He hated ratting Numbers out, but would Numbers look out for him if the shoe were on the other foot? He thought back on that last phone conversation they had, the one where Numbers called him everything under the sun. Brennan had his answer, just thinking back on that. Still, he did what he had to do. He refused to be in jail for life. For now, he watched his back on the inside constantly since Warren is still well-connected with the most heinous of criminals.
Because Rodney was going to turn in the clips but was kidnapped shortly thereafter, the judge dropped the charges of credit card theft and wire fraud against him. Rodney was relieved to be given a second chance. His mother Jill, who is now pregnant with her second husband's child, came to visit Rodney so they could mend their relationship. I was shocked that she went to see James who was still in the hospital. He didn't hold anything against her and allowed her to hug him when she came into the room. I actually had no ill will towards her and was glad to see her, too.
***
Weeks later, Rodney visited Jessica and her mother, Ms. Garcia. The visit was chaperoned by me. Days after that, we stopped by to check on Ms. Lily, who since hadn't returned to work.
"I felt like I was in a horror flick!" Ms. Lily exclaimed. She still had her sense of humor, despite being almost killed because of us. I was so thankful she wasn't. I would've been devastated that my own family was the reason for hers being torn apart. As Rodney hung out with Davion, me, Ms. Lily and her husband Mr. Harris, sipped on Whiskey Sours, made by my favorite bartender.
Rodney went off to Fort Lauderdale to live with my mother. One thing about Agnes, former FBI profiler, she did her best when it came to her family. She took Rodney to rehab and then counseling. She only allowed him to keep in touch with Jessica when he completed all of his visits to the counselor. They had plans to hang out with each other in the summer. My father lessened his workload and came home to assist. From what I gathered, they were trying to mend their relationship.
Once James got better, he took a sabbatical away from the Navy and went to Florida to stay with Mom and Dad to finish healing and cope with his son.
"You know, you should come, too, Nina," James said, giving me a sideways glance. I had dropped him off at the airport and was allowed to help him inside since he was using a wheelchair.
I scoffed. "Nah, you know my heart belongs right here in the city."
He touched my hand. "Seriously Sis, your job is way more dangerous than mine in the Navy. Don't forget all that you went through with Mateo."
I flashed him a look. I didn't want to talk about Mateo. He was off-limits.
He caught it because he quickly changed up. "Just consider it, alright? Promise?"
I chuckled. "Can't make any promises, but we'll see. Have a safe flight brother," I said, tears forming in my eyes.
"I love you, Sis. and I hope you and Lance have a chance together."
Epilogue
It was mid-January now and I was sitting at my kitchen table going over some notes on the case. I was still in touch with the entire Oswego Police department. Some weren't too happy with me at first, because of how I slid in Numbers' house, confronting him on my own. But they had to admit, they needed my help. Especially since I had recorded Numbers' entire confession of his parents' murders on my phone. Yes, your girl was smart alright. I was holding up my phone as a flashlight, I had it recording us the whole time, even when it fell out of my hand. Even the fighting.
My phone rang as I typed up some more documents on my Mac. It was Lieutenant Ben.
"Hello sir, how are you?"
"Well, I'm great. And you will be, too once you hear what I have to tell you," he said. I could tell he was smiling over the phone.
"Okay, I'm all ears," I said, focusing my attention on the call. My heart started thumping hard in my chest.
"I was able to talk to a few people all the way up to the Mayor's office, and..." he paused.
Sweat started to form on my forehead. I was getting nervous. The worst-case scenario was they fired me and I had to leave my beloved job of almost fifteen years.
"And?" I asked.
Lance was at my house cooking dinner. He heard me and came over by the table, wiping his hands on his apron.
"And you've been cleared of all charges! I must say when I told them about the case you pulled out there upstate, and your tenure here with the department, they decided to place you back on full-duty. You can come back home now."
"Wow, I'm speechless. This is wonderful news!" I beamed, letting out a small sigh of relief. I gave Lance a smile, holding my hand up at him to let him know all was good.
"Or you can take some more time off and then report back to work. Whichever you choose. I'll be in touch with you Westbrook. You take care now."
"You, too, Lieutenant Ben. Thank you so much!" I ended the call shouting for joy. Lance stood up.
"Wow, congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" he said, picking me up and twirling me around. He suddenly stopped, gazing into my eyes. I pulled back, forgetting that I was trying so hard not to get too close.
