Bad Boy's Touch (Firemen in Love Book 3)

by Starling,Amy

  People clapped, but there was obvious confusion about the whole matter. Was this the sort of thing the FBI would normally do: take time off their busy schedules to help a mid-sized southern city with its drug problem?

  It made no sense. Surely, they had bigger crimes to fuss over.

  Harvey, apparently, had heard enough. He turned and vanished down the same hall Brett had.

  “Stay here, Jenna. I have a very bad feeling about this.”

  “What do you think you're gonna do?” She grabbed for me. “Don't leave me here alone.”

  Her cries hurt, but this was not good. Brett lied to me; Charlie hadn't been seen since we got here, and Harvey could be after them for all we knew.

  “I'll be back in a minute. Have a glass of wine and wait for me.”

  I ignored her protests and darted through the shadows, weaving through tightly clustered tables and people mingling around the buffet.

  A man stepped out of the line with a drink in his hand and almost collided with me. He had one of those wire things leading up to his ear – a walkie-talkie, or whatever it was secret agents used. I bet he was with the FBI.

  If only I could tell him that right there, up on that stage, was a criminal who deserved life behind bars or worse.

  “Pardon me,” he said, his hand settling on my back for just a second. Then, before I could muster the courage to speak, he disappeared into the crowd.

  The guy gave me a weird feeling, but there wasn't time to mull over it. Where had Brett and Charlie gone, damn it? I'd never been in this building before, and the layout was confusing.

  I rounded the corner – and smacked straight into Harvey!

  He gave me the most icy, frightening look, the look of a man clinging to one last thread of sanity.

  “Madison,” he grunted. “So you came. Quite a surprise.”

  “Well, uh... Victor's the boss, so it's not like I had a choice. If I didn't show, he wouldn't let me hear the end of it.”

  I peeked over his shoulder. Behind him was a long hallway – looked like it was used by restaurant staff – and a door at the end of it. Had Brett gone through that door?

  I had to do something. Had to stall Harvey.

  “I was told the Ventura trial will be this upcoming Monday,” he said flatly. “I doubt it's going to go well for him.”

  “I can't believe you, Harvey. Sending James to jail won't accomplish anything. You know, this isn't like you at all. The man who mentored me would never do such a horrible thing.”

  He shook his head. “It'll accomplish a lot more than you'll ever know. This has to be done; don't you get it? He was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time, but someone has to take the fall.”

  “Take the fall for what?”

  He didn't answer. More than anything, I longed to ask him one question. I needed to know if he was the one who burned our house down. But try as I might, the words wouldn't come.

  “You know, I just saw your boyfriend headed that way.” He gestured to the back door. “Wonder where he could be going? It's employees only back there.”

  “My boyfriend? Don't know what you mean.”

  “Brett Silver, the fireman. Don't play dumb.” He scowled. “Ever since the first fire, you two have become awfully chummy with each other.”

  “I fail to see how that's any of your business.”

  But the look on his face said it all. He was jealous of Brett. Oh, God.

  “I must say, it's just disappointing,” he muttered. “You know, Mad, I've never told you this... But you've always reminded me so much of my beloved Ellen.”

  Chapter 22 - Brett

  Madison was mad at me again. Could I do anything right by her?

  I tried so hard to impress her, but guess it just wasn't working. A man ought to know when to give up and cut his losses. If she didn't want me, what more could be done?

  “Ugh... Damn this thing.”

  I found Charlie on the side of the restaurant, where the overflow parking lot was. Lucky the sun had set, or anybody could see him on his knees, trying in vain to pick the lock of a cop car's trunk.

  “I dunno what you called me out here for, but it better be important,” I grumbled. “This is the first time I've seen Maddie in a dress, and I've decided I rather like it.”

  “Stop thinking with your dick and help me out here.” He jammed the pick in again and turned. Nothing. “Either this thing is junk or I've gotten rusty the past few years.”

  I just stood to the side and watched him, none too eager to get caught breaking into a police car.

