* * *
“I still can’t believe you stayed.” The crowd was big enough for Dylan to lean close to Briana without drawing suspicion as they waited for their drinks. “Thank you.” She looked around to make sure no one was paying attention. “I don’t even think I said that. I know it’s hard for you to watch.”
“And I know how much it means to you when I’m there.”
“It does, you know.” It was odd but true. Just knowing Briana was in the plant when she went undercover at the Wine Bar had a strangely calming effect on Dylan. For whatever reason her presence translated as a kind of unconditional support. It made her feel confident.
Under the lip of the bar, Dylan felt Briana’s fingers brush hers, and it gave her the best kind of chill. “I’m going to cut out after this drink.”
“Tired of me already?” Dylan teased, even though she knew it wasn’t the truth.
“On the contrary.” Briana thanked the bartender with a nod as she took the first sip of her cosmo. “Stef and JJ are at a bar in the Village. Will you meet me there?”
“For real?”
“It’s Friday night in New York City. Our case just caught a major break. Thanks mostly to you. I want to celebrate.” Her shrug was just a little bit flirty. “I know JJ’s not your favorite person, but it would be nice to be out together in public. In a way that we obviously can’t be here.”
“Yes.” Dylan didn’t even have to think about it. More than anything in the world, she wanted to be with Briana. Even having to share her with JJ couldn’t diminish the excitement she was anticipating at acting like a real couple, even if it was for one night in a bar across town.
“I’ll text you the name of the place. For real this time,” Briana said with a wicked grin. “Maybe stall a little after I leave?”
“Stagger our departure?” Dylan smiled into her drink. “How devious.”
“I’d like to avoid scandal, even if it’s only for a little while longer. Does that bother you?”
“Not at all.” She was, however, mildly curious about Briana’s wording that their romance need only be a secret for a little while longer, but maybe she was just being optimistic. Either way, now wasn’t the time to inquire, especially since Shawn and Trevor were upon them.
“How great is Dylan?” Trevor was clearly feeling his drink as he tossed an arm across her shoulders.
“She’s pretty amazing,” Briana said.
Shawn nodded into his beer. “You were really good. This whole team is great.”
Selfishly Dylan was glad no one had brought up Chris’s role in the operation. As nice as he’d been tonight and as well as they’d worked together, she didn’t feel like singing his praises in front of Briana. But she also didn’t want to hog the credit for what was most definitely a team effort.
“It was your records analysis that led us to Big Red,” Dylan said, praising Shawn with a raise of her glass. “We’re a solid crew.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Trevor said. “I wasn’t going to mention anything until it was official, but Nieves put in a request to have you guys permanently assigned to our team. I always forget that you’re technically on loan from other squads.”
Dylan had the tendency to block that detail out too, but suddenly it seemed it might not matter. “You think it’ll get approved?” she asked. She hated the thought of getting amped up for something that might not come to pass.
“It’s basically a done deal,” he said, clapping her back. “Paperwork’s with the inspector right now.” He took a sip of his drink. “We’re doing great stuff. And we were short people anyway. Two old-timers retired last summer, and we lost another guy to the Special Victims Unit. It’s just a rubber stamp at this point.”
“Nice.” Shawn fully fist pumped, and Dylan was happy to know he’d never have to go back to work with the ignorant, nasty people at Team 4. Plus, he was a good detective, and with all the hours they’d logged together in the wire room, they were on their way to being real friends. There was only one caveat.
“Chris too?” she asked even though she really wasn’t excited to hear the answer.
“He complements the unit really well.” Trevor seemed on the defensive, and Dylan wondered just how much he was tuned into. “All of us together”—he made a circle with his beer bottle to reference the detectives scattered around the bar—“we have a really unique and varied skill set. We’re a force to be reckoned with.”
