A Raging Dawn by C. J. Lyons Page A

sex offender,” Ryder put in.
    Manny nodded. “If his information pans out, we’ll take time served.”
    Kravitz pursed her lips, the weight of her stare on Manny. Manny shifted in his seat, looking away first. Sensing her victory, Kravitz pushed her chair back and stood, looking down on them all. “He’ll tell you everything he can, plead guilty to the assault with time served. You drop the rest. Period. None of this ‘if the information pans out’ bullshit. If your investigators were able to put a decent case together to start with, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I’m not trusting my client’s freedom to their talent,” she knifed a glare at Ryder, “or lack thereof.”
    “No,” Rossi protested. “What about Tymara?”
    Manny didn’t even glance in her direction. “Done,” he said, getting to his feet. “Let’s finalize this.”
    Ryder watched them leave, noticing the way Manny brushed against Kravitz’s side as they went through the door. Well, hell.
    “Did he seriously just give Littleton a walk?” Rossi’s voice rose with indignation. “Just to save his conviction rate and please his girlfriend?”
    So she’d seen it as well. He gave the door a pitying look. “Blondie there is going to use and abuse and grind poor Manny into the dirt with her stilettos.”
    “And with him, our case.”
    “Which do you want? Littleton in jail on assault charges or the men who killed Tymara?”
    “I want them all.” Her gaze was fierce. Her fists bunched on the tabletop as if ready to battle her way through the guards and concrete walls and locked doors to get to Littleton herself.
    Then he noticed the tremor that quivered her hand, and it took all his strength not to gather her into his arms and carry her far away from this building filled with treacherous snakes on both sides of the law. He still refused to believe—no matter how much crepe Louise hung as she discussed the disease, but never the patient—that some microscopic, twisted strand of protein could be the end to a woman as strong and passionate and alive as Rossi.
    She turned to face him, her expression earnest. “Isn’t that what we’re here for? Isn’t that why we do this job? To nail bastards like Littleton?”
    He placed his hand over hers and squeezed. The tremor fought, refusing to surrender to his touch. As stubborn as the woman. “Some of us. Yes.”
    How could he not try to give her everything she deserved? Ryder looked up, past Rossi, to the bright overhead lights, convincing himself that the tight burning behind his eyes came from their glare. He blinked hard. How could he not fight as hard for her as he had his squad back in Afghanistan? He’d brought them home alive. There was no way in hell he wouldn’t do the same for Rossi.
    No matter what it took.
     
     
     

Chapter 13
     
     
    MANNY RETURNED, A scowl on his face. “There’s a small snag,” he said, glaring at me. “Seems Littleton refuses to talk to us until he talks to you first.”
    I jerked my head up. “Me? Why’s he want to talk to me?”
    After what Ryder said about how Littleton acted during my testimony, I understood why Manny might want me to talk to him, but why would Littleton ask for me? What had changed in the short time since we’d faced off in the courtroom? Maybe something Gena had told him about me?
    “Fuck what Littleton wants.” Ryder stood, the abrupt movement fluttering the photos across the tabletop. “Let him rot here, face a new trial and new charges.”
    “A new trial isn’t going to help. I polled the jurors. They were leaning toward acquittal,” Manny said. “Without Tymara’s testimony, they just weren’t buying it.”
    “Without Littleton, we can’t get the others,” I said. “Besides, that’s why you brought me. I make him nervous. Maybe he’ll say something he’ll regret.”
    Ryder slouched in the corner, shoulders hunched, staring at me from behind Manny’s back. He gave me a wary nod, not granting me permission,