Chapter 257 Wolves In Uniform
The fluorescent lights above flickered softly in the quiet corner of the precinct—the women’s dressing room. Unlike the main hall or interrogation sectors, this area remained mostly untouched throughout the day. With so few female officers, it was a near-deserted zone, especially this late into the evening. The only sound came from the slow drip of a leaky pipe near the far sink, echoing through the tiled chamber.
Chief Josh Michelle stood with his back to the mirror, one hand gripping his phone tightly to his ear, the other hand fidgeting at his belt as he spoke in a low, tense voice.
"There’s a complication."
The line crackled faintly, and then came the familiar deep, unhurried voice of Boss, smooth as velvet and cold as death. "What kind of complication?"
Josh swallowed hard. The dressing room felt unusually warm, like the air was thickening with pressure. "Ryan just got back. He didn’t make the arrest," he said tightly, glancing once toward the entrance to make sure he was still alone. "Liam’s with Lilith. And you know what that means—nobody’s laying a hand on him. Not with her standing between."
There was silence on the other end. Then, a low chuckle. Boss’s laugh wasn’t loud—it never was—but it curled through the speaker like a snake wrapping around Josh’s throat.
"You’ve had one job, Josh," Boss said slowly. "And now you’re telling me you’ve failed it."
Josh’s hand tightened on the phone. "It’s not that simple—"
Boss cut him off, his voice dropping to something soft and dangerous. "If Liam isn’t in cuffs tonight, then you can forget about promotions. Forget about commissioner. You’ll rot behind that desk until retirement like a washed-up traffic officer. Are we clear?"
Josh felt the first bead of sweat run down the side of his face. He wiped it with the sleeve of his uniform, nodding even though Boss couldn’t see him.
"O-Okay," he stammered. "I’ll do it. I’ll do everything in my power to bring him in tonight."