She knew he was right. And heck, more than anything, she was stoked to be included in a team that felt truly unstoppable. A permanent transfer was everything she’d hoped for since the initial overhear months ago. Now it was poised to happen. And they were on the verge of bringing down real bad guys. Plus she’d inexplicably fallen in love along the way. Even the prospect of a career alongside Chris Conroy couldn’t ruin her night.
“Thanks so much, Trev,” she said. Nieves might be responsible for filing the official request, but she knew Trevor was behind the reassignment. Dylan was almost speechless. Everything felt like a blur, but she registered Shawn thanking him as well and Trevor deflecting the credit back to their hard work. It was kind of a verbal group hug until Miri interrupted, stealing Briana away for a quick think tank with Lt. Nieves.
Dylan stayed with the gang as they celebrated the evening’s success and toasted the future. She was idly aware when Briana slipped out but made sure not to move a muscle. Stay under the radar, that was the name of the game. When her phone buzzed in her pocket, she took care to read the message with caution.
I love you. Have fun with the gang. She dropped in a link for Greyson Blue, an upscale-looking pub on the corner of Hudson and Perry in the West Village.
Be there as soon as I can, she typed.
Briana responded with a kiss, and Dylan could do nothing to cover the sappy look she was sure was plastered all over her face. If anyone noticed, they kept it to themselves, and no one said a word to her when she raced through her drink and passed on a round of shots. Even the text she got from Trevor as she sat in the back of a yellow cab was nothing short of supportive to whatever good time she was chasing. She squinted at his words as she mused whether or not he was really on to her and Briana, but before she could really give it much attention, she was at the bar, and she realized it didn’t matter one bit.
Chapter Twenty-five
“Hi.”
Dylan was already swooning at Briana’s lyrical greeting, but when she slid into the seat next to her girlfriend, the kiss that followed turned her into an absolute puddle. Briana touched her cheek, and her lips lingered an extra second, making the contact at once soft and sexy but also leading. And public. So very public.
“I’m glad you’re finally here,” Briana said, still holding her face delicately.
“Sorry it took me so long,” Dylan said even though they’d only been apart for about an hour.
“Get a room.” Stef laughed at her own joke and still managed to make her feel welcome when she added, “I’m just kidding. You guys are freaking adorbs.”
“Hey, Stef. JJ,” she added, making eye contact with her old friend. “How’s everyone’s night?”
“Glad you’re here, buddy. It’s been too long.” JJ signaled their server. “Let’s get you a drink already.”
Two rounds later, it was like they were a regular foursome. JJ wasn’t as unbearable as she remembered, but perhaps that was Stef’s effect. Either way Dylan was downright flattered when JJ told a story from way back that painted her as the unsung hero. She’d forgotten how funny her old friend could be and how nice it was to be out with a buddy and a girlfriend. Rather than question the timing or challenge the choice of company, Dylan let her guard down and simply enjoyed it. There was genuine laughter and good conversation. With Briana by her side holding her hand as they talked and joked, the entire night was perfection.
“You about ready to leave?” Briana whispered.
They’d been gifted a moment of privacy when JJ stepped outside to h
andle a work call, and Stef had used the opportunity to run to the ladies’ room.
“Whenever you are, babe.”
“As soon as they get back, let’s settle up and head to your place. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Maybe it was the alcohol hitting her, or maybe it was the tiny designs Briana was tracing on the inside of her thigh, but Dylan’s restraint was officially waning. She wanted Briana, and she was about to show her just how much with a real kiss.
“I know that look.” Briana’s tone was full of playful desire as she pushed her away. “Nothing good comes of it.”
“Disagree,” Dylan said, dialing back to drop a peck on her cheek.
“Look at you lovebirds.” Stef slid into her chair across from them.
JJ returned to the group at almost the same time. “Sorry about that.” With dramatically wide eyes, she placed her phone on the table.
“Everything okay?” Stef asked as she rubbed her back.
“It’s fine, hon.” JJ took a hefty swallow of her cocktail. “Just one of my needier clients. Friday night and he wants to rehash his entire case.”
