Page 95 of Diamonds in the Mud

“I was asked to allow these agents access to every employee’s and officer’s desk, locker, and computer.” The room exploded with questions and people shouting. Once more Randy held up his hands and then shouted for everyone to be quiet. “They finished their search around one this morning.” Randy nodded toward Jameson.

I turned and for a split second his eyes landed on me. Then he started to move forward, walking quickly right at me. My heart skipped. Sank.

I’d been looking at him and hadn’t realized why he was heading towards me. I hadn’t felt the strong arms wrap around my body and pull me back a step. The first thing I did feel was a weapon against my temple.

“This is bullshit,” Quincy shouted.

It was then that I realized Jameson hadn’t been watching me. His eyes had been on Quincy Ingram. My ex-boyfriend. The man I’d slept with more than a handful of times last year. Someone I’d let into my life was now holding a gun to my head so that he could, what? Escape being arrested? For what? Sharon Taylor and the Dupont brothers’ deaths? Oh god. Did Quincy have anything to do with their murders or was this about something else? The drugs?

Jameson glanced over his shoulder as everyone else in the room screamed and rushed around.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as several agents grabbed Clara and slapped handcuffs on her. She screamed and fought back. Several more people were grabbed and handcuffed as they scattered, including Abe Sterling.

I closed my eyes for what felt like only a moment, but somehow there were only a handful of people left in the room with us. Quincy and I stood in the middle, the gun pressed tightly against my temple.

Jameson stood a few feet away, staring at us without moving. Randy stood to the left of us, frozen in fear. Two more agents stood off to the side. Everyone else had been ushered out of the room.

“You don’t want to do this,” I said to Quincy.

“Shut up, Rayne,” Quincy hissed in my ear. “You don’t know anything.”

“I know everything,” Jameson said smoothly. I could hear the fear behind his tone. “I know that you’ve been working with the Reapers. You, Abe, and a few others that you persuaded to join in your little side hustle. I know you killed Sharon Taylor, who was working with the FBI to rat you out about all the missing funds you and she had siphoned off to fund your little escapades. Her death killed their case since there was nothing linking the two of you together. Until we searched your computer and found photos. It seems like you were one of her favorite boy toys,” Jameson said.

Quincy’s arm jerked, and his hold on my arms tightened.

“You’ve got it wrong,” Quincy screamed, his eyes moving around the room as more agents slowly crept in. “I didn’t do this,” Quincy whispered in my ear. “Sure, Sharon and I… had fun. But I had fun with lot of other women in town too. Including…” He jerked me slightly.

“At one point, sure, we had fun. Now you’re holding a gun to my head.” I tried to hide the fear in my voice. My palms were so sweaty I doubted I could ball my hands into a fist.

Suddenly Quincy grew quiet as Jameson moved closer. His voice was barely a low growl. “If you harm one hair on her head, I’ll make sure you are shoved in the darkest hole imaginable and never come out again.”

I felt Quincy jerk once and then I felt the gun disappear from my temple. “I didn’t do this, Rayne.” The sound of the gun firing knocked me sideways. My ears screamed and I couldn’t hear any other sounds. I felt the blood splatter on my hair, and my shirt as I fell onto my hands and knees.

Then strong arms lifted me and carried me as muffled voices cried out. Someone was screaming.

“Rayne,” Jameson said over and over.

“Sweetie.” Randy’s voice finally broke into my mind and suddenly I realized I was the one screaming.

“Daddy?” I cried and blinked the tears from my eyes. He was there, hovering over me, next to Jameson.

“We’re here,” Randy said softly. “You’re okay.”

“Do you have her?” Jameson asked Randy, who nodded.

“Go, do what you have to.”

Jameson leaned down, an inch from my lips. “I love you,” he said, then he pressed his lips to mine for a second before quickly disappearing.

I wanted to tell him I loved him too, but he was gone so quickly.

“What?” I asked Randy, blinking a few times. “What happened?”

“Quincy took his own life,” Randy said, sitting next to me. I looked around and realized we were on the sofa in his office.

“Why?” I shook my head.

“The DEA has been working through the night. They’ve arrested Wyatt Taylor, his girlfriend, Clara, Abe, and Laura Kinney. Five dirty cops and employees under my watch.” Randy shook his head.