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But not in the way I wanted to. Not with me telling Jayela everything.
Going against the chief would end my career.
“No,” I said reluctantly, giving him what he wanted. “I don’t.”
Jayela’s eyes flashed with hurt.
“Well, with Boston’s observations, and the lack of evidence so far, I think it’s fair to say they aren’t worth watching anymore.”
“Jaye…” I reached for her hand.
She stepped away, dodging my touch. “No, that’s fine. Would have been good to know before now that you didn’t share my suspicions.” She bit out the words harshly. “I thought we were working as a team.”
“We were. We are.”
She shook her head sadly. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
She spun on her heel and let herself out of the office, the door slamming closed behind her again.
I watched her storm away, not back to her desk, but straight out of the building.
I glared at the chief, anger swirling inside me. “Happy now?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Watch your tone.”
I heard the command loud and clear.
Drop it.
The chief sighed. “When are you going to realize this is how the job is? You either learn to fall in line, or you enjoy being a beat cop for the rest of your career. If your superiors can’t trust you to follow instructions, you’re nothing. Donovan is a beat cop. That’s all she’ll ever be.”
“She’s the best cop we have!”
“That’s where you’re wrong. The best cops we have are the ones who know how to be team players. Who know how to toe the line. That’s you, Boston. Donovan’s a loose cannon, waiting to explode. She can’t mold the way we need her to. But you have. You’ve shown that. There’s a promotion in the works. Just keep your eye on the prize.”
I didn’t say anything. Once upon a time, just the mere mention of a promotion would have had me chomping at the bit, ready and eager to do whatever needed doing.
But that was when I’d thought Jayela would be by my side.
The chief had just blown that concept out of the water.
“Are we good here?” he asked finally.
I needed time to think. Time to breathe and process.
“We’re good.”
We weren’t. But if I voiced those thoughts, I wasn’t sure I’d have a job to come to in the morning.
11
EVE
Iwent straight from my mother’s place to the club where the doors were flung wide, a reggae beat floating through the warm night air. We had an hour until the doors opened to the public, and nobody was actually required to be here until fifteen minutes before showtime, but I wasn’t surprised to find my entire staff inside, all seated around a large table with beers in their hands.
“Eve’s here!” Lyric shouted, her shoulders moving in time to the beat.
At their smiling faces, a little of the tension ebbed out of my body.