Stef cuddled in and dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “Can’t help being in high demand.”
It was nice to see them being cutesy, and Dylan was happy for Stef—and JJ too, she supposed—but she was about ready to burst. She expected Briana was just waiting for a pause in the conversation to break the news that they were headed home.
“Not to worry, though,”—JJ would not shut up—“in precisely seventeen days he’s your problem, kiddo.” JJ smiled wickedly and winked at Briana. “It’s already on your agenda. Hyde v. The DiNapoli Contingent. It’s actually a great case. Breach of contract with a tinge of a pyramid scheme thrown in. You’re gonna kill it.”
Briana answered with a terse smile. “We’re going to head back to Brooklyn,” she said, not at all addressing JJ’s bizarre comment.
“Cool.” JJ looked at Stef, presumably to assess whether she was ready to hit the road.
“Hold on.” Dylan was still trying to figure out the previous exchange. She turned to Briana. “What does that mean? That you’re going to kill it. Kill what?”
“Shit.” JJ winced and her blink was slow and measured. “I’m sorry, Bri,” she said, making eye contact solely with Briana as she wobbled her tumbler between them. “I just assumed Dylan knew.”
“Knew what?” Dylan directed her question to Briana. “What don’t I know?”
“I was going to tell you.” Briana looked more frustrated than apologetic, and that pissed her off even more. She hated being kept in the dark, and Briana knew it.
“You’re going to work for JJ?”
“At her law firm, yes.”
“Well, that’s nice.” How was she just hearing about this now? “And you have a start date and everything.”
“Dylan…” Briana started.
“Can we go?” Dylan needed to be out of the bar right now. She stood and grabbed her jacket.
JJ got up and blocked the path, holding her hands up to further halt her exit. “I shouldn’t have said anything, and I’m sorry about that. But I really think this is a good move for Briana.” JJ’s apology wasn’t the one she wanted, and right now she couldn’t give a crap about the rationale.
“Could you please move?” she said as calmly as she could.
“Come on, Junior. Sit down. Let’s all relax.”
“Fuck you, JJ. And don’t fucking call me Junior.” She turned to Briana as she pushed past JJ. “I’m out. Are you coming?”
Dylan asked the question but didn’t wait to hear Briana’s answer. She speed-walked down the dark empty street, trying to make sense of what just happened in the bar. Briana was going to work for JJ. There were details ironed out and everything. For fuck’s sake, she already had a case lined up. And Dylan was clueless. What in the actual fuck?
“Dylan, wait.”
Caught up in her sidewalk rage, Dylan hadn’t even realized Briana followed her outside. At the sound of her voice, she stopped in her tracks and tipped her head up to the stars. She looked at the bright buildings against the night sky and tried to make sense of what she was feeling. There was anger, but also betrayal. And sadness. So much sadness. On top of it all she felt foolish and babied for being kept out of the loop. She opened her mouth but only a fog of breath came out with no words behind it. Above everything else she felt defeated. Completely and utterly defeated.
“Why are you being like this?” From behind her Briana’s tone was a full accusation, and it put her right over the edge.
“Me.” Dylan whipped around and faced her. “Me?” She could barely contain her outrage. “You’re mad at me?”
“I’m not mad, but I do think you’re acting selfish right now.”
“After that stunt, you have some nerve coming at me like I’m in the wrong.”
“It wasn’t a stunt, Dylan.” Briana crossed her arms, looking just the tiniest bit aggressive. “JJ obviously had no idea you didn’t know.”
“I hate that you’re defending her right now.” It was probably over the top, but Dylan was seething.
“There’s nothing to defend. This wasn’t some kind of coup.”
“Oh no?” Dylan stuffed her hands in her pockets, her mind overcome with images of her girlfriend with JJ as they engineered the arrangement that would bring Briana away from the federal investigation into the private sector. “This all just happened by chance?”
“Of course not. But it’s not like you’re making it sound either.”
