“Are you good or not?” Rourke snapped.

His eyebrows pinched together and his mouth turned down into a deep frown, bordering on a scowl.

“Let me get ready my way, and you get ready your way, okay?” I snapped. “What does it matter to you if I can’t sit still?”

Rourke’s eyes narrowed. “Is there a problem?”

My life is the problem. I wanted to tell him to leave it the fuck alone, but I was done talking. Any second now, we’d be raiding one of the Vitales biggest warehouses. It was the kind of betrayal there was no coming back from. When Enzo found out, we wouldn’t be fucking in dark alleys. I’d be dead.

Shadows walked back and forth around the warehouse. There were guards all over. No doubt there were more inside. Every second that ticked by made the hair on my arms raise. I adjusted my vest again, mapping out every scenario that could possibly happen.

I shifted in my seat, and I caught Rourke glaring at me. Fuck, something bit him on the ass. To be fair the entire precinct was up in arms after hearing and seeing what had happened to former officer Chandler. My stomach twisted in knots just thinking about it. I’d prided myself on having a strong stomach, but I’d tossed up my entire breakfast after seeing the pictures of his mutilated body.

“What are you going through, Caster?” Rourke asked.

I pressed the back of my hand over my mouth, forcing myself to swallow back the bile. “Nothing. Just remembered the stuff with Aaron Chandler.”

Rourke stiffened, and his mouth dipped further in a frown. “A good man tortured like that. Only a monster could do it.” He ground his teeth as he stared intently at the warehouse. “Fucking Vitales.”

At the mention of them, my heart skipped a beat. Enzo. “We don’t know it was them.” Even as I said it, a part of me knew that was false. It could have very well been Enzo who did it. “He was a dirty cop. I hardly think he qualifies as a good man.”

Rourke scoffed and slapped the steering wheel. “Are you sticking up for them now? Do you need to stay back?”

I shook my head.

“Caster, you need to be on the good side. I can’t have a partner who doesn’t have my back.”

He’s right. What the hell am I even thinking? I nodded. “I got your back, Rouke.”

We stared at each other for another minute before the same old smile appeared on Rouke’s face. It was jarring how quickly his facial expressions had changed. “Good, it’s you and me.” He touched my arm, but it felt off, that same icy feeling permeating my veins.

I nodded, giving the only reaction I could before turning back and watching the warehouse. Buzzing came from Rouke’s side, but I knew it wasn’t the chief calling or Sarge. They would use the radios for that. I forced myself to relax.