10. Henry

10

HENRY

I watch Lana saunter out the door, her parting kiss lingering in the air like a taunt. As the door clicks shut, reality comes crashing down around me. What the hell had I just done?

I drag my naked ass off the floor, pulling my pants up, and slump onto the couch. I drop my head into my hands, trying to process the whirlwind of the past few hours. Has she just played me? Had I let her?

I pride myself on being a sharp detective. But Lana D'Amato danced circles around me, leaving me dizzy and off-balance. Now here I sit exposed, vulnerable, and questioning every interaction we've had. Had it all been an act? The flirting, the chemistry, the passion? My gut twists at the thought.

I crossed a line I swore I never would. Not only have I jeopardized the investigation, but I've compromised my own principles. The worst part is that despite knowing better, I still crave her.

She has a pull on me that I'm helpless to resist. She has me behaving in ways I never should behave, has me sharing parts of myself I never should share. I fucked on her my couch, for Christ's sake. And in return, she gave me a coy smile and the sinking feeling that I've handed her leverage over me on a silver platter. I'm surprised she didn't gloat about it.

Fucking hell. I need a stiff drink.

The next morning, I step into the shower, dunking my head under the spray, hoping to wash away my sins. I've potentially torpedoed my career by fucking Lana. But when I close my eyes, all I can see is Lana's face, her eyes blazing with desire as she moved above me.

My mind replays every moment of our encounter. The way her skin felt under my hands, the sound of her breath catching in her throat, the taste of her lips. It's intoxicating, and I want more.

I've always prided myself on my professional ethics. I'm the guy who plays by the rules, who does things by the book. But Lana makes me want to throw the rulebook out the window. She challenges everything I thought I knew about myself.

Part of me knows this is dangerous. She's not just any woman. She's a key player in a criminal empire I'm trying to bring down. Getting involved with her could compromise everything I've worked for. But another part of me wonders if this connection could be the key to cracking the case wide open.

I'm torn between my duty as a detective and the undeniable pull I feel toward Lana. The rational part of my brain is screaming at me to cut ties, to focus on the investigation. But there's something about her that has me craving her, consequences be damned.

As steam fills the bathroom, my mind drifts back to last night. Lana's scent still clings to my skin, and I can almost feel her touch ghosting across my body. God, she was intoxicating. The way she moved, the sound of her laughter, the fire in her eyes. I've never met anyone quite like her. She's dangerous, yes, but also utterly captivating.

I close my eyes, recalling how it felt to kiss her, to hold her. The passion between us was electric. Part of me aches to see her again, to lose myself in her once more. That part is now hard as a rock.

I close my eyes, giving in to the need thoughts of her create. I replay every moment from last night. Touching her tits. Sucking on her hard pink nipples. The way she arched underneath me as I finger fucked her pussy and sucked her tits. The sound she made as she came.

I press a hand against the wall of the shower as electric energy crackles through me. I stroke myself faster thinking of how she rode me. Her long hair cascading down her back. Her tits swaying. How she was so determined to take me in. I'm probably average girth-wise, but my dick is long. She sank over me, and the look she had on her face when I was seeped inside her was pure satisfaction.

I was lost in her. Not so much so that I didn't realize I wasn't using protection. And heaven help me, I almost didn't say anything. I was so relieved when she said she had an IUD. When she said, "Then fuck me, Henry," something snapped inside me. I was like a feral beast needing to rut. Fucking hell, her pussy was so hot, so wet, and it gripped my dick like it never planned to let go.

My hand squeezes my cock as I remember the friction of her body around mine. The image of her coming, the way she arched her head back and cried out, fills my mind. My balls draw in and my dick jerks, my orgasm sweeping through me. My cum sprays on the shower wall.

I press my other hand on the wall, dunking my head under the shower again. I shouldn't be jerking off to her. For one, it's not as satisfying as the real thing, but two, I shouldn't continue to indulge in these thoughts. She's not just some woman I picked up at a bar. She's Lana D'Amato, a key player in the criminal empire I'm trying to bring down.

I need to get my head on straight. This thing with Lana, whatever it is, can't continue. I've worked too hard, come too far to throw this case—my career—all away. No matter how tempting she might be, I have to maintain my professional distance.

I turn off the shower and step out, wrapping a towel around my waist. As I wipe the steam from the mirror, I stare at my reflection. I remind myself of who I am. A dedicated cop.

Yeah, right , my dick says. It's not going to be easy to put her out of my mind.

I dress and remember that my car is on the other side of town. I text Peter asking for him to pick me up.

When he arrives, I climb in, hoping he can't tell that I've fucked a suspect.

"Car trouble?" Peter asks.

"Yeah," I lie. "Damn thing wouldn't start. Thanks for the ride." I'll arrange a ride-share to pick up my car later.

As we drive, the weight of my secret hangs heavy. I can't tell Peter about last night with Lana. He'd never understand. Hell, I barely understand it myself.

Still, we need to discuss the case. "I, uh, ran into Lana D'Amato last night."

Peter's head whips around. "What? Where?"

"Outside her office," I say, carefully omitting the rest of our evening. "We talked a bit. She seems to think someone's targeting their family, using us to harass them."

