Page 49 of Urban Justice
Chapter 21
Sloane didn’t understandwhy she’d decided to follow Luke out of the silos instead of hunting down the scum that had shadowed her underground. Bloodlust was the closest she could come to defining what she’d felt and experienced more and more since they’d failed to get ahead of the drug traffickers. Sloane hacked into the police files every morning and saw the increasing numbers of victims, and every time, she crushed her helplessness with determination and a silent promise that she’d stop this human tragedy. Thinking that someone would become addicted to Phantom as she’d been with other drugs, and succumb to their addiction, was like living her own despair all over again.
She was frustrated but something else nagged at her. Since Lance had come with the car, she’d been given the silent treatment. It wasn’t a first from Lance. They’d bumped heads countless times on missions, and in the end, they’d always found a middle ground. What Lance conveyed was that they would talk about it later, and she was fine with that.
She couldn’t comprehend why Luke was giving her the cold shoulder though. Didn’t he get this was her job? That this mission was crucial to stop the poison from spreading further than it already had?
How could he not see she was ready to take them down one by one if need be? Even if it cost her life?
The lair was empty when they arrived. The team members on standby had gone home to get some rest. Even Devin was nowhere to be seen, obviously taking advantage of some well-deserved downtime. His last message through the comms told them that nobody appeared to be following them, and he’d get someone to take care of Sloane’s SUV.
The moment the car had parked inside the underground parking lot, Luke had grabbed his pack and got out of the car, still silent, still with that same closed-off expression from the tunnels.
Lance followed with his own gear as Sloane trailed behind. Luke was already at one of the worktables, unpacking his equipment when she reached the upper level. He pulled his gun out, removed the cartridge, and put the pieces on the table.
Looking up, Luke addressed Lance. “I need to get out of here.”
Sloane cut off her boss. “You’re leaving? You can’t leave! We haven’t stopped the traffickers yet.”
Luke didn’t look at her as he waited for Lance’s answer. Unease spread, and she struggled to wrap her mind around was happening, around Luke’s sudden coldness.
Lance reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. “I’m sending you an address and an entry code. The place is secure. Call me if there are any problems.”
A beep from Luke’s pocket confirmed he’d received the information. Without checking it, he went to the elevator.
“This is madness! We were tracked. He needs to stay here!”
Sloane’s body was torn between shaking some sense into her boss and running after Luke. When the elevator’s doors closed before she could enter, she ran for the staircase, Lance’s words following her. “From what I saw, Luke can take care of himself better than you can of yourself, Sloane.”
Not stopping for a reply, she ran up the stairs, undoing the top part of her suit down to her black camisole, which was soaked with sweat. The air should have made her shiver, but her body was radiating heat, her mind in overdrive.
Luke was in the kitchen, gathering his equipment, files, and laptop, putting everything into his messenger back. He was methodical in his movements, but it was clear he had no intention of remaining there for long either.
“What are you doing?” Her question sounded stupid, but she was trying to get her bearings, understand what had triggered him.
Once more, he avoided looking at her. “I said I was going to help you, and I’m going to keep my promise.”
“It’s too dangerous for you to head out alone. It’s safer for you to stay here.”
The tension was so thick between them Sloane felt panic insinuating itself down to her bones, and it made her even more frantic. It got worse the longer Luke remained silent.
“I told you I’ll see this mission through, and I will. I’ll head back to the tunnels and track them until we can shut this down, but I need a clear head, and that means being away from here.”
The way his last word lingered revealed more than what he’d said. “You mean me. You need to be away from me.”
All the air left her lungs and at that moment, she couldn’t decide if she was incredibly hurt or incredibly angry. As a defensive mechanism, she decided on the second option. “Good. If you can’t accept what we do here, what I do here, you’re better off leaving.”
Her dismissal made him look at her for the first time, and the fury that hit her full force had her taking a step back. It was the first time since she’d met him that she saw a Luke far different from the laid-back man she’d come to know. The professor with the easy grin and brilliant mind was gone, and she didn’t recognize the man that had taken his place.
As he came around the kitchen counter in her direction, he unleashed his anger. “This isn’t work, it’s a suicide mission! You’re risking everything, especially your life because you can’t come to grips with the fact you fucked up in the past and you’d rather put your life on the line than take significant risks for your team, and for yourself. Admit it!”
A dangerous mix of anger and fear made her see red. How dare he accused her of lacking courage or being afraid? She moved to bring him down but anger had slowed her response and Luke had her on the floor in less than a second, his face vibrating with fury as it almost touched hers.
“I don’t care if you hide behind a fucking mask, or jump into the middle of a firefight, but at least have enough courage to admit why you’re doing it. You’re trying to prove your worth, seeking your redemption, without a care for the others because you fear what they’ll think of you if they discover who you truly are. Do you really think you’ll feel better at the other end of that path when nobody around you trusts you anymore? When you’re alone, without friends, with only the cooling blood of your enemies on your hands?”
Each breath was like inhaling sharp glass. Her heart wanted to leap out of her chest, caught in what he was saying like chains weighing her down. Unable to form words, Sloane’s mind blanked when Luke’s mouth descended upon hers.
Lust she could deal with. What he stirred inside her, that powerful need, was impossible to conceal.