Page 78 of Ciaran
Luke points to the third button on his shirt. “When they told me you could get a camera that fit inside a button, I swear to fucking God, I almost had an orgasm. I mean, that shit’s genius, right?”
Tanner’s grin falters. “It won’t stand up in court.”
I tilt my head from side to side. “Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. Thing is, me and my buddies have contacts. All it takes is a judge who likes making examples of pushers who sell drugs to kids.” I gesture toward Luke. “I’m sure my detective friend here knows one or two perfect candidates we could arrange to be sitting on the bench the day your case comes to court.”
Luke nods. “Judge Ashcroft springs to mind. Her son was a body builder. Took ‘roids for years, until they fucked with his head. One day, he lost it. ‘Roid Rage’ they call it. His wife took the brunt. She does her breathing through a tube now. Sadly, being the son of a judge didn’t save him from the twenty-five to life he’s doing in the state pen. Since then, she’s made it her mission to take as many dealers off the streets as possible, regardless of the type of drug. Her average sentence runs at thirty years if memory serves me.”
Luke’s story hits the mark. It could be true or fabricated, but it doesn’t matter. Tanner pales as the reality of his situation comes crashing down, and he wavers on his feet, his throat bobbing as he swallows.
“What do you want?” he asks me, even though he must already know the answer.
I stand right in front of him, eyeball to eyeball. The fucking coward can’t even hold my gaze for more than a second or two. “Millie... and every copy of that footage you shot.”
Tanner’s eyes dart from side to side. “As long as I get this footage in return.”
I rub my lips together. “No can do.”
“Then, how do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?”
I laugh without mirth as the perfect response comes to mind. The exact same words Tanner said to Mia when she asked about the footage he has on me.
“I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”
Chapter 30
Ciaran
The man I’d love to throttle is sitting beside me in the back of Luke’s car as he drives the four of us back to Tanner’s place. The urge to smash Tanner’s head against the window isn’t an easy one to crush. Just the smell of him, the sight of him, makes my blood rage. He’s already deleted the footage from his cell and on his cloud storage, with Draven and me watching closely. The only other places he’s admitted to having copies is on two USB sticks back at his house. All we have to do now is grab the sticks, and Mia, and get the hell out of Chicago.
I can’t fucking wait.
The operation went better than I’d hoped. While hiding in the trees, waiting for Luke’s signal, I imagined all sorts of scenarios where Tanner would put up a fight, call our bluff, or pull out a gun and start shooting. In the end, he crumbled as easily as a stack of dominos. Looks like he is a spineless coward after all.
Luke parks at the curb outside Tanner’s place; a small, two-story house with wooden steps leading up to the front door. The gray paint is peeling, and the tiny front yard is full of weeds. My anxiety to get to Mia shoots through the roof. I can’t bear to think what she’s been through in the last few days. If Tanner laid a finger on her…
I grip him by the collar and shove him up the steps. He fumbles with his keys before he manages to open up, and I thrust him inside. Luke and Draven follow us into the house, but I can’t see Mia.
“Mia!” I holler. “It’s me. Ciaran.”
“Where’s the footage?” Draven asks.
Tanner takes a penknife from his pocket and crouches, easing a baseboard from the wall, where a USB stick is taped behind it. He hands it over to Draven, and my partner attaches the stick to a connector, and inserts the other end into his cell phone. After a few seconds, he snaps, “Next one.”
There’s still no sign of Mia, so I call out again as Tanner picks up a cushion resting on a worn leather chair. He unzips it and feels around. Frowning, he tears out the innards and shakes the sleeve.
“Stop fucking with me,” Draven growls. “I’m not in the fucking mood.”
“It isn’t here?” Tanner meets my icy stare. “I fucking swear I put it here.”
“Looking for this?”
I spin on my heel to find Mia standing behind me, her left hip cocked against the doorframe. She waves an identical white USB stick in the air, and my heart soars. I run my gaze over her, checking for any signs of physical abuse. Thankfully, she seems unhurt.
“Mia.” The word comes out on a breath. I hold out my arms, and she flings herself at me. She’s trembling beneath her bravado. “Go pack your things. I’ll be two minutes.” I take the stick from her and toss it to Draven.
“Is everything…” She bites her lip.
I brush her lips with mine. “We’re going home.”