"I'm sorry, Nina. Really I am," he started.
I waved him off. "It's okay. Now, what is your good news? You told me before you arrived that you had something to tell me, too?" I asked, hopeful.
He cleared his throat and held my hands. "Yes, well, I was offered a new job with the Post in Washington, DC. This is like a dream come true for me. I've never worked for a main city newspaper, but after all these years, I am finally making it. Nina, I know it is very sudden, but I would like for you to go with me." He didn't even ask, he just put it out there as if we were married for ten years and making life's changes.
No, he was not Mateo. We were supposed to be doing that, but that chapter was closed.
I turned around, giving him my back at first and then faced him again. "I'm sorry Lance, but I can't. I still have my work in the city. We just met. We haven't even formally gone on a real first date and..."
He pulled me in an embrace and kissed me. His lips were warm on mine. I placed my arms around his neck as we passionately kissed. I pulled away, first, my cheeks flustered.
"If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," he said, holding me by my waist.
I nodded, unable to speak. I liked Lance, but I knew that would not happen.
After a pleasant dinner, Lance prepared to leave.
"If I had it my way, I'd take you with me, right now," Lance said in a low whisper. He kissed my forehead and squeezed my hand, giving me a longing look.
"Lance?" I called after him.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for everything. I mean it. You truly believed in me from day one. I will never forget it," I said, a tear forming in my eye.
He smiled. "Take care, Nina."
With that, he was gone. I leaned my back against the door, wondering if I had made the right decision.
***
Days after Lance and I parted ways, I was packing up to go back home. Home for me was a brownstone house in Brooklyn, the same house we grew up in. I had moved back there permanently after I divorced Mateo. Just when I started to pack up some more boxes in the truck, I came back to my cell phone on the kitchen counter and saw that I had about seven missed calls from Lieutenant Ben and from my newly assigned partner Mitchell.
I called Lieutenant Ben back right away.
"Westbrook, oh thank goodness you finally answered," he said in a sense of urgency.
"Sure Lieutenant Ben, is everything ok?" I asked, concerned.
"No, it isn't. I started to make Sgt. Sanchez call you, but he is out on the street now. Nina, I'll just come out and say it. The mayor's building was set on fire. Dozens of officials are presumed dead and the mayor's two daughters are missing," he said solemnly.
"What about the mayor Lieutenant?" I asked carefully.
"He is in the hospital with third-degree burns on his hands and legs. I'll explain why when I see you," Lieutenant Ben explained.
That was
my jurisdiction. I had to find out what was going on.
"His wife, Mrs. Katherine O'Donnell, wants you to come back. She requested you and a few others to come and help her. They fear that whoever did this, did it intentionally. You will come back and help her as soon as you get in. That's your first assigned case back in the office."
He was still talking, but I thought about Kathy. Katherine O'Donnell is the mayor's wife, but she is also my friend.
I took what I could inside the truck, and left in a hurry to find out who could have done this to such a sweet friend of mine.
The End.
I Wish I Knew
Here's a sneak peek to "I Wish I Knew" (prequel story when Nina meets Mateo and finds out where to draw the line between love and trouble that follows her.
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Cozumel, Mexico
2010
"Excuse me, Miss, is this seat taken?" a baritone voice asked me from my side. I was sitting on my beach chair at an exclusive resort in Mexico. The sun blanketed my tankini-clad body, giving me a glaze of a tan. My hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail and I sported a pair of Ray-Ban shades. Although he couldn't tell, my eyes were saying, "I had to get to know who this guy was who wanted to sit next to me."
Looking up, I saw the most beautiful set of eyes gazing down into mine. His hair was shiny and thick, showing off a fresh cut. His five o'clock shadow aligned on his strong jaw. And he wasn't wearing a shirt, which allowed a showcase of his tight torso and biceps to match.
I shook my head, my tongue a little stuck to answer him.
"Okay, I guess we don't speak," he said, sitting down. There went my "ah" moment out the window just that fast due to his snide remarks. I ignored him, going back to my people watching.
What was supposed to be a vacation was really turning into more work for me. I had been in Cozumel for just two days and already I received calls about one of my most notorious cases. The El Peligro Gang in The Bronx killed their own leader. He was caught working with the feds. The gang didn't take it too kindly and caught him slipping while he walked his daughter to school. While texting on his phone and getting in his car, some guys surrounded his car, doused it with gasoline and set it on fire. He tried to get out of the car, but couldn't because of the flames. Antonio "Hammer" Guiterrez was responsible for the leader's murder.
