“No. I was too busy scrambling to get away at the time to focus on the source of the bullets.”
“You realize one man lost his life, and it injured another during this altercation?”
I duck my head and swallow. “I didn’t.”
“Seems your boyfriend is withholding important information.”
I remain silent, afraid to give him too much information. Let him think whatever he wants as long as my son isn’t brought into this.
“Nothing to say to that?”
“I don’t think my relationship status matters concerning this situation.”
“What if I told you it did? You could save yourself a lot of trouble right now if you’re straight with me, Ms. Paulson. It could save you from heartache in the future. People around the Orlovs end up paying the price for their association. We both know what you’re feeding me right now is Grade A. bullshit.” He leans in. “I can help you. We can set you up somewhere safe for you and your son. I’m sure you don’t really want him around a criminal.”
Is he actually trying to get me to testify against Lenkov?
Not only would it be stupid. It’s counterintuitive to what I want. I see the family I longed for in the man I’m learning to co-parent with and liking far more than I should.
“There’s a wave coming for that family, and it’s going to wash away anyone in the path.”
“Are you threatening me, Officer Matthews?”
He straightens immediately and pastes on his fake smile. “Just sharing my opinion based on the facts. Trouble follows that family.” He continues to make notes. “I think we’ve got everything we needed from you.”
“O-okay.”
He stands and holds the door open for me. “You’re free to go. We’ll be in touch if we have any follow-up questions. Remember, I gave you a choice, and you declined.” His whispered words haunt me as I step out of the room and continue down the hallway.What did I miss?It felt like more than a scare tactic to procure evidence on one of the reigning crime families.
I step out of the precinct and walk toward the black SUV with tinted windows, where Lenkov is waiting with one of his men.
The door opens, and I climb inside.
“Are you okay?”
Buckling my seatbelt, I exhale. “I’m not sure. It was strange. I don’t know if the officer was trying to scare me or what?"
"Wait. Who interviewed you?”
“Officer Matthews.”
“What?”
I watch as he pulls out his phone.
“Why weren’t you overseeing this? What do you mean you got pushed out? Why are we paying you then? Who did I piss off with deep pockets? I don’t know. Yeah, this isn’t good. Be careful. It looks like we’ve got rats in the cornfields right now. I’ll call you back when I know more.”
“What happened?” I ask nervously.
“Someone else has added officers to their payroll in our territory. Our players are making moves.”
The ominous statement has me scooting closer to him for warmth against the coldness settling over my skin. Goosebumps raise over my flesh as he made phone calls. Each conversation is grimmer than the previous one as they go into a defensive mode. This is the man people fear. The dark side to the thoughtful man who works hard to gain my trust and be the father his son needs. I’ve fooled myself into believing I can separate the two. Cupping the back of my neck, he massages the tension away. I understand it doesn’t matter.
He's given us a safe place to belong and touched the places inside of me that had been long neglected. For years I’ve carefully weighed out every decision, always putting Jaycee first. This is my time to take a risk without fearing he’ll be impacted. Decision made, I lean into him and stop resisting the pull I’ve felt since our eyes met across the room years ago.
***
STANDING IN THE KITCHEN, I smile at the sight in front of me. Jaycee is nestled into his father’s side, asleep on the couch with Jurassic Park playing in the background. Tie undone and suit slightly wrinkled, Lenk is completely content. Running his hand over our son’s head, he soaks up his presence. It’s a beautiful thing witnessing their bonding. Knowing someone loves him as much as I do and has the means to properly care for him if anything happens to me, is freeing in a way I never could’ve imagined. I miss my co-workers at The Diner, but I don’t miss the work from either of my jobs, which doesn’t sit well with me. I want to show my son how to live, not just survive. For the first time since he was born, I can think about how I’d like to do that.