We watched the news, waiting for the outcome of the trial with bated breath.

“We, the jury, find the defendant guilty!”

I exhaled the breath I had been holding, while the room erupted in cheers

“Good job today, team,” the VICE Captain raised his beer to the rest of us. “And thanks to Wildfire, that’s another scumbag off the streets.”

But not without the cost of my reputation. The officers applauded, while I stared at the ground, my face hot from embarrassment. “I’m just doing what I can.”

“And you’re one of the best at it,” Detective Amaryllis, my handler, clapped his hand on my shoulder. “We couldn’t have gotten the evidence without you.” His silver hair matched his copper eyes.

“I’ll drink to that!” another officer said while raising his glass.

My phone buzzed, and I ignored the call. “I gotta get to my normal job.”

“Aw, but this was your victory as much as ours,” the officer complained. “You lost everything to take this guy down.”

“It is what it is, and money is money.”

“I’ll drive you,” Detective Amaryllis volunteered.

We walked to his car and climbed in. Both of our grins snapped to straight faces. My cheeks hurt from the constant smiles.

“A deal’s a deal, Ms. Embers.” He handed me a file.

“This is everything you have?”

“Yup,” he drove toward the Cloud Nine hookah lounge. “That’s everything we have on the Shadow Team.”

“Not much here.”

“The only reason it even showed up on my radar was because that director claimed that he was tricked. Since you only go after bad guys, I don’t see a reason to keep the case open. I’ll make sure it goes cold.”

I put the folder under my arm as he pulled up to the hookah lounge. “Contract’s complete, so lose my number.” I climbed out of the car.

“Never even saved it,” he replied dryly, lurching his car forward to shut the door.

I walked into Cloud Nine Hookah Lounge.

Miranda, my right-hand woman, ran up to me. “Congratulations, Ms. Embers. I saw the news,” she whispered. “You took that bastard down.