Peter scoffs. "Seriously? That's rich coming from her."

"I don't know, she could have a point. I imagine they have enemies, and I'm not eager to be a pawn in someone else's vendetta."

"Come on, Henry." Peter's voice is edged with frustration. "You're not buying that act, are you? This is great for us. If someone's putting pressure on them, it'll make them sloppy. We might finally catch a break. Maybe we'll get two Mafia Families for the price of one."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. The memory of Lana in my arms wars with my duty as a detective. I've never felt so torn.

"You okay, man?" Peter asks, glancing at me. "You seem off today."

"Just tired." It's unsettling how easily the deception comes. "Late night." Fuck. I need to get Lana out of my head. I have a job to do.

Peter's fingers grip the steering wheel. "Well, if those calls are people out to get them, this could be good. We've been able to search more properties faster than we would have been able to do normally."

I nod along with Peter, trying to keep my expression neutral. "You're right, although we haven't found anything."

"They've been lucky. Eventually, that luck will run out."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I know, but we need to make sure we're doing this by the book." I close my eyes at my hypocrisy.

"Do you think we're not?" He sounds offended.

"No. We just need to make sure we're not being led by the nose by a rival family or something. A good defense lawyer could turn it all around suggesting they were framed by the rival or by us. It's no secret that some cops are on Mob payrolls."

Peter's quiet for a moment, then he nods reluctantly. "You're right. I just can't shake the feeling that we're on the verge of a breakthrough. One of these days, we're going to walk into that warehouse and find exactly what we need to bring them down."

"Maybe," I say, trying to temper his expectations. "But until then, we need to stay focused and keep building our case. We can't hope for a tip or for their luck to run out. We need to keep digging."

"We will."

We ride in silence, which gives space for Lana to enter my mind again. I'm totally fucked because after last night, everything's changed. Before, it was simple. The D'Amatos were criminals, and my job was to bring them to justice.

But now I've seen a different side of Lana. Vulnerable. Human. And not wrong in that justice isn't blind. It's not doled out fairly. It's making me question everything. What if her family is the target of a vendetta? While criminals should be held accountable, they should only do so on crimes they commit.

And what about Lazaro? I know from the file that he vanished without a trace three years ago, but little was done by the police to find out why. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess why. The police see his disappearance as part of the Mob world. One less gangster on the street. Of course, the official stance is that he's likely dead, another casualty of the violent world he lived in. But Lana's convinced he's still alive. What if she's right? What if there's more to this story than we've assumed? The thought nags at me. Part of me wants to dismiss it as manipulation. Lana's smart. She knows how to play people. But I can't forget the raw pain in her eyes when she talked about her brother. That wasn't an act.

I'm reminded about the deal I made with her to investigate Lazaro's disappearance. That's a tidbit I can't share with Peter either, but I wonder what he thinks about the possibility that Lazaro's disappearance fits into all of this.

"I've been thinking about Lazaro D'Amato's disappearance. Maybe we should look into it again. Could give us some insight into the family's operations."

Peter's head snaps toward me, his eyes narrowing. "Lazaro? Why the hell would we waste time on that?"

"Well, it's an unsolved case, and if we could figure out what happened?—"

"What happened is he probably pissed off the wrong person and got himself killed," Peter cuts me off. "Good riddance, if you ask me."

"But it could point to clues that help us." I shift, feeling oddly like I'm betraying Lana by suggesting using Lazaro to put her and her family in prison. "If he went missing because of Family business, that could?—"

"Lazaro was a violent psychopath who got what was coming to him. The only thing I care about is bringing down the D'Amatos who are still breathing."

His reaction catches me off guard. I know Peter has a grudge against the family, but this level of bitterness is unsettling.

"Look, I'm just saying it might be worth looking into. Could give us leverage?—"

"Leverage?" Peter laughs humorlessly. "We don't need leverage. We need to nail these bastards to the wall. Lazaro's been gone for years. He's not our problem anymore."

I blow out a breath realizing that mentioning Lazaro has struck a nerve. "It was just a thought."

Peter shakes his head. "Focus on the living, Henry. The dead can't hurt anyone anymore."

I stare at him, wondering why he doesn't see how Lazaro's case could help us learn more about the family. There's something more at work here. I can't help but wonder just how deep Peter's dislike of the D'Amatos really goes.

At the station, I go to my desk, seeing the Lazaro D'Amato file sitting on top. I've boxed myself into a corner on this case. I've made a deal with the devil, a devil whom I'd give my right arm to spend a night with. Dinner. Talk. Sex. All of it, I want with Lana. The smart thing would be to drop Lazaro's case—hell, the D'Amato case as well—and focus on something else. How can I work these cases without dealing with Lana? How can I deal with Lana and not want her, especially after last night?

But if I did that, I'd be denying who I am. I'm a detective who solves crimes to keep Chicago safe. I put criminals in jail, including beautiful, smart, exciting ones.

I rub my temple to ward off the headache that's building. I have to be true to who I am. That means I need to keep on both cases. Lazaro's investigation because even his situation deserves to be solved, and because it could lead to information that helps us understand the D'Amato's operations so we can put them away as well.

I open Lazaro's file and pray for the strength to resist Lana as I work to bring her family to justice.