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“No fuckin’ way!” Winston slapped papers off his office desk at the police station. “Jonathan Wild is not getting a deal.”
“You think I want to make a deal with that creep?” Emory touched the gun on his waist. “I don’t have a choice.”
“Then get a choice.” Winston marched from around his desk. “What he did was bad enough but he’s not supposed to pay now?”
“Course he is.” Emory stuck out his chest. “But, we’re cops, Winston. Sometimes we got to make deals when we don’t want to.”
“This is the woman I love we’re talking about.” He stood back, rubbing his disheveled, brown curls. “I’m not selling her out for nothing.”
“Do you want the man who killed Dania Shorter to walk?”
Winston turned toward his desk and closed his eyes.
“Because that’s what will happen if—”
“What in the world is going on?” Dee stood in the doorway, her eyes exploding from her ravishing, brown skin. “The whole station can hear you two.”
Winston presented a shaky smile to play off his anger. “How’s your case going?”
“It’s going.” Dee tipped into the office. “Emory, you look like you’re about to shit yourself.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, glaring at Winston. “This isn’t easy for me to say, but you gotta know. Jonathan—”
“Emory.” Winston squared his shoulders. “I’ll tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Dee looked back and forth at the men.
Emory half-smiled as he left the office.
“Something tells me I won’t like this conversation,” Dee said. “You got one of those faces that can tell what you’re thinking before you say it.”
Winston picked up the photo of him and Dee hugging and smiling.
She took it and set it back on the desk. “Talk.”
“I wish there was an easier way to say this.” He plopped into the squeaky recliner behind his desk. “Jonathan wants a deal for his testimony.”
Her arched eyebrows wrinkled. “What testimony?”
“It’s about the Dania Shorter case.” He rubbed the soft hairs on his chin. “Jonathan can identify Ro Chavis as the killer.”
She sat in the chair across from him and blew out her cheeks, looking more gorgeous by the minute.
“Emory’s known it was Ro for a while but couldn’t get anything substantial on him. Jonathan saved this young woman, Candra Martel, and she was abducted and stabbed the same way Dania was.”
“Wait, how did that even happen?”
“Apparently, Jonathan was in Baltimore.” Winston swallowed. “Probably watching you and in the process, he saved Candra.”
“God.” Dee rubbed her forehead.
“Jonathan says he’ll testify for the prosecution to get Ro if they’ll give him immunity for kidnapping you.”
“No.” Dee stood. “No, Winston.”
“Honey.” He jumped up and rushed to her. “Listen—”
“That bastard almost ruined my life.” She grabbed his shirt. “He stole my memory, kept me prisoner, and thinks he shouldn’t have to pay?”
“Baby, I’m with you.” He sandwiched her face in his hands and kissed her. “You’re right. Jonathan doesn’t deserve shit from you.”
“They can’t give him immunity unless I agree and that’s not happening.” She walked to the floor plant in the corner. “Jonathan’s ass belongs in prison and that’s where he’s going.” She opened the door, startling Emory. “It’s not happening, Emory. You can forget giving Jonathan Wild a deal.”
“Dee.” He walked in, closing the door. “Listen.”
“No, you listen.” She stuck her finger in his face. “You have no right to ask this of me. Do you understand what I went through? This man abducted me and drugged me.” Tears filled her eyes. “He stole three months of memories I’ll never get back. He took me from the man I love.” She pointed at Winston. “How could you even think I’d agree to this?”
“If I was looking at this as your friend, I’d have told Wild to go fuck himself.” Emory held his arms out to his sides. “But, as a police officer who’s desperate to bring justice to a family and put that monster who killed Dania away, I’m asking you to see the bigger picture.”
“Bigger picture?” She got in his face. “Jonathan Wild is a sadistic asshole who deserves to be in prison. I’m sorry for what happened to Dania but I can’t live my life seeing Jonathan walk free for what he did.” She sighed, color draining from her cheeks. “I won’t do it.”
Winston took her hand. “You okay?”
She wobbled. “I’m dizzy.”
“Whoa.” Emory grabbed her other hand. “Sit down.” He led her to the chair. “I didn’t mean for you to get upset.”
The moment she sat, she grabbed Winston’s trashcan and vomited into it.
“Dee?” Winston knelt beside her.
Emory grimaced. “Is she okay?”
Dee lifted her head from the waste basket, throw-up hanging from her lip.
Winston yanked a tissue from the box on his desk and wiped her mouth. “I’m worried about you.”
She cleared her throat. “I’m okay.”
“You’ve been getting dizzy and nauseated for a week now.” Winston pushed her hair out the way. “I think you should go to the doctor.”
“I’m fine.” She huffed and puffed. “If I got Jonathan out of my life I’d be even better.” She looked up at Emory. “The answer is no on the deal.” She closed her eyes, swallowing. “I wish you the best with getting Chavis, but I can’t let Jonathan walk for what he did.” She grabbed Winston’s hand. “I can’t.”