Page 92 of Fate's Crossing
West fumed. Silent. If you looked closely, you could see a tiny muscle twitching in the corner of his left eye.
“Sir, respectfully,” Nico said as gently as he could. “I don’t need your permission to pursue a lead, nor do I need it to assign staff to assist me.”
“It’s a professional courtesy.”
“Like the courtesy you showed me the day I arrived, when you basically told me I wasn’t welcome here?”
Frank’s head lifted at that.
After a notable silence, West said, “You gave me your word that there would be no more recklessness.” He swept his eyes up and down Nico’s battered body. “And look at you.”
“I gave you my word that what happened with Garrett wouldn’t happen again, and it hasn’t. This,” Nico said, pointing to his shiner, “was self-defense.”
West gave an unbelieving sneer, then began picking his way toward the door, dodging the broken glass Nico had yet to sweep up. “You call it whatever you want. It’ll be up to the judge to decide whether it was justified when you turn in your report.”
He walked out without another word.
“What about Garrett?” Nico called to his back.
West stopped, leveling Nico with a look over his shoulder. “I’ll deal with him.”
“What the fuck?” Nico muttered once West was out of earshot. “What is it with him and Kyle? Am I missing something?”
“They grew up together,” Frank said, coming to stand beside Nico as the chief’s taillights disappeared into the night. “That man spent more than half his childhood under the Garrett’s roof on account of his parent’s tendency to regularly beat the crap out of each other. They’re closer than most brothers, though he’d never admit it to you. I suppose he feels like he owes him.”
Nico sighed. “Fantastic.”
“There’s a lot of history between folks around here. Stick around long enough, you’ll catch up.” Frank looked around. “You all set here?”
“Yeah, we’ll be fine. Appreciate the help.”
“No problem. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
Nico watched Frank drive away too, then closed and locked the door. When he turned around, Lexie was there. He couldn’t quite gauge the look on her face, but it seemed like she was about to say something difficult.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “This is my fault.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said.
Even to his own ears, his voice was tight. Between the fight with West, a murder investigation unraveling at the seams, his ever-failing new career path, and the dull ache in his balls from pent-up sexual frustration, he’d admit he was not in the best mood.
Saying no more, Nico grabbed a broom and began cleaning up the glass on the floor. When Lexie attempted to join him with a dustpan and brush in her hand, he shook his head. “I got it.”
“Nico, I can help—”
“I said I got it.”
“Fine.” For a moment, Lexie stared at him. She folded her arms. “I embarrassed Kyle in front of half the town tonight. I’m sure he’s furious with me.”
Nico paused briefly, then kept sweeping. He stayed quiet. Her tone set off warning bells all through his head. Wherever she was going with this, it was nowhere good.
“You know it’s not over, right?” she continued. “I stood up to him, told him we were through, but . . .”
“But what?”
Blowing out a long breath, she shrugged. “I just want to make sure you’re up for this. As unfair and ridiculous as it is, being with me means you have to fight for it. Fight for me. And I don’t know how long we’ll be dealing with his crap.” She stepped closer. “Is it worth it to you?”
“Jesus Christ, Lex.” Nico dropped the broom to the floor, his hands finding perch on his hips. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not going anywhere before you’ll believe it?”