A Brutal Tenderness by Marata Eros

Author:Marata Eros [Eros, Marata]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-07-11T22:00:00+00:00

13

Clearwater’s being his usual ass jack self, fluttering his eyelashes like a girl, and I scowl. “Getting an A in bio!” he brags as he takes a massive bite out of the apple he’s massacring.

I lift my chin. “Yeah . . . and how many times have you taken biology?”

Luke throws up three fingers, and I laugh. “So, you could be teaching the fucking deal,” I say, shrugging, as he tosses an apple my way. It spins and I catch it in a lazy reflexive swipe.

Adams grunts. “We’ve got the big play soon.”

“Yeah,” I say, chomping on the apple and giving Luke the eye. I see his expression and lower my apple. “What?”

“It’s gonna get real, Steel,” Luke says.

“You’re a poet and don’t know it,” Clearwater replies, pleased with himself as he makes a basket with the spent core from across the room.

Luke flips him the bird and Dec smiles.

I stand, and my partner says from Brock’s point of view, “I think the fuckwits I’ve fostered in falsehood will be fine with a one-on-five.”

I blink. “What about Jewell?”

Adams shrugs, taking a slurp of his five-hour energy drink. “I can’t defend her, it’ll screw things, obviously.”

Right.

“Come on, Steel, you can take those guys,” Clearwater says.

Yeah. But before they get to Jewell?

Dec changes the subject. “Jewell’s bombing bio.” He takes a pull from his water bottle, picking up his gear for the range.

I nod. That was the plan, put the pressure on Jewell, make her off-kilter, appearing vulnerable . . . I scrub my face. It’s not what I want to do to her. It’s what I must do.

To save women in the future and in so doing . . . her as well.

Adams jumps off the cafeteria-style table. “That’s for glasses not asses,” Dec notes, and Adams gives him the bird again as our mikes chirp.

My head raises sharply. “Who’s got primary?” Even as I think it, I should know it.

Beltaine, I think as Dec replies, “Beltaine.”

The tension eases from my shoulders. Good.

I hear the communication and cock my brows in confusion. “Why the hell is Maverick heading to the crime scene?”

Adams throws out his palms. “I’m not sure . . . maybe he’s wanting to do it in the dirt.”

“That’s fucking morbid, even for you, Adams,” Dec says, giving him a level look.

“He’s not ‘doing’ Jewell, Luke,” I say with barely contained anger. Luke raises his brows in question.

“Yet,” Clearwater adds.

I seethe, switching gears. “You two clowns go practice, I’m taking secondary.”

“No, man, Beltaine’s got it,” Clearwater clarifies.

“I know, but you don’t think it’s suspicious as hell that fucking Maverick is hot to take Jewell to a cemetery?”

“How long has it been since . . .” Clearwater makes a hip gyration and my feet are moving without a plan.

Toward him.

Clearwater does a cackle. “Hey, man!”

“Don’t fuck with this, Dec,” I warn.

“Better listen to the man,” Adams warns. “He’s in love with the subject. He’ll rearrange your pretty face, Dec.”

“I’m not in love, dumb shit,” I say, and the lie sits like a bug on my tongue.

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