Page 18 of Dealing Dirty
Jack rests his forearms on the cool granite, and I study the black-and-gray markings that swirl and blend across them. “There’s not much to tell you both at the moment, but Ben called. He’s alive, thank God, but he’s concerned that Bruce’s dealings go deeper than we thought.”
My fists clench in my lap as the hairs on my nape rise. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard anything from Jack’s brother, and the nervousness I’ve been chasing nightly with sleeping pills buzzes wildly between my ears.
“What exactly is that supposed mean?” Derrick asks from beside me.
Jack sighs, deep and long. “Apparently, Jackie Williams is being persuaded.” The look he slides toward Derrick has me tilting my head. “And so is the PD.”
Derrick scrubs both hands over his face and into his hair. “Sasha.”
Jack’s face is grim. “I know.”
“Can someone please fill me in? What does this have to do with the mayor and Derrick’s sister?”
“Sasha recently moved back to take her old position with the Mackville PD as a detective,” Jack informs me.
“Oh,” I say quietly. Yes, that is problematic.
Derrick stills. “What did you mean by persuaded? Surely the guy can’t dominate everyone in town so easily.”
“Either he’s paying them off or he’s got dirt on the influential figures here. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me. I mean, think about it. Bruce has been in this power position for decades, and he’s got a lifetime of family members to speak to it. His father and his predecessors all the way back to the founder of the fucking town have been mayor or council members.”
The playlist I’ve picked switches from reggaetón to a more sensual Latin song.
“I have to tell her, Jack. I can’t let my little sister work under someone with a direct connection to Diablo. Who knows what they’ll have her do.”
“No,” Jack says firmly. “I’ve already thought about it, and as you reminded me, we can’t be too hasty. There’s a good possibility that the police chief is just as innocent as Ben.”
“No one person is totally innocent in this.” Derrick’s usually warm eyes have turned dark and haunted—gone is the flirty man I’ve come to know. “What are we supposed to do? How can we possibly expect to take him out for good if he has the entire town under his thumb?”
Cassidy tosses her man a wicked grin from across the room, unaware of the heaviness of our conversation. He straightens like an arrow. “I don’t know, but I’ve got a bad feeling about it. Until we hear from Ben again, I want us to lie low. Don’t give Sasha any reason to let on that she knows. Besides, having her on the inside may work out for us in the long run.”
He raps a knuckle on the counter before turning and stalking over to where Cassidy crooks her finger.
The music dips to a somber melody as we watch Cassidy and Jack dance together. Jack’s big body frames her perfectly, as if they were handpicked for each other. She melts against him as he cradles her and whispers in her ear. The smile she gives him has me scooting my stool back and swiping a bottle of wine off the island.
It’s going to be a painfully long night.
Chapter Five
Derrick
We’ve just settled in the living room when my phone pings from inside my pocket. The girls are cuddled up together, whispering about this and that on the couch across from me, and Jack’s nearly asleep in the recliner with a belly full of lasagna.
I snicker, pulling out my phone and making a mental note to remind him to hit the gym more often. There’s nothing like good sex and a good woman that’ll have a man gaining a little weight.
Sasha’s name pops up in my messages, letting me know that she’s ready to be picked up from her first shift at the precinct. Shit, I forgot that I dropped her off at work today. I was all too happy for her to start back at a place I know she used to love, but now I’m worried sick.
I glance at Juliana while she’s not paying attention. Her tan legs curl under her thicker than average thighs, and despite having a small frame and voluptuous build most women might be self-conscious about, I think she’s perfect. She’s got the cutest feet, too. Something I’ve never cared to note about a woman before, but I like being surprised by the different colors she paints her toes.
She locks eyes with me as Cassidy continues with whatever she’s saying.
Busted.
Her comment that our night together was a mistake stings like a slap to the face. Inviting her back to my room wasn’t a mistake, not by a long shot. I wonder how much of that particular thought translates to her from where I’m seated.
Given the way she shifts her gaze toward the floor, I’d say a good lot of it.
“Sorry to run, guys, but I gotta pick Sasha up from work.”
