I’m in no shape to do that,” Bobby said, wishing that M.J. would simply do what he asked and stop questioning him. “She’ll be wondering why she hasn’t heard from me, so just do it.”
M.J. shrugged. “You really think Denver’s gonna believe me? There’s no way she’ll buy that you were too sick to pick up a phone. No fuckin’ way.”
“Do it anyway. Convince her,” Bobby said, trying his best to remain calm. “’Cause I gotta get myself over to the emergency room and try to find out what kind of shit they gave me.”
“‘They’? Who the fuck is ‘they’?”
“Nadia couldn’t’ve done it by herself,” Bobby said, his mind racing with possibilities. “She had to have someone help her. How else could I have ended up dumped in a car, for crissake? It must’ve been her and that lowlife cousin.”
“Jeez, you’re really serious.”
“You bet your ass I am, ’cause you should know I wouldn’t bail on you—not on our opening night.”
“Then let’s figure this shit out,” M.J. said. “If you were drugged, there’s gotta be a reason.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Whyn’t you tell me again what happened.”
“After I woke up in the car, I drove back to the hotel and tried to find her. Dead end. All I have is her first name. I gave it to the manager, who looked at me like I was batshit crazy.”
“Can’t blame him for that.”
“For crissake, it happened,” Bobby said, fast losing patience. “I’m not hallucinating. This is for real.”
“Don’t go freakin’ out on me. I believe you. Your story’s too fucked up to be an excuse.”
“Damn right it is.”
“Here’s the deal,” M.J. said, finally on board. “I’ll call Denver for you. Then we’re headin’ straight to the emergency room.”
Bobby nodded. “Now, that sounds like a plan.”
* * *
After lunch with Sam, Denver headed back to the office, where she and Leon met with the female undercover agent, Sonia Gonzalez.
Sonia Gonzalez was Puerto Rican and verging on pretty, in a tough “don’t fuck with me” kind of way. Leon and she had partnered together before and they seemed to know each other well.
Denver couldn’t help wondering if they’d slept together. The vibe in the air was that they had. The two of them had been on an undercover assignment in San Diego two years previously and they’d brought down a major human-trafficking ring. They were obviously tight.
Sonia had long black hair tied back in a ponytail, full lips, and a taut body. Today she was dressed for real life in pants and a denim shirt. Denver could just imagine her in full regalia as a party girl. Sonia would own the role.
They circled around each other, both with their own agendas. Denver wanted to make sure that Sonia knew what she was getting herself into, while Sonia was going for trust. She only worked with people she was sure had her back.
Later, Leon revealed to Denver that Sonia’s older sister had also been an undercover agent, and had gotten shot and killed for her trouble. “Sonia’s the best,” he assured Denver. “If anyone’s gonna nail our boy, it’ll be her.”
“I wish you’d stop calling Alejandro ‘our boy,’” Denver said, her tone sharp. “He’s a douche-bag drug dealer who’s ruining people’s lives.”
“Got it.”
“Good,” Denver said, feeling her phone vibrate. She quickly reached for it and checked out the caller. It was M.J. What the hell did he want?
Then it suddenly occurred to her that maybe Bobby had gotten into an accident, and while she was out on a lunch date mildly flirting with an old flame, Bobby was lying in a hospital mortally wounded.
“I have to take this,” she said.
“Go ahead,” Leon replied, giving her space. “Later.”
“M.J.?” she said into the phone as soon as Leon was out of ear-shot. “Where’s Bobby? Is he okay? What the hell is going on?”
“Funny you should ask…”
“ What? ” Denver gasped, her imagination
M.J. shrugged. “You really think Denver’s gonna believe me? There’s no way she’ll buy that you were too sick to pick up a phone. No fuckin’ way.”
“Do it anyway. Convince her,” Bobby said, trying his best to remain calm. “’Cause I gotta get myself over to the emergency room and try to find out what kind of shit they gave me.”
“‘They’? Who the fuck is ‘they’?”
“Nadia couldn’t’ve done it by herself,” Bobby said, his mind racing with possibilities. “She had to have someone help her. How else could I have ended up dumped in a car, for crissake? It must’ve been her and that lowlife cousin.”
“Jeez, you’re really serious.”
“You bet your ass I am, ’cause you should know I wouldn’t bail on you—not on our opening night.”
“Then let’s figure this shit out,” M.J. said. “If you were drugged, there’s gotta be a reason.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Whyn’t you tell me again what happened.”
“After I woke up in the car, I drove back to the hotel and tried to find her. Dead end. All I have is her first name. I gave it to the manager, who looked at me like I was batshit crazy.”
“Can’t blame him for that.”
“For crissake, it happened,” Bobby said, fast losing patience. “I’m not hallucinating. This is for real.”
“Don’t go freakin’ out on me. I believe you. Your story’s too fucked up to be an excuse.”
“Damn right it is.”
“Here’s the deal,” M.J. said, finally on board. “I’ll call Denver for you. Then we’re headin’ straight to the emergency room.”
Bobby nodded. “Now, that sounds like a plan.”
* * *
After lunch with Sam, Denver headed back to the office, where she and Leon met with the female undercover agent, Sonia Gonzalez.
Sonia Gonzalez was Puerto Rican and verging on pretty, in a tough “don’t fuck with me” kind of way. Leon and she had partnered together before and they seemed to know each other well.
Denver couldn’t help wondering if they’d slept together. The vibe in the air was that they had. The two of them had been on an undercover assignment in San Diego two years previously and they’d brought down a major human-trafficking ring. They were obviously tight.
Sonia had long black hair tied back in a ponytail, full lips, and a taut body. Today she was dressed for real life in pants and a denim shirt. Denver could just imagine her in full regalia as a party girl. Sonia would own the role.
They circled around each other, both with their own agendas. Denver wanted to make sure that Sonia knew what she was getting herself into, while Sonia was going for trust. She only worked with people she was sure had her back.
Later, Leon revealed to Denver that Sonia’s older sister had also been an undercover agent, and had gotten shot and killed for her trouble. “Sonia’s the best,” he assured Denver. “If anyone’s gonna nail our boy, it’ll be her.”
“I wish you’d stop calling Alejandro ‘our boy,’” Denver said, her tone sharp. “He’s a douche-bag drug dealer who’s ruining people’s lives.”
“Got it.”
“Good,” Denver said, feeling her phone vibrate. She quickly reached for it and checked out the caller. It was M.J. What the hell did he want?
Then it suddenly occurred to her that maybe Bobby had gotten into an accident, and while she was out on a lunch date mildly flirting with an old flame, Bobby was lying in a hospital mortally wounded.
“I have to take this,” she said.
“Go ahead,” Leon replied, giving her space. “Later.”
“M.J.?” she said into the phone as soon as Leon was out of ear-shot. “Where’s Bobby? Is he okay? What the hell is going on?”
“Funny you should ask…”
“ What? ” Denver gasped, her imagination
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