Los Angeles, the city of opportunity. Many people come and go with dreams of making it to fame, Hollywood seems but a breath away to some, yet the furthest thing from desire to few. It's always been known that the best place to hide is in plain sight, no one looks for something if they don't believe it's hidden, no one enquires about what goes on behind closed doors if they're always allowed inside. It was the most elaborate plan, no one had ever sussed it out, until they did.
It's been known to the LAPD for a while that there has been an underground community ran by an unknown head who deals illegal substances and leads a gang who terrorises the known city of California. Anurag Basu, a private investigator for the Los Angeles Police Department, the unseen head of the Gang and Narcotics division has made it his life's work to crack down on them and bring the city back to safety.
The task seemed easy, far too easy. Befriend Rodriguez Santiano's wife Prerna, the quiet beauty who seemed far too innocent to be the wife of a mob boss and collect intel. But when sparks fly and nothing is as clear as it seems, Anurag may find that protecting the woman who can never be his is far more important than the case he's tried to crack open for over a decade.
~~~
PREFACE
Anurag had been in the police force long enough to know the difference between a gunshot and a car backfiring and this was definitely a gunshot. Spinning out the cylinder of his .357 magnum revolver he pushed in each bullet one by one, winding it back in he held it to his person, index finger a dot away from the trigger, placing it up to his chest he relaxed back into the brick wall and waited for whoever had made the shot to move into his line of sight.
His radio crackled beside him "Stand back Basu, it's too dangerous, you hear me, stand back"! The order was firm, one Anurag probably should have followed, but as usual he never did. Jobs never got done if orders were obeyed.
Turning his body to the side, he held his arm out "Hands behind your head, where I can see them or I shoot", the man he faced currently was a low time drug dealer, a man who valued his life over prison time so he knew he wouldn't put up much of a fight if any. The injured man on the floor led with a gunshot wound to his arm and a dirty needle sticking out of the other, clearly the one on the floor owed money to the man who had shot him. Money made the world go around, it also threw people off half way before their end.
"Oh, come on, I didn't even do it" arguing was futile, but somehow, they always tried.
Raising a brow, he chuckled "The gun is in your hand, come with me now and I'll put a good word in at the office for you, behave and you'll only have to do half of the sentence" beckoning him forward he lowered his gun "Let's go".
"See, I always knew you were decent" allowing him to place the cuffs on his wrist, he dropped the gun onto the floor "Let him die, bas***d stole my money".
"No can-do Robbo" pushing him toward another officer he scratched his forehead "Injured party round there, coast is clear".
"Basu, you come on these cases why? They're below your paygrade" Jim faced him, sweat glistened atop his balding scalp and ran down his nose, the coffee in his hand shook and spilt over the edge of the cup as his wrist wobbled, he was getting too old for this, but he wouldn't give it up anytime soon.
"Befriend the low class criminals, they're the ones who know the most" Anurag shook his hair, glossy raven coloured mane soft and shaggy around his neck, his muscles clenched as he pushed his gun back into his holster and pulled off his long, grey jacket that hit the back of his knees "Can't get anywhere without them, you know this Jim, you taught me this".
"And when do you ever listen to anything, I teach you?"
"I listen" dropping his head, he smiled lowly "I just don't always follow".
"Away with you, for that comment you can do the paperwork on this one" slapping his back he sat back in the car, he had always had a soft spot for Anurag, he was a smart man, keen to do his job and knew the system like the back of his hand. Not many men who had faced what he did came back fighting, but he had. In fact, he came back the next day, stronger, more silent, resilient but he never spoke of his pain and Jim never asked him, it was best not to. He wasn't the kind of man to speak of his nightmares, life was filled with too many.
~~~
"Gin and tonic" his voice was raspy, scarce of all emotion, yet his eyes told a story that not many had seen.
"Rough day Basu?"
"You could say that" the gruff chuckle that escaped his lips made his back ache, he couldn't recall the last time he had ate a good meal or even slept properly. The Rodriguez case had been keeping him awake, he knew men like Rodriguez, cold and harsh, unfeeling and terrifying, he had even met a man like him once. The man who had made a small-time cop like Anurag Basu become known in the police force, he should have been thankful for the push it gave him, but he wasn't. He could never un-see what he had seen, forget what he always remembered or save what had already been lost.
Rodriguez was the kind of man who got away with murder in plain sight, the kind of man who killed families but left the children only to come back and take them in like he was doing them a favour, but of course this was a case too big and too dangerous for him to do alone, but no one wanted in on fighting the man who had taken so much from them already, they were all scared and in all honesty he couldn't blame them, he was too, the only difference was that he had nothing to lose, everything he once had, had already been taken from him. That's why he had to do this, because if he was correct then the Santiano's weren't the only ones to be wary of, someone had to try and take them down, it just so happened that he was that man. No one had tried to start from his wife, she didn't seem like a woman who got into trouble, she gave to charity, hosted parties and dressed elegantly, but he knew well enough that it was the kindest faces who sometimes hid the darkest secrets. Of course, she was untouchable, just like how Rodriguez wanted, getting close wouldn't be easy, but if he was right and he was sure he was. This woman knew it all, all of his dirty little secrets and his back-alley deals, only she could help put him away and he was willing to do anything he could to ensure that she did help him, even if it meant playing dirty, even if it meant making her fall for him. Someone had to take the risk, well, that's what he told himself. If not him, somebody would, it was for the better good and something done for the better good could never be wrong.
"Wanna talk about it?" Nicholas leant forward over the top of the bar, shaking a cocktail mixer in his hand as he spoke.
"Nothing to say Nick, just work as usual, I'm trying to figure out an action plan".
"To introduce yourself to Prerna you mean? Well why didn't you just say, she helps out in the downtown women's centre, collects money, does stalls, helps the women there find better lives for themselves, she goes every Thursday, so she'll be there tomorrow, just go and bump into her when she runs a stall".
"You're a genius Nick, what would I ever do without you?"
"Maybe not be a stress drinker?" Winking he pushed another glass forward "On the house, for trying to keep this place safe".
"I won't say no to that" clinking his glass against the bartender's hand he downed it in one, tomorrow he would finally come face to face with a woman capable of loving a monster, a woman who ignored his crimes and stayed anyway. Tomorrow would be the start of the end, the day that the Santiago empire began to fall.
PREFACE~ Above
1~ Sliding Down Walls~ Page 1
2~ The Breaking Of Dawn~ Page 2
3~ Whip It All Away~Page 2
4~ The Cost Of A Good Night~ Page 3
5~ Hating The If~ Page 3
6~ Ignoring Temptation~ Page 4
7~ You Came Back~ Page 4
8~ A Place Of Solace~ Page 5
9~ Finding Home In His Arms~ Page 5
10~ Some Prices Are Non-Negotiable~ Page 5
11~ A Special Gift~ Page 5
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