When Perfect Meets Crazy

Chapter 26: 25 - Blessing in disguise or plain old curse

I perched at the edge on of Parker’s desk, stretching my legs out in front of me as my eyes did a quick sweep of our surroundings. No one seemed to be listening or paying any attention to me. Not even Parker himself who had his attention buried in the case file in front of him.

“Hey.” I tapped his shoulder for good measure.

He was known for his laser-like focus. It rivalled mine even. He once read through a fight that broke out between a criminal and another cop right in front of his desk and didn’t know at all even though it got so heated a shot was almost fired. He was that good at tuning out background noise.

I tapped him again. He raised his head up slowly, eyeing me up, then down.

“What are you doing here?”

Although his tone was less than friendly, I didn’t mind. I understood where he was coming from. I also hated being pulled out of studying. Or worse, reading a novel.

“Stopped by to drop off the Sheriff’s jacket,” I lied.

After Masked Idiot ran off without confirming my theory, I decided if I had to wait, my brain would explode and engineered this trip to drop off a jacket that was in fact sitting in the basement back home, waiting to be washed. If anyone but my dad asked though, that was my cover story. As for my dad, I lied I was looking for a paper, an assignment, that might’ve gotten mixed up with his documents. I hadn’t expected him to be around since he mentioned having to meet the mayor today but, apparently, the meeting was a short one. I had to improvise the lie on the spot when I ran into him on the way in. He wasn’t pleased but he allowed me to search his office. When I came up emptyhanded –as expected-, he curtly showed me out of his office, ordering me to ‘be more organized next time.’

And now, I was finally at Parker’s desk. The entire reason I had engineered the trip to begin with.

Parker nodded distractedly, gathering up the papers in front of him into the file.

“What do you need?” He went straight to the point.

It was one of the main things I liked about him. I wasn’t one for small talk unless my mom was present and expected it of me. It was why I didn’t have so many close female friends. The come-over-and-hang-at-my-place type. Such hangouts were usually full of small talk and it was a character trait I didn’t seem to have been born with. Well, that and I never knew when my dad would start acting up nor could I trust them not to do something my mom would find ill-mannered like not hang their coats properly or leave their shoes lying around haphazardly were the reasons I rarely ever had friends over. Compartmentalizing was much safer. Keeping my school life separate from my home life was just better.

“This guy,” I showed him the picture of Masked Idiot on my phone, “could you help me look into him?”

“What did you do?” He stopped, dropped everything and gave me his full attention.

I stiffened, watching raptly as a frown blossomed on his face.

“Nothing.” I shook my head.

“Nothing? Then, why do you want me looking into a Fed for you?”

“You know him?” My eyes widened. Fed? My guess was actually correct?

“I ran into him a couple of times at the... hold on a sec, how do you know him? And why the hell are you looking into him?”

“We... just met. He seemed a bit sketchy, that’s all.” I shrugged innocently.

His eyes narrowed, his lips pursing with disapproval.

Parker, unfortunately, happened to be one of the two people on earth that I couldn’t successfully bullshit. Not without effort, at least. My mom was at the top of that very short list and that was all.

“Try again,” he said flatly.

“Fine.” I huffed. Bending the truth would have to suffice. “I thought he was criminal. You know, he’s... big and brawny and he kept popping up and disappearing randomly. I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t keeping the wrong kind of company.”

“A Fed is the wrong kind of company,” he chastised.

“You were a Fed.” I rolled my eyes. “And before that...” I trailed off, letting the implication hang between us.

Rumor had it that before becoming a Fed, Parker had been part of a drug cartel or some brutal gang. Normally, I would’ve written it off as exaggerated gossip but I believed this particular tidbit. It fit. Parker didn’t have any family as far as anyone knew and for someone on his second job, he was too young and too infamous in the law enforcement world for there not to be something fishy going on behind the scenes. Plus, he reeked of a dark tormented past. I once caught him having a PSTD induced panic attack and apparently, no one else knows he gets them.

I’m a cop,” he said flatly. “Feel free to befriend this guy if he decides

from

to tell me why you quit being a Fed only to still work in law enforcement? It’s so dumb it screams ‘there’s

I liked about Parker was that I could be blunt to the extent of being borderline rude and he wouldn’t bat an eyelash. I didn’t have

“Never.”

I amended, mentally reminding myself to stay on

for Masked Idiot. Parker’s

He knew me so well. I couldn’t help but smile. He mirrored the expression, throwing in an eye roll

he

call and tell me whatever I’m allowed to know about this guy.”

innocent wide-toothed smile to seal the deal. He took

the barest basics,” he

giving up on the smile. “What I want is just basic information. ‘Is he working on something right now? Is he trustworthy? How long has he

from him. I found it hard to disclose even trivial things like what I had for lunch. My first thought was always ‘why do you want to know? What’s it

a few beats later.

“Always.”

pushed away from the desk and got to his feet. The phone was pressed against

to know for sure that I was right. That Masked Idiot wasn’t a threat but one of the good guys. That I wasn’t putting myself in danger by having him around. Knots I hadn’t

for small miracles, my dad’s bag of tricks, and

the rest. Mae, my closest friend, was going to Finch’s party and

heaved a

was never going to be interested. Zach was too hung up on conditioning and keeping up with the division one college he had gotten into but what was reason and common sense in the face of a burgeoning crush. Mae was stubbornly remaining blind to all

up for the rest of the day. I

I texted

party

urged. “What did you

as a reluctant smile spread across his

actual agent. He’s a civilian

everything; keeping secrets, thinking on his feet, telling

“What else?”

very dangerous one. Don’t go sticking your

stifled the urge to roll my eyes. Too

I lied smoothly, openly beaming at him.

he added.

tone conveyed exasperation. It was time to get out before my dad started to get suspicious. I absolutely did not

his eyes at my slapdash

His attention was back in the file before

to my car.

• • •

knows,” he breathed.

were wide and desperate like a trapped animal. His agitated pacing further reinforced the

with pressed hard against the paper, creating a growing black dot. Every muscle in his body drew taut.

knows?” His voice sent a shiver down Ian's spine. “Can you seriously not go

raking a hand through his hair. It was obvious to any who so much as glanced at him that he’d

Avyanna. She figured out that

“That you what?”

in the man’s tone could cool an erupting volcano. The boy immediately rethought his ‘disclose

she figured out

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