bury his fists in the bastard’s face.
“Don’t do it,” she whispered. “It’s not worth it at this point.”
“Alex,” Special Agent Simms said, pausing about seven feet out. He tapped a foot, his “tell” that he was nervous.
“Dennis,” Alex said, trying to strangle his rage. Better if I strangle him. Let him die slow.
Simms shot a look at Morgan and then back at Alex. “We need to search your house. I’m sure you’ll want to cooperate and not create any hassles for us.”
“Got a warrant?” Morgan cut in before Alex could tell him to go fuck himself.
“Got one coming. Now just step out all nice and—”
“Wait a minute,” one of the cops said. “You said you had a warrant.”
“Dennis is known to lie,” Alex said, boring his eyes into the man. “Especially on the witness stand.”
Simms’s eyes narrowed. “Come on, Alex, make it easy on yourself. You got nothing to hide, right?”
“Why are you here?” Morgan asked.
“Got a tip that someone was dealing drugs out of this location.”
“Why you, specifically?”
Simms frowned. “I knew my old buddy was getting out yesterday, and I made sure that any tips about him or his sister were flagged to my attention.”
Odin huffed.
Simms looked down at the dog who sat at Morgan’s feet, then frowned again. “Look, Alex, just let us do the search, and then your . . . chick and the pooch won’t get hurt.”
Morgan laughed. “Wow, I haven’t been called a chick in ages. I bet that charm gets you laid once every . . . decade?”
One of the cops snorted, failing to hide his smile, which told Alex these locals didn’t like Dennis any more than he did.
“Here’s the deal, Special Agent Simms: I’m Mr. Parkin’s attorney, so no warrant, no search,” Morgan said. “And don’t bother having these guys kick in the back door.” She stepped into his personal space. “Because if you try that bullshit, I’ll be talking to your boss. And your boss’ s bosses,” she said, the power rising in her voice. “By the time I am done, your next gig will be patting down incontinent little old ladies coming off cruise ships in Alaska. You got it?”
“Look, bitch—”
“Hey, watch your mouth,” Alex cut in. “Treat the lady with respect.”
“If you don’t have a warrant, you’re done,” Morgan said. “Come back with one and then we’ll talk.”
“So you have time to ditch the drugs?”
When Simms took a step forward, Odin sat and whined, his alert signal. Morgan looked down at the dog, then back up at the DEA agent.
“If you happen to have any drugs in your pocket, ditch them before you come back. Because if you think you’re going to plant them on my client so you can arrest him, again, you’re wrong.”
Dennis blinked in surprise, his face growing red.
The lead cop swore under his breath, aggravated. “Look, I don’t know what kind of pissing match is going on here, but we’re out of it.” He glared at Simms. “Next time, get a damned warrant.”
The cops marched to their cars and drove off, leaving just the three of them and one panting dog.
Simms glowered. “You just bought yourself a shitload of hurt, Parkin.”
Curiously, Alex felt his temper holding steady, and that wasn’t what he’d expected. He should have killed this prick twice over by now. Maybe it was because, this time, he had someone solid watching his back. But when had he started thinking of Morgan as an ally, rather than an enemy waiting to throw him under the bus?
“Thanks for stopping by, Dennis,” he said, putting on the false charm. “Say hi to my ex-wife, will you? Oh wait, she tossed you to the curb, didn’t she? Sorry about that. We both got shafted.”
He waited until Morgan walked inside, then closed the door in his ex-partner’s face. His hands shook and his heart pounded. A short time later, a car engine gunned as Simms peeled out of the neighborhood.
Odin was back at the water bowl, slurping noisily, his job
“Don’t do it,” she whispered. “It’s not worth it at this point.”
“Alex,” Special Agent Simms said, pausing about seven feet out. He tapped a foot, his “tell” that he was nervous.
“Dennis,” Alex said, trying to strangle his rage. Better if I strangle him. Let him die slow.
Simms shot a look at Morgan and then back at Alex. “We need to search your house. I’m sure you’ll want to cooperate and not create any hassles for us.”
“Got a warrant?” Morgan cut in before Alex could tell him to go fuck himself.
“Got one coming. Now just step out all nice and—”
“Wait a minute,” one of the cops said. “You said you had a warrant.”
“Dennis is known to lie,” Alex said, boring his eyes into the man. “Especially on the witness stand.”
Simms’s eyes narrowed. “Come on, Alex, make it easy on yourself. You got nothing to hide, right?”
“Why are you here?” Morgan asked.
“Got a tip that someone was dealing drugs out of this location.”
“Why you, specifically?”
Simms frowned. “I knew my old buddy was getting out yesterday, and I made sure that any tips about him or his sister were flagged to my attention.”
Odin huffed.
Simms looked down at the dog who sat at Morgan’s feet, then frowned again. “Look, Alex, just let us do the search, and then your . . . chick and the pooch won’t get hurt.”
Morgan laughed. “Wow, I haven’t been called a chick in ages. I bet that charm gets you laid once every . . . decade?”
One of the cops snorted, failing to hide his smile, which told Alex these locals didn’t like Dennis any more than he did.
“Here’s the deal, Special Agent Simms: I’m Mr. Parkin’s attorney, so no warrant, no search,” Morgan said. “And don’t bother having these guys kick in the back door.” She stepped into his personal space. “Because if you try that bullshit, I’ll be talking to your boss. And your boss’ s bosses,” she said, the power rising in her voice. “By the time I am done, your next gig will be patting down incontinent little old ladies coming off cruise ships in Alaska. You got it?”
“Look, bitch—”
“Hey, watch your mouth,” Alex cut in. “Treat the lady with respect.”
“If you don’t have a warrant, you’re done,” Morgan said. “Come back with one and then we’ll talk.”
“So you have time to ditch the drugs?”
When Simms took a step forward, Odin sat and whined, his alert signal. Morgan looked down at the dog, then back up at the DEA agent.
“If you happen to have any drugs in your pocket, ditch them before you come back. Because if you think you’re going to plant them on my client so you can arrest him, again, you’re wrong.”
Dennis blinked in surprise, his face growing red.
The lead cop swore under his breath, aggravated. “Look, I don’t know what kind of pissing match is going on here, but we’re out of it.” He glared at Simms. “Next time, get a damned warrant.”
The cops marched to their cars and drove off, leaving just the three of them and one panting dog.
Simms glowered. “You just bought yourself a shitload of hurt, Parkin.”
Curiously, Alex felt his temper holding steady, and that wasn’t what he’d expected. He should have killed this prick twice over by now. Maybe it was because, this time, he had someone solid watching his back. But when had he started thinking of Morgan as an ally, rather than an enemy waiting to throw him under the bus?
“Thanks for stopping by, Dennis,” he said, putting on the false charm. “Say hi to my ex-wife, will you? Oh wait, she tossed you to the curb, didn’t she? Sorry about that. We both got shafted.”
He waited until Morgan walked inside, then closed the door in his ex-partner’s face. His hands shook and his heart pounded. A short time later, a car engine gunned as Simms peeled out of the neighborhood.
Odin was back at the water bowl, slurping noisily, his job
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