Love Lies Bleeding by Remmy Duchene (carter reed txt) 📕

I found out the best way to get in there was to work a few years with the NYPD so I could get first pick. I didn't have that kind of time. I did some digging and found out Leo was like a son to him. I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone. I'd get close to Leo and get my revenge at the same time. But I was going to make Jazmon watch as I dismantled his life the same way he had mine. I was going to start with Leo, then a few of his friends, then you. But I broke into Jazmon's place and he caught me, so I had to recalibrate my plans. Life just got complicated the moment I graduated the academy. I had the wife, you see, and then I before I knew what was happening, I fell into the friend trap with Leo. Then you came along…"

"It's not my fault you didn't man up about it. You chose to stay in the closet, right?"

Daniel gritted his teeth and Anderson simply glared harder. "I saw the two of you once. You were facing the wall and he was behind you, holding your hands to it and fucking you hard. I thought—that should have been me. I mean, I've loved this man since the very first day I laid eyes on him. His hair was longer then and he had this body that made me think of that guy from the new TV show Hawaii Five-0. But here you come with your hard body and big brown eyes and he just gets caught up in you and your ass." Daniel stopped and pushed some air out his mouth. "No matter. I'm back on track now. My plans have been altered somewhat but now I'm back and I've made the changes necessary to carry them out."

"You think Leo is going to come after me."

"Oh, I know he will." Daniel eased from the stool and pushed it back against the wall. "There is no way he's not going to come, especially knowing you're in danger. Oh yes, he'll definitely come to your rescue. He's just that kind of man. He fights for those he loves."

"Well, you're wrong. Leo doesn't love me. It was just sex."

"You know, for a professor, you sure are dumb."

Daniel walked around him then and Anderson twisted to see him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Anderson hollered. "Hey! I'm talkin' to you!"

When the only reply he got was the slamming of a door, Anderson wanted to scream. This wasn't working as well as he thought and he was fresh out of options.

* * * *

"So let me get this straight," Byung Ho Yung said, hands on his hips, pacing Leo's living room. "Your partner—a man who was tasked to serve and protect—is a homicidal maniac who wants you dead so he's using my best friend as bait?"

Leo cringed but nodded. It'd taken him a while before he decided to actually contact Byung. But he had to. When it was spelled out the way it was, the whole situation sounded so horrid. "I was such an idiot. He was my partner. I should have seen something was off about him."

"This is not your fault, Kim," Isha said.

"Then whose fault is it? I was trained to see when someone is bullshitting me and this asshole weaseled himself into my life and just completely blindsided me. Now he has Anderson. He has the man I love and I'm sitting here feeling like my world is exploding and there's nothing I can do about it."

Isha picked up a folder and opened it. "I didn't see it coming either. But there's no other explanation. I can't get a hold of Daniel at all and this would explain those times when you asked for him and we didn't know where he was. Now we just have to find him."

Leo rose and placed his cup on the counter in the kitchen. Folding his arms across his chest, he took a breath and turned to look at Isha. "Here's the plan. We're going to Daniel's place and talk to Mary. Maybe she knows him better than we did."

"Who's Mary?" Byung wanted to know.

"Daniel's wife." Isha handed him a photo of Mary. "I never knew what she saw in him. He always gave me the creeps."

Byung handed the picture back. "And we think she's involved?"

"I don't know." Leo adjusted the badge now digging into his side.

"What do I do?" Byung asked.

"You're coming with us," Isha said simply. "He has Anderson and who knows who else he's going to go after. Kim, do you want me to call the Captain?"

Leo shook his head. "No. He holds us in such high regard. If we tell him now, it'll kill him."

Isha nodded. "I did that background you ordered on Daniel."

"And?"

"Well. turns out Jazmon Williams put away his father." Isha handed Leo another file and he opened it to read. "His name is actually Cole Daniel Astrid. Fergis was his mother's maiden name. I don't know how he got into the academy, Kim—I just don't know."

"He didn't do anything illegal. It's his name." After browsing the file, Leo rubbed his eyes. "So his father was killed in lock up."

"Seems that way." Isha drank deeply from her cup. "He blames Jazmon Williams for it all. But the thing I don't get is why? Judge Williams saved that punk ass from an abusive home."

"I guess he didn't see it that way and now he wants to break me."

"Okay… I hate to break up this session of pissing in the wind," Byung interrupted. "But this psycho has Andy… okay? So do something—now."

Leo took a breath, held it for a moment, and exited the room to grab his gun. Once he was packing, he grabbed a few pairs of gloves and shoved them into his pocket just before the three headed out. They took Leo's car, but remained silent for the entire ride across town. The wind blew