  “What do you want me to do, bust a window? You better hurry. She's wondering where you are, and I passed by Harvey on the way out here. He looked awful suspicious.”

  Charlie fretted and tried again. At last, there was a surprising click, then the trunk popped open easily.

  “Told you so,” he said triumphantly. “I knew my days of going for joyrides weren't for nothing.”

  I peeked through the door, but couldn't see anyone coming yet. Charlie opened his backpack and pulled out several brick-sized, plastic-wrapped cartons of white powder.

  “What is all that? Did you really need so much?”

  “Grade-A Colombian cocaine, brother. And it's enough to send a guy away for a real long time.”

  Made me very nervous, that was for sure. The hardest drug my friends and I did was weed. I'd never even seen real cocaine before.

  I wanted nothing to do with this. Wanted to get back inside and find Maddie, to try and make things work with us.

  Charlie was about to dump the bricks into the trunk when a familiar car pulled up, blocking the way out of the alley. I'd know that ugly neon-green Civic anywhere.

  “Rico,” I muttered. “The hell's he doing here?”

  “Who's that asshole?”

  Rico got out of the car with three of his boys. He wore a smug grin and a gun on his hip. Clearly, he hadn't run into us by accident.

  “Well, look what we got here, fools,” he said. “Looks like the rat led us right back to his hole.”

  We didn't have time for his crap. Any minute now, someone would come out here and catch us. If things were bad enough with just me and Charlie, they were much worse now. Nothing good happened where Rico was involved.

  “What do you want, Rico? You shouldn't be here.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, and you should be? What is this, some kind of police ball? Funny place for a piece of shit like yourself to be hanging out.”

  “Hey, man,” Charlie snapped. “Don't talk about him that way.”

  One of Rico's boys felt for the knife in his pocket. Wisely, Charlie backed down.

  “I told you I got connections. Drugs don't change hands in this town without me hearing about it,” Rico said, eyeing Charlie's stash. “So when a little birdie told me some punk white boy just paid a few grand for a whole key of coke, you can bet I was listening.”

  “You followed him here,” I said.

  “Damn straight I did. Thought with that much drugs involved, guy's got to be a dealer. What, you plan on selling to these crooked cops after they finish stuffing themselves with steak and lobster?”

  Inside, there were voices: a man's and a woman. It sounded too much like Madison for comfort.

  “We're not selling a thing, especially not to you,” I informed him. “Sorry. Suggest you pack up your thugs and leave. We got bigger problems tonight.”

  “I think you don't understand me.” He came closer. “I ain't looking to buy. Gimme all of it or I'll gut you like a fish.”

  I laughed at him. “If you think we're just going to hand it over –”

  “Yeah, I do. And after you almost got me arrested by that bitch cop, I figured you owe me big time. Not to mention humiliating me in front of my gang.”

  “To be fair, that one was all your fault. If you were a better fighter, it would have been you on top.”

  Just as Rico readied to charge at us, knife raised, the door burst open. Out came Harvey with
his gun drawn.

  “Well, looky here,” he muttered. “We got ourselves a circus of criminal scum, ripe for the arresting. Looks like I'll be due for a second promotion after this.”

  Rico dropped his weapon in shock. His boys turned to flee, but a warning shot from Harvey stopped them.

  Great. Every cop in the building had to have heard that.

  “Man, it's not what it looks like,” Rico protested. “They're the ones holding the coke, not us.”

  “I think I'll take my chances and nab you anyway. You do have several warrants out, after all, especially after that stunt you pulled at the club.” He turned in our direction. “Let's see what we got here. Silver? Madison will be very displeased to see you're dealing drugs.”

  “It ain't him you want,” Charlie growled. “It's me, you fat sack of shit.”

  Upon hearing that voice, Harvey went pale. He turned to him, gun shaking in his hands.

  “N-no, it can't be you,” he mumbled. “You're supposed to be gone.”

  He laughed. “Gone? You mean rotting in a Mexican jail? Sorry, 'amigo,' but I've served my sentence and now I came back for you.”

