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I laugh, happy to have the intensity of the moment broken, even if this situation isn’t resolved.
He picks up my panties, handing them to me, then re-fastens his pants. When his clothes are back in place, he looks at me.
“I’m going to deal with what happened today, and then I’ll follow up on the van.”
I nod, realizing I have no choice but to trust him. My heart doesn’t seem to give me the choice.
He lets out a breath. “I can call later, or you can come?—”
“In light of today, maybe we shouldn’t be in a position where we'll be seen together.”
He sucks in a breath but nods. “Okay, but not too long, Lana. I’m addicted.”
I straighten his tie. “Worried about withdrawals?”
He nods. “I’m feeling the loss already.”
Words like that are my downfall. What woman doesn’t like to hear a man confess how much he needs her, wants her?
He kisses me again and then exits my office. For a moment, I sit on the edge of my desk. I feel a little bit like I’ve been through a tornado, my emotions whipped up, tossed about. As much as I want to give in to everything Henry seems to want, like him, I still have a job.
I slip off my desk and go to sit behind it. I pick up my phone and call Elio to explain everything that happened. Of course, I leave out the part about the dickhead cop, because I don’t want Elio to kill him and bring more attention to the family. I also fail to mention having sex with Detective Lutz on my desk, for obvious reasons.
Elio’s response is what I expect. Rage.
I assure him all is under control now. When we hang up, though, I’m worried about what he might do.
22
HENRY
Fucking Lana on her desk wasn’t the wisest idea. Anyone could have walked in. But the desperation to bring her back to me clawed at my insides. I needed her to trust me, for me to be inside her to feel whole again.
As I leave Lana's office, my mind is a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. I can't shake the image of her face—hurt, confused, and angry. It tears at me in a way I never expected. Part of me wants to turn around, go back to her, and hold her close. To promise her that everything will be okay, that I'll protect her from law enforcement and rival families alike. The depth of my feelings for Lana startles me. When did this woman, who should be nothing more than a subject of investigation, become so important to me?
But another part of me recognizes the danger in these emotions. I'm a detective, sworn to uphold the law. She's part of a criminal empire, regardless of her personal involvement. Our worlds are fundamentally incompatible. Every moment I spend with her puts my career, my integrity, at risk. I imagine her time with me can put her at risk as well. If her family or other families find out about us, what will they do to her? Will they think she’san informant? Fucking hell. She’s in twice as much danger than I’d considered.
Then there’s the rage that someone put his hands on her. A cop, no less. I want to march into the station and beat the shit out of him. Why did he do it? Is he simply a douche using his authority to intimidate women? Or is it personal against Lana and her family?
I clench my fists, torn between my duty to the force and my growing disgust with some of its members. I know I need to report this incident, but will it make any difference? Or will it just paint a target on my own back? Lana isn’t wrong in that cops protect their own.
As I step outside, I take a deep breath, trying to clear my head. One thing's for certain. I can't keep straddling this line between Lana and my job. Something's got to give. But which part of me am I willing to sacrifice?
I make my way back to the precinct, my mind still reeling from the events at Lana's office. As I enter, I spot Peter at his desk and make a beeline for him.
"Peter.” I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice level. The last thing I need for him to glean is my feelings for Lana. "What have you learned about the call and that fuckup at the D’Amatos’ office?”
Peter’s expression turns serious. “As far as the call, nothing. Same old anonymous tip.”
I think about the request for the phone information I put in the other day. I should follow up on that soon.
“As far as what happened at the office, it’s just a couple of overzealous cops. I have spoken to their superior. They’ll be reprimanded for their actions. It’s Jones. You’ll know he’ll rip them a new one for potentially fucking up an organized crime case. How about you? Were you able to smooth things overwith Ms. Ice Princess D’Amato?” He laughs. “Wouldn’t that be something? Us sued by a Mafia princess?”
I hope my expression is neutral. “Yes, I think so. But apparently, one of them, the one who cuffed her, also sexually assaulted her.”
Peter’s brow pulls together. “What? Nah. They’re a couple of jerks, but I don’t believe that. Do you?”
I don’t like how he’s dismissing Lana’s claim. But I know that deep down, he has a bias against her and her family. “Did any of them mention what they did to La—Ms. D’Amato?”
