the curve of his ear. The smell of something woodsy and fresh. Hands groping all over…

It’d been impossible to sleep until he’d caved and taken two of the sleeping pills the doctor had prescribed, but by then it’d already been three AM, and the clock across the room read eight forty-seven.

Troya gave him a frustrated look. “Did you at least get some licks in yourself, or did you roll over and let those assholes beat you up for free?”

So he assumed it’d been multiple people. Calix thought maybe he should feel grateful that his partner at least didn’t think of him as entirely pathetic and useless. Not that the younger Inspector had ever said anything along those lines before. If anything, Cal’s fast rise through the ranks probably kept Troya from stooping that low.

That’s how people were. The second they had cold, hard facts, they tended to leave the truth alone. But when they didn’t, when they were able to sniff even the slight hint of a potential lie…

Ostracization.

Calix and Nero had been spotted by multiple witnesses having a massive fight less than an hour prior to the accident.

Fact.

Nero had a tendency to take things too far.

Fact.

Calix was the saint of the school, the guy people turned to for help.

Fact.

Nero was a bully.

Fact.

Calix was a Straight A student.

Fact.

Nero would have flunked out a long time ago if not for his mommy’s money and his ability to throw a ball really, really far.

Fact.

Calix had only just gotten his license three days beforehand.

Fact.

Nero had jumped in front of the moving vehicle.

Fact.

Calix’s foot had slipped on the gas.

…Fact?

Fortunately for him, the courts had voted in his favor. But as far as public opinion went…Calix was a pariah. He’d gone from friendly boy next door to crawling through the mud faster than he could blink, and to this day, he still didn’t entirely understand why.

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