  Years of pent-up rage came forth as he strode toward Harvey, unafraid of the gun pointed at his chest. I tried to stop him – Maddie would be livid if I got her brother killed – but he would have none of it.

  “You planted those drugs to frame me, didn't you? Yeah, it was so easy for you. Just snap your fingers and I was gone.”

  Harvey managed to compose himself. “Yeah, I did,” he snapped.

  “What I wanna know is why.”

  “Why? Because.” His face fell and eyes watered. “Because you helped kill my son.”

  It was suddenly so quiet you could hear the crickets chirping – but not for long. Madison burst outside and pulled out the pistol she'd hidden in her handbag.

  “What in the hell is...”

  Then she saw me. Our eyes met. And the look of disappointment on her gorgeous face broke my heart like nothing had before.

  Rico raised his hand. “Uh, can we go now, piggy? I got a date with some hot slut in ten minutes, and I ain't got time for your telenovela drama.”

  “Shut up,” Harvey wailed, thrusting the gun at him. “Steven died because of the drugs you sold him. If it weren't for me, you would have gotten away with it free and clear.”

  “Dude, I didn't mean to kill him! C'mon, I was just a dumb sixteen-year old then. I just fell in with the wrong people and was trying to make some money.”

  “There's no excuse for what you've done. You, and all the other bastards who had a hand in his death.” He gazed at the pavement. “No, it wasn't just a simple death. It was murder. You killed my boy.”

  Madison lowered her weapon and boldly approached him. When he saw her, he appeared to become even sadder.

  “Harvey, there's something I have to know,” she said softly. “Is it true? Our house was burned down those eighteen years ago. Was it... you?”

  He didn't answer right away. Nobody dared move, or even speak. He was a loose cannon with a gun – not a good combination.

  “What would you have done,” he muttered, “if someone took your kid away from you? I couldn't just let that go.”

  Her face was a picture of pain. After all this time, she'd finally learned the truth. The man she worked with and trusted had betrayed her.

  I longed to comfort her, but she'd just push me away. I was too stupid, too dangerous, to deserve even that much.

  “Why'd you go through all that trouble?” Charlie shouted. “Why did you have to destroy our entire home? You could have killed my family, you son of a bitch. They had nothing to do with your son. You should have left them alone!”

  “There's a difference, see, in shooting a guy in the head and letting nature do the job for you.” He twirled his gun around and stared down the barrel. “The former is... messy. Obvious. Easy to prove that somebody, quite obviously, wanted the victim dead.”

  I'd always known this dude was ready to snap. At this point, I wished the cops inside would come rushing out to save us.

  “But fire is hands-off. The flames wipe away whatever they touch. It's so easy, yet so hard to connect the dots.”

  “So you put my family at risk just to get to me. Just because you were too much of a chicken-shit to come directly to me.”

  Charlie was shaking. I had to hold onto him so he wouldn't go rushing after Harvey, which would only earn him a bullet in his chest.

  “Wait a minute,” Madison added. “All the fires lately were somehow related to drug sales or production. That, plus Victor trying to convince me there was no arsonist... And covering it up by throwing an innocent man under the bus.”

  I'd had an inkling Harvey was in on it this whole time. Now, I realized just how in on it he really was.

  “It was you. You're the arsonist.”

  At that moment we were surrounded on all sides by a slew of police. They had their guns drawn, and for a moment I felt relief. Finally, this was over. They'd haul Harvey in and Madison would get that justice she so very much wanted.

  Harvey kept his cool. “Thank goodness you guys showed up. I walked out to my car and stumbled right into the middle of a gang-related drug deal.”

  One of the FBI agents, a clean-cut fellow with icy blue eyes, watched the scene from the back. He said nothing, and made no move to apprehend anyone.

  “You got it wrong, 'cuz,” Rico whined. “I'm the victim here. I was just driving by when this fool begged me to buy from him.”

