Repairer of the Breach (Stones of Fire Book 4) by Sarah Ashwood (free biff chip and kipper ebooks .TXT) 📕

I edged away from him, disliking the chill night air filling up the spaces against me that he had filled.

“You’re going to be careful, right? Not do anything stupid?”

Carter shook his head. “I’ve already been stupid tonight. I’m over that.”

I cocked my head, puzzled by the bitterness in his voice. “What do you mean?”

Briefly, he described what had occurred before I showed up, including Sean using him to try and open the Stones’ portal again. My heart sank. He was obviously uncomfortable, if not feeling downright betrayed, by his boss’s treatment. I loved him too much to say, “I told you so.” Anyway, I didn’t have much of a chance to tell him anything. His story wasn’t even finished when we both heard voices raising behind us and turned to look.

Nosizwe had stepped closer to Detective Ewing and was practically in her face, staring her down. Or trying to. Nosizwe was tall, taller than the average man, and even though Detective Ewing wasn’t petite, like me, the shifter leader was much taller. Nevertheless, Detective Ewing hadn’t gotten where she was by being easily intimidated, and she wasn’t intimidated now.

Both Carter and I had missed whatever had sparked their argument, but as we started easing back over to the group both of us heard the cop saying, “You’re right—I can’t touch you legally right now because I can’t prove anything. And I’d have to have a great case to bring charges against someone as famous as your double, Elia. That doesn’t change what I’d like to do, though, and what I’d like to do is arrest you for the attempted murder of Ellie St. James. What I’d like to do is arrest you for running this gang of misfits and outlaws. What I’d like to do is clap your ass in prison for the rest of your life.”

Nosizwe wasn’t happy. Sean made a funny sound, sort of a strangled chuckle or cough. The cop turned to him next, and even from a distance away I could tell by the set of her jaw that she was furious.

“Don’t think I wouldn’t do the same to you, Mr. Costas. You’re every bit as guilty as she is.”

“With all due respect, you’ve lost your mind, Detective,” Sean countered smoothly. “I never attacked Miss St. James. In fact, I’ve protected her from Nosizwe at great personal cost.”

“To who?” Nosizwe sneered. “Not to you. To your man Ballis, maybe, but it looks like he’s getting free payback from the job. I don’t hear him complaining.”

I felt myself stiffen at the implications of Carter getting sex from me, and was grateful the darkness hid my blush. Carter didn’t mind. Of course, he wouldn’t. Only I heard him murmur, “I wouldn’t call it free, but, yeah, the perks have been nice.”

He reached down to grab my backside. I jumped and gave him a shove. “Knock it off,” I hissed.

He chuckled, but the humor was short-lived. The situation in front of us wasn’t easing up.

“I wasn’t referring to you attacking Ellie, Mr. Costas,” Detective Ewing spoke up. “I know you didn’t attack her, but your hands are still plenty dirty. I’m sure you’ve got quite the body count by now, don’t you? Not only from this war you’ve got going on, but from your other enterprises too. And, if not bodies, how many assaults by your enforcers? How much financial chicanery have you been involved with? How about illegal drugs and controlled substances, firearms, and all the rest?”

Sean Costas smiled thinly. “Prove it, Detective. And good luck doing so. Even if you could press charges, I dare you. You have no idea who I have in my back pocket. For all intents and purposes, I own this city.”

Next to the cop, her partner shuffled his feet and cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. Detective Ewing didn’t budge.

“Oh, I have an idea of some of them,” she sneered. “You’re right. Your contacts may prevent me from pressing charges. Now. But nobody is above the law, even if it’s the law of karma. One of these days, you’ll get yours.”

Now Sean Costas did laugh out loud. “Is that a threat? You almost sound like you’re on Nosizwe’s side.”

“I’m not on either of your sides. I’m on the side of law and order.”

“Candace.” Her partner laid a hand on her arm. “You’ve had your say. I think we should—”

“Should what?” Now she rounded on him, furious. My dad would’ve said she looked like she had a full head of steam. I’d felt that way myself a couple times in the past few months, usually when dealing with Carter. “Should what?” she snarled. “I should keep my mouth shut like everyone else has for years, and tiptoe around this guy? We all know he’s basically a mafia don, running his own gang. But we also know he’s untouchable, right? So, we don’t say anything. We keep our mouths closed. We don’t interfere. We look the other way. Well, I’m tired of looking the other way. I’m tired of the conspiracy of silence. I’m tired of it all, Gary. I may never get to bring charges against you, Mr. Costas…” She’d swung back to face him, “But at least at the end of the day I can go to sleep knowing somebody had the guts to look you in the face and call you what you are.”

Sean folded his arms across his chest. “And what is that, Detective?”

Carter and I had halted close enough that I could see the dark scowl creasing his features. This wasn’t funny or amusing to him anymore. He was starting to get annoyed. The detective was treading on thin ice. I wanted to stop her, warn her that this man could likely have her job in an instant. If not her life. However, I had a feeling she knew all that and was past the point of caring.

This woman had spent months trying to infiltrate the Costas defenses and bring some