Page 71 of Blind Justice

Enzo nodded. “You gotta do your job.” He held his hand up, and Duncan took it. “See you soon, hermoso.”

Duncan nodded knowing full well this was the last time he’d see Enzo. He’d fulfilled his promise to Bella, bringing Enzo home to her. The thought should’ve made him feel better, but instead it destroyed him a bit more. After he finished there, he’d be going to the apartment he shared with Thomas until he could find another place, and then he’d head back to work for the bureau. Whatever his new assignment might be, he’d deep dive into it so he could ignore what he’d lost. Maybe in a few months he’d forget about the step-siblings.

There’s no fecking way.

He stepped back into the house. Everyone was still in the room where they’d found Raul. Asher had fit the asshole with a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding in Raul’s leg. If he had any say, they should’ve let him bleed out, however, Raul might still prove useful. Maybe he could fill in the missing pieces. Duncan snorted. No, the asshole would go to his grave with whatever information he had. He wasn’t the sharing type.

“We found the other bodies,” Laura said. “They were in the backyard, in the empty pool.”

“Good times,” Duncan muttered. “Do you know who they are?”

She shook her head. “No, but we’ll find out. We have a lead on Julian too.”

Duncan glanced at her. “You going to pick his ass up?”

“We will be. We still have a few loose ends to collect,” she replied. “You did good here.”

No. He hadn’t. He put two people and a kid in harm’s way because he needed to clear his head. He allowed emotions to fuck up his reasoning and interfere with his senses. He knew he was being followed and yet he continued to stay at Club X. He fucked up at every turn, no matter what Laura said.

“Thanks, but this was a fluke and all on Bex. She’s the real hero.” He sighed. “Level with me, is she on the hook for those two in the pool?”

“All things considered, no,” Laura replied. “She’s the victim here.”

Duncan nodded. “Good. Kid shouldn’t have her dad’s shit hanging over her head. She deserves to have a carefree life.”

“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill all of you.” Raul ensnared Duncan with his depraved gaze. “Including you, Agent Frazier.”

“Have fun with that.” Duncan dropped his accent. “I dare ya, boyo.”

Laura laughed. “There you are. Planning on keeping the American accent or...”

Duncan shrugged. “Haven’t decided yet, but I’ll let you know.” He smirked.

“Well, I don’t care what it says, good or bad. You’ve been a welcome asset. I’ll be putting in a letter of commendation for you.”

He didn’t want it. A letter wouldn’t give him what or who he wanted. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You’ve earned it.”

By the time they left the scene, pink tinged the sky. He’d thought about going back to the club to sleep then drive home, but Asher, the showoff, loaded his shit into the helicopter he flew in and brought Duncan back to the base. He knew he’d have to debrief with Thomas, but at the moment, he didn’t have the wherewithal. He needed a shower and sleep. He also needed enough alcohol to make him forget about Bella and Enzo. Watching the guy he had feelings for carried away by medics and knowing he couldn’t see Enzo or Bella again ripped his soul in two. He’d never recover from any of this.

He trudged down the hall to the apartment Asher had given him to use while they settled the Dario case. He placed his palm on the pad outside of the room. When he stepped inside, the place was just as fucking empty as he was. He dropped his bag by the door then removed his clothes, one piece at a time until he stumbled onto the bed face first. At least when he inhaled, he didn’t smell Enzo or Bella. He sighed and sat up so he could remove his boots. He needed a shower.

A knock came at the door before Thomas stepped into his room. “Good to see you made it back in one piece.”

He really didn’t want to do this. “Yeah, well, I’m here. Physically.”

“We didn’t have to send Bella away so soon. We could have brought her here.”

Duncan sighed. “No. We couldn’t. It’s for the best. You and I both know it.”

“No, what I know is that you’re so damn set in punishing yourself for your past transgressions, you’re willing to ruin any bit of good that comes into your life.” Thomas placed his hands on his hips. “You’re still taking all the blame on your shoulders.”

“Yeah, because I flipped the switch and blew that truck up.” It’d been out front of one of the government offices. Unbeknownst to him, there’d been explosives inside. The bomb took the whole front of the building off instead of blowing the windows out and perhaps scoring a mini victory against the monarch. Instead, two people died, and several others were injured.

“Your father put you in the position to flip the switch. Ever ask yourself why your father refused to get his hands dirty? Ever wonder why he wanted everyone else to do the work?” Thomas cocked his brow.

Duncan knew. “Because it saved him from having to go to jail and kept him as the figurehead of the IRA.”

“Exactly. Why do you think it was so easy to make all the deals? He knew you’d be shipped off here, the final piece of his original puzzle taken care of.” Thomas pulled a thumb drive from his pocket. “When you’re done moping, read up on your father’s jobs since you’ve been gone. The real dealings, not the bullshit he’s trying to pass along to you.” Thomas turned and left the room.

Duncan rotated the drive over in his fingers and blew out a breath. Feck, why did everyone continue to screw with him? Once he had his boots off, he shucked his pants then grabbed a shower. He didn’t know how long he stood under the spray of water, but when it cooled, he got out and climbed into bed. Every inch of him was exhausted. As he drifted off, Thomas’s words floated through his head.Read up on your father’s jobs since you’ve been gone...

Shit, was everyone trying to fuck him over, including his father? What had he ever done to deserve to be treated like shit? Did it even matter anymore? He shook his head. No, it didn’t. What’s done was done. He didn’t need the drive. He figured out a long time ago that he’d never go home. His father saw him as a threat. Duncan could take his da’s position without even trying. The men were loyal to Duncan, not his father. Sending Duncan to the States forced the guys to fall back in line. His father hadn’t greased palms to save Duncan’s life—he did it to save his legacy.

However, knowing the truth didn’t change anything. Duncan’s life belonged to the FBI until they were done with him. Then and only then would he be released. With Bella gone and Enzo in the hospital, he was once again alone.This is why you don’t fall for anyone, boyo. Love fecks the whole thing up.Duncan blew out a breath. The only thing his father had said that’d been the truth.

Fecking asshole.

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