  Of course, this party wouldn't be complete without Victor. He stormed into the alley looking mighty pissed.

  “What's all this racket? You're ruining what was supposed to be a nice dinner.” Then his gaze fell on us, and his eyes widened. “Rico and friends. Brett Silver. Quite the catch.”

  “The backpack,” one of the cops yelled. “What's in it?”

  Uh-oh.

  Harvey grabbed the bag from Charlie and emptied the contents on the ground. Out tumbled the bags of coke.

  The police whispered and murmured among themselves. They probably hadn't seen so much drugs in one place in their lives.

  Victor gloated as if he'd hit the jackpot. Several cops nabbed Rico and his men and pushed them into the back of a cop car.

  Harvey grabbed Charlie and cuffed him roughly. Despite his wail of pain, Harvey just laughed.

  “I didn't get you in the fire. Couldn't keep you locked up,” he said quietly. “Now, though, you'll be going away for a long time. Justice is at last served.”

  “Why don't you tell everyone what you told us, huh?” Charlie kicked and struggled, then yelled for all to hear. “This is the guy you want! He's the one been burning buildings down.”

  Harvey shoved him into his cruiser so hard he hit his head on the door. Why were the other cops and even the FBI just standing there? Why wasn't anyone doing anything?

  “Officer,” Victor said to Madison, pointing at me. “Arrest that man.”

  She frowned, then pulled my hands behind my back and slapped the cuffs on. It was even more humiliating than the first time I'd been in this spot.

  “Maddie, I didn't do anything wrong,” I whispered. “You know that, don't you? We were just trying to help.”

  She said nothing as she put me in the car with her brother. That hurt most of all.

  “Okay, boys. Let's get them down to the station for processing,” Harvey said, waving to the officers.

  Something small and plastic fell out of his sleeve, bouncing noisily across the pavement. The object stopped when it rolled up to Victor's feet.

  His brow furrowed, he carefully picked the thing up. “Officer,” he said, “What is this?”

  I couldn't see it, but Harvey suddenly seemed very nervous. He fumbled with his gun and almost dropped it sliding it back into its holster.

  “I, uh, found it in Silver's pocket,” he said quickly. “Thought maybe it was important.”

  One of the cops had “Bomb Squad” on his s
hirt. He took a look at the device.

  “Looks like a remote trigger for detonation, sir.”

  Victor, for once, was speechless. Then he pocketed the device and waved Harvey away.

  “Get them out of here. We'll have plenty to talk about once we return to the station.”

  I was so startled I couldn't even feel anger for him blaming that on me. Harvey had a trigger, which meant... He was planning to blow something up.

  This just got way worse than a few fires. That, my boys at the department could handle. But a bomb?

  I gazed at Madison through the filmy glass as we drove away. She wouldn't look me in the eye anymore.

  “Sorry, man,” Charlie said, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “We tried.”

  And now I'd lost everything – including the one woman in the world I could love.

  Chapter 23 - Madison

  I'd thought about it long and hard. I was going to give Brett a chance. Living life without him in it felt so empty and lonely. He was a bad boy – but, I decided, good for me.

  And now he was in jail.

  “A whole kilo of cocaine,” said one officer to another in the evidence room. “Nice haul. There's so much; you don't think they'll notice if we skim some off the top?”

  “Nah. Long as Victor gets his, he doesn't care if a bit goes missing here and there.”

  I should have been infuriated that my co-workers were up to no good, but I wasn't surprised anymore. Far as I knew, this police department was corrupt to the core.

  But what were they doing with those drugs? Where the hell did they get them from? Maybe Brett's vices went deeper and darker than I wanted to admit.

  “They should have stuck with the plan,” murmured Jenna. She sat on the edge of my desk, the sparkle gone from her eyes.

  I hugged her, not knowing what else to say or do. The revelation that Harvey had destroyed our childhood home stunned us both into some kind of stupor.

  Worse was that he would remain a cop, protected by Victor's hand. The two of them had vanished into his office when we returned, and hadn't come back out since.