And I missed it all.
You see, I had been after Pedro Santiago for the longest. Three years ago, he had killed several of ours in an undercover sting operation, one of them my partner Michael Hamilton. Hamilton was a man of steel, a die-hard cop and unfortunately, while working undercover, he lost his life. I will never forget that day as I almost lost mine, too. I had the angels watching over me as I walked away with a bullet graze wound in my arm only. Pedro had gotten away with the help of his badass comrades.
As Lieutenant Moses Prior gave me the recent news earlier, he told me, "Enjoy yourself though Perkins. This might be poetic justice for now, but do know El Peligro are all over. Watch your back out there and see you when you get back. And please stay out of trouble."
Looking over at the guy next to me, I knew trouble when I saw it. I could only hope trouble wouldn't last always. Since my friends weren't able to tag along, I was by myself on this short vacation. I was a single woman, hadn't been on a date in a minute. So when I asked Mr. Cocky if he'd like to go get a drink, he smiled and said, "I like that. A woman asking a man out."
"Don't get it twisted," I said smirking and grabbing my bag. He led the way over to the bar.
Leaving our other belongings on the lawn chairs, we ordered our drinks at the bar and made small talk. My cocky mystery guy's name was Mateo Westbrook. He explained to me that his mother was Mexican and his father was from the states. I told him my name, leaving out the convenient part that I was a cop. He didn't need to know this.
"So Nina, what brings you out here by yourself to the great sunny skies of Cozumel?" Mateo asked. "Beautiful woman like you must have a husband waiting back at the hotel," he said smirking.
I gave him a half-smile. "Nah, handsome man like you should have a misses wondering where'd you wander off to. Am I right?" I said, taking off my shades.
Right when he was about to explain himself, we heard rapid gunfire ring out.
TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!!
People at the bar started shouting and running for cover. Mateo dove from his seat over to me, knocking me down to the ground as shots rang out all around us. Landing on top of me, he pulled his gun out of his swim shorts and leaned on one elbow. Looking me in the eye and straddling me, he said, "Don't get up, crawl over and hide under the barstools." He stood up and started shooting at whoever it was shooting in the bar area.
He didn't know I was packing too, so I sat up, grabbed my bag and took out my police-issued pistol. No way I was going to not find out what was going on.
Crouching up a little, I saw Mateo run to the other side of the bar, hiding behind a column. There was a big guy with wild hair and no front teeth holding a machine gun standing sideways.
"Hey, asshole! Over here!" Mateo shouted and took a shot at him before he could turn around. He fell face forward.
The bartenders were near him and one had a gun in his hand. He spit on the side of the man and said, "El Peligro."
Cautiously, I stood up as did other people who were nearby.
"No, stay down!" I shouted.
A man appeared from behind a table with two pistols in each of his hands and started shooting. One of his shots hit the bartender who just spit at the guy Mateo shot. He fell down.
Mateo and the other bartender ducked. The guy kept walking and bursting off shots from his guns. Crouching back down, I waited until he got closer then took a bar stool and swung it out at his feet, causing him to trip and fall. One of his guns skidded near my feet, but he held fast onto the other one.
Trying to get up, he landed back down as I ran over and kicked him in his jaw. His other gun went flying out of his hand, blood swinging to the left out of his mouth.
"Put your hands up so I can see them and don't move!" I shouted.
The man turned to me and started chuckling. He rambled something in Spanish.
"Recuérdame? Estas muerto Nina!"
"Oh yeah, well so are you if you keep talking shit!" I growled.
Mateo and the other bartender covered me with their guns and made sure the guy was secured. Someone had called for the police and they marched over to us, placing handcuffs on the guy. He looked vaguely familiar, but so did most criminals. I had locked up plenty.
That's when it hit me! Especially since he said my name.
He was the guy who killed my partner, Michael Hamilton.
As the police took the criminals away, Mateo came over to me. I was fuming mad but didn't want to talk about it. I did need to tell Lieutenant Mo what happened though.
He touched my arm. "Are you okay?" he asked sincerely.
I looked up at him and asked, "How did that bartender know the guy you shot was El Peligro?"
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I Know What I Saw Page 25