Edge of Chaos | Dad's best friend | 20 Squad BOOK #1

Edge of Sanity | Tan | Nine

"I need you to do me a favor." I told Street the second I saw him Monday morning in the kitchen. Jim Street was one of the youngest members on the squad, at least he used to be since he was recently kicked off the team for lying to our team leader Hondo and putting the needs of his lying, manipulative mother who is in jail- before his team members. He was currently in S.W.A.T academy competing for a second chance back on the team but until then, he was working the armory and any other grunt work the team needed him to do. I could tell how sorry he was for his mistakes and I've seen how hard he's worked over the last several weeks to prove that he's committed to earning his spot and if it was any consolation, I was rooting for him. "I need you to use HQ's computers and look up someone for me."

Street placed down the gun he was cleaning then wiped his hands on a rag. "Who?"

"A guy. All I have is a first name. And I know where he works. He's been dating Layla."

"Something off about him? She asked you to check him out?" Street asked.

I stepped further into the room and rubbed my neck. "Not exactly."

Street raised his eye brown in silent question.

"Without going into detail, this is someone I have concerns about, but she doesn't seem to be too worried. But I'm worried, and I want to make sure she's okay and this guy isn't someone who's going to take advantage of her."

"So she doesn't know. Is that what you're saying?"

"Right. It's between me and you." Street didn't bat an eye as he led us over to the computer that was typically used to ping calls and run background searches for the worst of the worst criminals.

I'm thankful Street didn't press for more questions, not that I expected him to. Here in SWAT we were a family and if anyone of us needed a favor then we would help each other out no questions asked.

"What's his name?" Street stood in front of the computer.

"Zane."

"He works with Layla?"

"I don't know if he works in the same department, but he works at Dauntless Publishing. That much I know."

"Anything else?"

"That's all I know."

"Okay, I'll look into it." If there was any dirt to be found about Zane, our system would root it out. "What is it about him that's got you so worked up?"

Every time I thought about Layla and her new boyfriend, fired burned in my veins. "It's hard to explain. It's not just him, it's her, too. She's changed a lot recently. She's not behaving like the person I've known most of my life."

"I'm not sure I follow." Street replied.

"Trust me, she's not acting like herself. Did you see what she posted on her Instagram? That blue dress with the high slit and the way she was posing? All these weirdos we're leaving thirsty comments under her photo." I had to resist the urge to pull her Instagram account down.

"So this Zane guy, you think he's got some Skelton in his closet or something?" Street asked.

"I don't know. I've only met him once. She won't let me talk to him long enough to get a read on the guy. At least with this background check I can find out for sure if he's hiding anything."

Street assessed me in an oddly close way that I didn't appreciate.

"Why won't she let you talk to him?"

"She said I scare men away," I mumbled before rubbing the back of my neck again. I needed a massage.

"I see." Loaded words for sure. Street, who'd been staring out the expansive computer screen , swung his gaze to me.

"What do you see?"

Street was very perceptive, and his ability to analyze served him well as a team member.

"Let me ask you this—why are you so worked up about the guy she's seeing and the way she's dressing?" Street wondered.

"Look, me and Layla go way back. I worked with her brother back in my Vice days and before he died I promised him that I'd always look out for her."

"I respect that. But it sounds like this guy is a good guy."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Street chuckled as he stepped back away from the computer allowing me to take a look at what he was able to dig out.

Zane McIntosh.

Thirty-Four.

Lives in Palm Springs.

Editor at Dauntless Publishing since 2017.

Volunteers at the local community center three days a week.

Shit. Either this guy was a saint or Street didn't dig deep enough.

"You do realize you can't tell her what to do right? She's a grown woman."

"I know that. But I can keep the promise I made to her brother to look out for her." I argued.

"You realize you're abnormally upset and protective right now, right?"

"There's nothing abnormal about it. She's protective of me, too. We're best friends and she's like a sister to me."

"I've never seen you act this way over Mya."

"Mya had Hondo and the rest of the team looking out for her. Now she's with Deacon. It's different with her. Mya is more like a little sister."

"You're not acting like a big brother, Tan. You're acting very possessive. She's not yours."

"She is—" I stopped. The unfinished sentence hung in the air. Street just looked at me, waiting.

Street pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Be careful, Tan. Think about what you're doing and where you're going with your relationship with Layla"

I thought about it. I knew exactly what I was doing. "I'm looking out for a friend. Nothing more." "

That's not what I'm talking about," Street said. He rested his forearms on the desk, locking his steady gaze with me.

The penetrating look made me uneasy, but he held it. "Once you cross that line, you can't go back. Layla's not the kind of woman to cross that line with and expect you can just go back to being friends. Do not have sex with her unless you're ready for a commitment."

"Who said anything about having sex? I have a girlfriend. Bonnie. Remember her?"

"I do remember. I'm just trying to make sure you remember. If you're losing interest, break up with Bonnie first before you move on with Layla."

In the past few weeks I had already acknowledged that at least part of the high-level emotions I felt toward Layla was not solely based on platonic feelings. There was more, much more that I chose not to acknowledge. The rage I'd felt when she left with Zane for their breakfast date after we kissed had been hammered home. Something was happening to me—to us both, and by extension, our relationship.

I held Street gaze and spoke with the same gravity. "I'm not losing interest. I love Bonnie. Layla is just a friend. That's it."