Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“To turn them off while they accosted Jill Linus on the side of the road? Or when they shot Doug Raster’s brother right in front of him for reaching for his identification? And those aren’t the only cases you’ve obstructed, Miller.”
Solomon lowered his voice dangerously. “We both know what they’ll find when they go digging in your computer, don’t we? How many times would you say you sat alone and replayed them for your own entertainment? Were you protecting those state troopers, or getting off on it? Even encouraging their behavior? I’m betting the prosecutor will wonder the same thing.”
“Blackmail? What did you think I’d give you? The names of my contacts? Did you want me to agree to resign without protest? It’s not going to happen.”
“You’ve already been relieved of duty, Miller. And I’ve been reappointed. We decided to hold off on the announcement until we could get a sign off from the judge. In another minute or two, you’ll be taken into custody, and then we’ll start to talk about what you’ll give me.”
Miller shook his head in denial. “You were… Then why? Why this charade? Are you wired? If so, you fucked up. I didn’t give you anything.”
Solomon shrugged easily, his smile razor sharp. “I kept hearing about you and wanted to meet you for myself. Your reputation made you sound like a Bond villain. You’ve made people I respect and admire, people I trained, shake in their boots. You’ve had half the community protesting you in the streets. Seeing you now just makes me sad. You’re nothing but hot air. And you don’t deserve that uniform.” Miller would give up those names, every fucking one, before Solomon left for the day.
He opened the door and whistled, watching as the two young men smiled in recognition and entered the room, cuffing the idiot while he watched.
“There’s more than hot air here and you know it,” Miller called as he was led down the hall. “You won’t last a year this time. Not after the media gets wind of it. You might as well change your name. It won’t protect any of you anymore.”
He closed the door and sat down in the stiff, uncomfortable chair Miller had brought in when he took over the office.
The mayor would be expecting an update. He’d agreed to keep things quiet for another day, so Solomon could verify the information Tanaka had discovered, but he was anxious to make an announcement.
Some insurance.
Leave it to Ken to downplay his contribution. He’d come into their lives by saving his cousin Stephen from a potential scandal, and he’d fallen in love with Brady. Over the last few years, he’d helped all of them at one time or another. Now he’d given Solomon all the evidence he needed to have Miller run out of town on a rail. At the very least.
He’d questioned the computer hacker’s motives when they’d first met, wanting to protect his brother from heartache. But Ken Tanaka was a Finn. So were the others his brothers and cousins had brought into the fold. Tasha, Bellamy, Trick and Declan, Jeremy, Rig and David.
The new family they were building together was strong enough to handle whatever was thrown their way. They had to be, because if Solomon were going to decide to do something for himself, it would be to move forward without any more skeletons or secrets. Without shame.
Hugo may have broken off a large piece of his heart when he sent him away, but some of what he’d said made sense. Solomon had spent so long being what his father expected, what his brother’s and then the people of this city needed, that he’d never taken the time to decide what he wanted. And because of that, he doubted everything he’d earned on his own.
He flexed his arm, recently freed from that damn inconvenient cast. If it hadn’t been for bad plumbing, he might not have had his second chance to get the first thing he’d ever wanted for himself. Just because he screwed that up didn’t mean he couldn’t learn from his mistakes.
He wanted this job. He’d earned it. No one would care about it as much as he did, and no one could do it better. And this time he was taking on the responsibility for the right reasons. Not because of his name or because it was expected, but because this was where he belonged.
And if he was going to do this right, he needed to face something else he’d been avoiding for a year.
Solomon sighed and sent a text to his Uncle Shawn.
Meet me for lunch at the diner near the station. We need to talk.
After that he called the mayor to apprise him of his first arrest of the morning.
He was ready to get back to work.
***
Sitting next to the podium a few days later, Solomon was attempting to politely listen to the youth center’s counselor speak about upcoming programs, but his mind kept wandering, remembering the lunch he’d had with his uncle on his first day back to work.