Page 43 of Deliverance

A second black SUV flew up on our position, and I tensed.

“It’s just Marcus and Alexander,” Evelyn reassured me quickly.

Marcus and Alexander climbed out of the SUV, their expressions grim as they took in the scene.

“Are you okay?” Marcus asked as he stopped by the SUV. He looked at me and then at Evelyn.

“I’m alive,” I said wryly. My whole body hurt, but nothing felt broken. Blood dripped from various gashes from the glass, but I didn’t think anything needed stitches. “Thanks to you all. How did you know?”

“Evelyn,” Alexander said as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in to kiss her temple. “She had a feeling something was off.”

She sagged into him, and a flash of longing speared through me. I wanted that with her. After we got this cleaned up, she and I were going to have a chat. I had taken some time to process what the guys had said, and I wanted her. I wanted to be someone she leaned on. I just had to tell her that and hope she felt the same way.

“Was it Kingfisher?” Adrian asked, joining our little group as Sebastian wiped the blood from my temple.

I nodded, wincing when the movement sent stars across my vision. “Michaels, if that’s his real name, confirmed that.”

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Evelyn said, rubbing her face.

“Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault,” I reassured her. “You saved my life.”

She bit her lip but didn’t look convinced. I extended a hand towards her, and she left Alexander’s side to take it. I pulled her gently into me, ignoring the pain in my side as she settled against me.

“You saved my life,” I whispered in her ear. “The only person responsible is Kingfisher, and he failed. You foiled him. We’re going to get him.”

She shuddered against me but nodded. When she pulled back, emotion had been wiped from her face. “I’m going to call Detective Patel,” she said. “We need to call this in. These guys were real cops.”

“Fuck.” Marcus scrubbed his face. “How did Kingfisher get to them?”

“From what Liam found on the way over,” Evelyn said, holding up her phone. “They’re recent transplants to the city. As of a few months ago. It’s possible he planted them in the department directly.”

She stepped away to make the call, and Sebastian touched my forearm gently. “Think you can take your shirt off so Adrian can check your ribs?”

Moving slowly, I gingerly removed my shirt. Adrian gently pressed against my ribs. The glass from the car had sliced my back but nothing felt broken.

“You’re still going to get checked out,” Adrian said. “But I don’t think anything’s broken. What happened?”

I recounted the events of the last hour, and the guys listened grimly.

“Fuck, that was close.” Marcus rubbed his face. “No one goes anywhere alone anymore. I know we said that, but even if it’s to the police station. Always in pairs.”

I nodded. Fine by me. I had no interest in repeating today’s events.

In the distance, sirens screamed, and Evelyn rejoined us. “He was already on the way. Izzy called him.”

The next thirty minutes were a blur. Police officers flooded the scene, led by Detective Patel. I recounted what happened no less than three times. I didn’t blame them for being thorough. Two of their own were dead, but Detective Patel had been livid when I told them what Michaels had said about Kingfisher being behind this.

Eventually, the captain of the precinct showed up as well, and I recounted the story again. Alexander and Evelyn stayed by my side the whole time. Adrian had wanted to say he had taken the shot, but Evelyn had refused. She answered just as many questions as I had. Officer after officer took our statements, trying to poke holes in our stories.

“Captain, that’s enough,” Alexander intervened after the fourth officer approached. “My people have given your officers three statements already. A client under my protection was kidnapped by two of your officers who stated intent to kill him. He acted in self-defense. Officer Michaels shot Officer Callahan and was going to shoot my client when my team arrived and stopped them. I’m truly sorry you lost men tonight, but clearly, they were taking orders from someone who wasn’t you. Instead of continuing to harass my client and employee, why don’t you look at your own house.”

Captain Graves bristled as Alexander spoke, but he sighed. “I understand that, Mr. Stone, but I have to be thorough here. I agree that your people acted in self-defense, but if I truly have rot in my department, I need to be sure.”

“Can you be sure tomorrow? Because my client still needs to go to the hospital. I can arrange a time for you to speak to him again tomorrow, but I need to get him to a hospital.”

Captain Graves nodded. “That’s fine.” He turned to Evelyn and me. “Like I said to Mr. Stone, this is a clear case of self-defense, but regardless, it’s still an active investigation. Don’t leave the state until this is cleared up and maybe lie low for a bit,” he directed this last part at Evelyn, who just nodded at him with no expression on her face.

“Does he know?” I asked as he walked away.