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Where is this coming from? Henry immediately comes to mind. It’s too much of a coincidence that after I bared my soul to him about my childhood and loss of Lazaro that the cops are here, raiding my office. Not a warehouse. Not a club or one of our other establishments. They’re here, in my office.
I don’t want to believe Henry’s behind this. The connection between us has felt so real. But doubt creeps in, insidious and cold. He's a detective, after all. His job is to bring down people like me. What if it was all an act? The tenderness in his touch, the vulnerability in his voice when he promised to help find Lazaro was a lie.
I've always prided myself on being able to read people, but with Henry, I let my guard down. I showed him a side of me I rarely reveal to anyone. And this is the price I have to pay.
I don’t know what I told Henry yesterday that he thinks he’ll find something incriminating here. But it’s clear he thinks there’s something. He also apparently shared our more intimatemoments as well if the way this cop suggested I give him a blow job is any indication.
Or maybe this is one of Rinella’s pranks, except Elio felt sure Vincenzo was appeased enough to stop all this and work with him. If Vincenzo really wants an alliance with us, he’ll knock off these juvenile stunts.
So it has to be Henry. My stomach roils even worse than when the cop had his body pressed against me. I was duped. Used. And I allowed it. Humiliation burns deep.
I push the feeling aside. Now isn't the time for emotions. I need to stay sharp, to watch their every move. Whatever game is playing, I refuse to be the loser.
I watch the officers tear through my office. This isn't like the previous raids. There's a palpable hostility in the air, a personal edge to their actions that sets my teeth on edge. The way they carelessly toss aside files and documents, the rough handling of my personal belongings. All this speaks to a deeper animosity. Someone is out to get us. No, not someone. The police. Henry.
The hurt is raw and undeniable. I trusted him, against my better judgment, against everything I've ever learned about survival in this world. And now, as I sit here watching my life being torn apart, I feel like the biggest fool. It’s not easy to maintain an icy composure when you’re reeling from humiliation. But I can't afford to show weakness, not now. Now, I should be figuring out how I’m going to make this right. After this, Elio would be within his rights to ship me off to a nunnery or something. Perhaps he’ll marry me off to Vincenzo. I shudder at the thought.
Movement has me looking toward entry to the office area. Henry rushes in, his expression stone cold. For a moment, my heart leaps at the sight of him, but I quickly tamp down the feeling. This is all his fault… my fault for trusting him.
His gaze settles on me. For a moment, his brow furrows, but then his expression turns hard.
“What the hell is going on here?" Henry demands, his eyes scanning the chaos of my ransacked office.
“We got a tip.”
“What have you found?” The tone suggests he fully expects that there is something here.
“Nothing yet, but?—”
“What?” Henry’s head snaps to the cop who wanted me to suck his dick. “If you haven’t found anything, why is Ms. D’Amato in cuffs?”
“She tried to get in the way of police business.”
“She did not,” Carla snaps.
The other cop steps to her, towering over her. “Shut up or you’ll be next.”
“As you know, Detective Lutz, I’ve always been cooperative with you.” I don't doubt that he understands that I'm not just talking about all the official times he's visited me, but the more intimate moments too.
He watches me, and I think I see emotion in his eyes, but as quick as it’s there, it’s gone.
“What did the tip say you’d find?” he asks the men.
The officers exchange uneasy glances, as if they don’t know why Henry is questioning them.
“It was anonymous?—"
Henry scraps his hand over his face. “So you’ve tossed an office based on an unsubstantiated tip. That means you don't have a warrant, right?"
“We have probable cause.”
"And what have you found?" Henry asks.
"Nothing yet."
Henry closeshis eyes like he’s asking the Lord for strength. “Uncuff Ms. D’Amato.”
The cop glares at him.