“You mean underhanded and secretive?”
“That’s not fair.”
“Am I wrong, though?”
“How dare you act like I didn’t try to talk to you about leaving the US Attorney’s Office.” Briana shook her head back and forth and her jaw was clenched tight. Dylan could see her eyes watering in anger or defiance. Perhaps both. “I tried so many times to talk to you. But you shut me down. Every time.”
“You only ever mentioned it in passing.”
“Maybe it seemed that way to you, but I did tell you this was something I had to do.” She seemed anxious and distressed. “Dylan, this is my life.” Her voice was softer now, almost pleading. “My reputation. My career on the line. And you never even want to discuss it. I’m sorry I couldn’t wait for you to be ready. I honestly thought that day might never come.”
Maybe Briana was right, but still none of it made sense to her. The case was moving along fine. Better than fine, honestly. She didn’t think it was necessary to change a thing. But even if she was wrong, that seemed secondary now. Stealing the spotlight was the exit strategy Briana had chosen, and she couldn’t keep it in.
“JJ?” she said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. “Of all the places you could work in New York City. You picked JJ.” Why did it hurt so much? “Do you know what that does to me?”
“This isn’t personal, Dylan.”
“Yes, it is.” Dylan squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with both hands, fighting to keep her composure. She didn’t want to break down. Not now, not ever.
“Please, baby.” Briana was gentle when she pulled her hands away from her face. “Do you think I want to leave this case?”
“I don’t know, Briana.” Everything about this decision felt wrong, and Dylan didn’t know how to say that without sounding like a jerk. “It feels like you’re leaving me.”
“How can you say that?” Briana touched her face and brushed a thumb over each cheek. Dylan wondered if she was checking for evidence of her distress. “I stayed on this case, way longer than I should have, because of you. I broke all my rules. Because of you.” With a hand covering her heart, she still seemed distressed but unwavering. “I’m changing the course of my career. Because of you. How are you so blind to all of that?”
“I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do, though.” Br
iana rested her hands over Dylan’s chest. “You love me, right?”
Dylan felt her shoulders slump at the ridiculousness of the question.
“Please say it.” Briana’s expression said she needed to hear it, and Dylan gave in on the spot.
“I love you. You know I love you.”
“Then trust me.”
It was just so much more complicated than that. But Dylan didn’t want to fight, so she said nothing while she got them a car back to Brooklyn.
They rode in silence, graduating to small talk as they slipped under the covers, ultimately finding each other in much needed release. It was good. Fine. Definitely not earthshattering make-up sex, but then, their fight was sort of a dud too. Almost a blowout, but then not.
Afterward, Dylan lay awake staring up at the ceiling while her mind raced in a thousand directions.
What if JJ was trying to seduce Briana? What if Briana was into it? Logically she didn’t think that was true, and Briana had never given her any reason to doubt her fidelity. But why hadn’t Briana told her sooner? It was the one thing that kept needling at her. Shouldn’t this have been a conversation, not a unilateral decision? The more she thought about it, the more she stewed. Not Briana, though, she slept blissfully sound next to her like their relationship wasn’t on the verge of bottoming out.
She was even downright chipper in the morning. “Hey, Sleepy,” Briana said from her seat at the kitchen island. “I made coffee.”
Dylan honestly couldn’t believe she’d slept so late. But then, it was almost three a.m. the last time she’d rolled over and checked the clock. “Hey,” she mumbled as she reached for a coffee mug.
“There’s a crazy story in the news this morning.”
Without making eye contact, she poured herself coffee. “Oh yeah?” she said, but her tone was flat and she didn’t even care.
“Over in Queens a bull escaped from…I don’t know where exactly, but he made it all the way down Steinway Street before he ended up in some store that sells vintage housewares. It was literally a bull in a china shop.”
“Funny.” She reached for the cream from the fridge and stood by the sink as she stirred her coffee.
Bulletproof Page 22
