Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“No, but I have some ideas.”
He nodded. “I want to hear about those. We need to write up a report and talk to Kellan, but we have to take care of a few other things first.”
My muscles tightened. “What things?” I asked, my lips tight, even though I knew exactly what he was talking about.
“We’re in a sticky situation here. The folks of Havenwood are concerned. With the nature of the photos…”
“You mean me being with another man? With all due respect, Chief, that sounds a whole lot like discrimination to me. You knew I was bisexual when I was hired, but even if you didn’t, my sexuality has nothing to do with how well I can do my job.”
“It has nothing to do with Kellan being a man, at least not for me. I don’t give a shit who you fuck, kid. But you had him in handcuffs, a pair that whether they were or not, people will assume are your police-issued set, and you were in a very…intimate position. Evidence of that is now all over town, for everyone to see. It’s complicated and a sensitive matter. You know I hate to tell you this, but I need you to take some time—paid, of course. We need to let things blow over, and we also need to figure out what’s going on here.”
I shoved to my feet. “What’s going on is our rights have been violated! Someone was fucking watching us, Chief. They were at my house, looking through my windows. I don’t know who it was or how dangerous they are, and you’re worried about a bit of publicity?”
He sighed. “That’s not how it is. And you’re right, we do need to get to the bottom of this, and I sure as shit plan to do it. I promise you, this is a priority, and it’s not personal. If the situation happened to anyone else, they’d be told the same thing.”
Rage surged inside me again. There wasn’t a part of me that wanted to accept this, but I also knew I had no choice. But with his help, and legal or not, I planned on figuring out who did this.
“Yeah, fine, whatever.”
“It’s just a little while.”
I didn’t reply to that because I wasn’t sure how I should. Whatever way you looked at it, the situation was fucked. Private, intimate photos of Kellan and me were out there, we were being watched, it could be my own dad, and now I was being put on leave.
“I’m gonna call Davies in here. He came down from DC. I want you to tell me everything you know.”
Which wasn’t a whole lot. After I finished telling them about the conversation with my dad, along with Kell’s and my run-ins with Buck, Davies left us alone again.
“I’m going to need you to trust me on this, Chase. Don’t try and take matters into your own hands. Don’t go to your dad’s. We’ll take care of it.”
With that, I was dismissed, and I had to force myself to do as told. The last thing I wanted was to screw up this investigation.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Kellan
“You going to talk to me, or what?” I asked Griffin. We were at my studio, and I’d finished fielding calls from the parents of my students, all of which had canceled other than Bridget and Annabella’s mom, Tracey. Not gonna lie, I was pretty devastated by it all, but I also wasn’t sure it had truly hit me yet. I was trying to prolong that process as much as I could.
“I don’t really know what to say. I just found out that my brother and my best friend have been lying to me for God knows how long. I found out from intimate photos being dropped on my doorstep, which are also all over town. It’s a lot to take in, Kell. I feel like it’s always something.”
“With me, you mean. It’s always something with me.” Somehow, it always came down to that. “And Chase and I didn’t lie to you.”
“You went behind my back, which is the same thing.” He sighed. “I didn’t say it’s always something with you.”
“But Jesus, Griff, it’s true. We both know that’s what you meant. It’s our fault that some psycho was watching Chase and me together? Am I not supposed to have sex with my boyfriend?” Griffin winced. “That’s what this is about? I’m not a fucking child—”
“Chase!” Griff interrupted angrily. “You’re not supposed to have sex with Chase. I didn’t think that was too much to ask.”
This strange twisting sensation attacked my chest. “I love him,” I said, looking away. “I’ve always loved him.”
“I know,” Griff replied softly. “You think I never knew how you felt about Chase? I did. I just never saw this coming. I’m working through it in my head. I’ll come around, but you can’t expect miracles. We got hit with a lot today. I can’t process it all that quickly.”