Page 46 of Dead Serious Case 5 Madame Vivienne

“I see no cause for concern,” he says finally. “Byrnes is doing his job, which is what you should be doing instead of coming in here crying to me. Grow some fucking balls, man. Yourpartner” —he spits the word out like it’s distasteful—“obviously needs to toughen up and stop being such a fa–”

He stops himself just in time, as if remembering that there are certain words that can no longer be used without serious consequences. But my anger is already reaching boiling point.

“Go ahead and finish that sentence,” I say, my voice dangerously low and my temper barely contained.

We stare at each other for several tense seconds, and I’m trying to remember all the reasons why I should keep calm. However, it really depends on the next words out of his mouth as to whether I’m about to end my career or not.

“You’re dismissed,” Butler snaps.

“Sir,” I grate before heading out of the door and barely resisting the urge to slam it behind me.

I step into the hallway and curse the way my day is shaping up when I see Byrnes leaning casually against the opposite wall, hands tucked in his pockets and a cocky smirk on his face.

“Demanding to see the manager? Maybe I should start calling you Karen.”

“Fuck you, Byrnes,” I hiss, my fists clenching against the need to punch the smugness right off his smarmy face. Even though I know it’s a bad idea, I move toward him until we’re standing almost toe to toe. “I’m only going to tell you once. Stay away from Tristan.”

He snorts. “Or what?”

“Or you won’t like the consequences,” I reply.

“Don’t threaten me, Hayes. You don’t have the balls for it or the support to back it up. You think the DCI will side with you? He barely tolerates you and your ki–”

“My kind?” I finish his sentence for him. I’d love nothing more than to kick his arse but when I look past his words to the cold, calculated look in his eyes, I know exactly what his game is. As much as it pains me to do so, I draw in a slow breath and turn my back on him to walk away.

“You know, your little bitch should be careful.” I freeze in my tracks as his voice continues to taunt. “Skinny little thing like him, heading home on his own in the dark, and on public transport no less. It’s not safe. It’d be a shame if anything were to happen to him.”

My temper snaps with an almost audible ping and all I see is red mist descending before my eyes. I spin around and grip his throat, smashing him against the wall and pinning him there. He grasps at my hand, his eyes blazing, his lips peeled back in a snarl as I lean in closer.

“If you so much as breathe in his direction,” I whisper harshly, “I will make you wish you’d never been born.”

“Danny!” Maddie’s shocked voice hisses. Through my rage, I can barely feel her tug at my other arm. “For fuck’s sake, are you trying to get yourself fired?”

“What the hell is going on!” The DCI’s voice bellows from behind us and we turn. Although Byrnes has plenty of air to breathe, I still don’t release my grip on his throat.

“Get in here, you three. NOW!”

He turns and stalks back into his office, leaving the door open.

Drawing in a breath, I relax my fingers. Byrnes pushes me off him and brushes past me roughly, clipping my shoulder and shoving me into Maddie before heading into Butler’s office.

“HAYES, WILKES, TODAY!”

Maddie grimaces. “I see an afternoon of stapling reports in my near future.”

“Sorry,” I mutter as we step towards the office.

“Don’t be. I heard what he said about Tris.” Maddie follows me inside.

“Close the door,” Butler snaps as he settles in his chair, a smirking Byrnes hovering near him.

Fuck.

It’s pretty clear which way the land lies. My stomach sinks. There’s no way I’m walking out of this office without a reprimand. The only question is how severe and whether or not I’ve inadvertently just dragged Maddie down with me.

Maddie clicks the door shut and moves next to me, and I’m sure it’s not lost on her that we’re standing on one side of the desk and Byrnes is with Butler on the other.

“Hayes, I expected better of you,” DCI Butler says. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”