Page 125 of Sticks and Stones
There was a fine line to walk when you carried a badge. It was the line between obeying the law, and bending it to balance the scales of justice on your own.
“Jesus, Cantrell. Please tell me that you’re not going to make more paperwork or get your badge stripped away for stupid shit.”
He said nothing.
At first.
“Not if I can help it, but one never knows,” he admitted, maybe sharing a little too much.
Uh-oh.
That made Greyson twitchy.
The last thing he needed was an armed agent going rogue on his watch. That wouldn’t end well for any of them.
“What’s that mean?” Greyson asked. “Because that statement makes me uneasy since I’m in charge of you and your behavior for your stay here inPhiladelphia.”
Gene unbuckled his seatbelt, and he refused to go there. The less Greyson knew, the better. What he did know was that Corbin wouldn’t stand up at the trial against those sick assholes.
And he couldn’t blame him.
Gene also couldn’t let that happen. He had to protect his family, and Corbin needed someone to run interference. It would be a melee if Corbin was forced to stand up in front of a courtroom to be grilled.
The prosecutor would blame the victim, and they’d ask if he was gay, and if he liked it. They’d cross all kinds of lines to get the sick fucks free from justice.
Defense attorneys were scumbag ambulance chasers, and he knew it. So, he had to protect Corbin at all costs.
So, now, it was time to play dumb.
“I meant nothing by it. Don’t read into it too much. I’m just angry.”
Yeah, that wasn’t good enough.
Before he could escape, Greyson grabbed his arm and went there.
“No, that was‘something’because I know‘something’when I hear it, and you’re going to do‘something’incredibly dumb, aren’t you?” he asked, making air quotes around the word for emphasis.
Gene pulled his arm away, and got out of Ethan’s Mustang to walk toward the alley. It was blocked off by police tape, and seeing it sent his blood pressure through the roof.
He was shocked the snow wasn’t melting around him from the heat.
What nearly made him stroke out even more was when he saw the body-sized marks in the snow where Corbin had dragged himself to the mouth of the alley to be found.
To save himself.
The only dumpster was all the way at the back of the alley, and this proved that Corbin had fought damn hard to live. The man had really wanted to survive, and now, Gene had to make sure the sick assholes who dumped a living human being in the trash paid.
And paid dearly.
Following him, Greyson didn’t give up.
Not.
Even.
Close.
“I’m your friend. You can talk to me, Gene. This is eating you alive. I’d have to be blind not to see it.”
