explosion (jay halstead / one chicago)

chapter 22

liz's pov

"Are you sure you want to stay and watch this?" Kim asked in a worried tone. We were squeezed into the small space behind the mirror together with Adam, Antonio and Erin, looking at Jay and Voight as they entered the interrogation room. They were about to talk to my ex Vince, and while I was certainly uncomfortable in my current position, I was too curious to leave. "Yeah, it's okay." I forced a smile, at which Kim nodded. "Just know you can leave any time."

We turned quiet as the interrogation started. Voight was sitting at the table opposite Vince, while Jay was leaning casually against the mirror right in front of us. Both were studying my ex while he eyed Jay suspiciously. "Vincente Gomez," Jay eventually spoke up. "I suppose you know why you're here." Vince let out a nasty laugh. "You bet. This is all because of Elisa. That whore." He accentuated the last word and looked right at Jay as it left his mouth. Of course, I was hurt, but I brushed it off. I knew this was all part of what he was playing, and I wasn't ready to take part in his stupid games anymore. It was obvious he was trying to provoke Jay, and it seemed to be working.

Jay took a step forward and placed his hands on the table, leaning over slightly. "Watch your mouth," he warned. Vince sat back, obviously enjoying the whole situation. "Oh, right." He pretended to be shocked, then winked at Jay. "Almost forgot you're screwing her." He let out another laugh before speaking again. "Did you know the last officer she screwed ended up losing his job and going to jail?" Fuck. My breath caught in my throat and I could feel my hands trembling. I should have known he would bring it up. This could ruin everything, and it was my fault. I was the one who let things happen with Alejandro, and even worse, I hadn't yet found the courage to tell Jay. My vision became blurry and I clenched my fists, trying to overcome the sudden urge to punch the glass in front of me.

"What is he talking about?" Adam questioned, his voice just slightly more than a whisper. I felt all eyes on me, which didn't help my state of panic. Of course, I had become more comfortable around Jay's unit and I knew that they were nice people. But my past had made me a very cautious and easily frightened person. In a situation like this, all comfort and feeling of safety could evaporate in the blink of an eye, and in the same time this didn't feel like a room of nice people anymore, it felt like a room full of cops looking at me, demanding answers I wasn't ready to give. While just a moment before I had been fine, I was now ready to leave this place, run, and never look back. It was easy to forget where you came from if you weren't continuously confronted with it, but that made everything a lot worse once the past caught up with you. I was ready to excuse myself and run to the bathroom so I could hide in there and try to catch my breath, when Kim stood up for me.

"I'm sure that's private and none of your business," she said firmly, giving Adam an intense stare that tolerated no dissent. I looked at Kim in confusion, but she just sent me an encouraging smile. Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus back on what was happening inside the interrogation room, although I found it hard to concentrate as my mind kept wandering to Alejandro and to what Jay might be thinking. Much to my surprise, he didn't seem too bothered by Vince's words, or he didn't let it show.

"I think you have bigger problems than my private life right now." Jay shrugged and sat down next to Voight. The Sergeant nodded, facing his detective for show. "He sure does." Vince snorted. "You know what? You got nothing. I want to leave. Now." Voight faced Vince again and leaned over the table slightly. "He wants to leave, isn't that sweet? He thinks we got nothing." Jay chuckled. "I'll tell you what we got. What do you want first – the good or the bad news?" When Vince didn't answer, he simply went on. "Well, bad news for you is: We got a journal documenting every step you took after you got out of jail, and Madrid PD is piecing it together with records and evidence as we speak. When you get back to Spain, you'll be leaving the airport in handcuffs." Jay dramatically paused before he continued. "Good news is: That won't happen anytime soon, because you'll be locked away for a long time here in the States."