“I’m going to call the police,” Jackson said, pulling out his phone.

“And tell them what? That you caught your wife fucking another man?”

“Trespassing,” Jackson threatened.

“Max isn’t trespassing. He has my permission to be here. You’re the one trespassing.”

“This is my house!” Jackson yelled.

“That’s where you’re wrong. It’s my house.” Ice reached into his vest, pulling out a sheathe of papers then throwing them at Jackson.

Jackal took the Taser away when Jackson almost dropped it in his attempt to catch the flying papers.

Ice watched as Jackson opened the papers and read them. It took him only a few minutes.

“You sold our house for forty-thousand dollars? We owe more than that on the mortgage.”

“I wanted a new car,” she said, climbing off the bed to get dressed as she watched her husband’s humiliation unfold.

“I’ll buy it back.”

“You don’t have enough money to buy a pack of gum. Isla’s been taking care of the brothers. She bought Fade a brand new, shiny motorcycle. Max needed some help paying off a few of his bills. Jackal, he wanted a new pistol. And Snake, hell, he did her for free.” Ice stuck out his new boot. “She even bought me a new pair of boots,” Ice tormented him.

“You fucked my wife?”

“Fuck, no. I wouldn’t put my dick where yours has been,” Ice said sarcastically, “but my men did.” Ice reached in his pocket, bringing out some photographs and throwing them at Jackson’s feet. “They’ve fucked her in every room. I heard she likes it up her ass in the Jacuzzi.”

Jackson didn’t pick up the photos. “I’ll take you to court for this—”

“No, you won’t. I have proof you’ve been sneaking in drugs and cell phones to the prison. I don’t think you want to be locked up behind those bars with the same ones you love to use your Taser on.

“Here’s the deal, you’ve got two hours to get what shit you want and get the fuck out of my house before I call the cops and give them the evidence they need to lock your ass up.”

Jackson turned to his wife. “Why? Why would you do something so stupid?”

Isla pursed her lips, going to the nightstand to pick up her phone. Her hand furiously shook as she pulled up a picture then handed him the phone.

Ice didn’t have to look at it to know what it showed. Rita was sitting on Jackson’s face while she gave him a blowjob.

“You paid that slut fifty dollars to have sex with you,” Isla spat at him.

“You use the same service my boss owns. You dumb-fuck, you even used your real name.”

Ice straightened from the door, walking to stand in front of Jackson. “Count yourself lucky that I just took your woman, money, and home. The other guard won’t be seen or heard from again.” Ice jerked out the Billy club in Jackson’s belt.

Jackson flinched, expecting Ice to hit him with it; instead, he walked back to the doorway with it still in his hand.

“Take his phone. I don’t want him making any calls to his brother-in-law for an hour,” Ice ordered, tossing the Billy club to Jackal.

“I want you to call the clubhouse and tell the women to get out here to clean the house from top to bottom. And don’t forget to tell them to drain and clean the Jacuzzi. He’s got two hours to get out, then I want what he leaves behind taken outside and fire set to it. Invite the brothers over for a party when the women get done.”

“What about me?” Isla asked.

Ice told her indifferently, “You can stay with the Predators at the clubhouse, or you can go with that piece of shit.”

It took her a split second to make her choice. “I’ll stay with the Predators.”

Ice turned on his heel to leave. “Oh, and Jackal, I almost forgot. See how much of that stick he can take up his ass.”

* * *

Slater opened the station door, balancing the bagged lunch and coffee cup he was carrying. He passed the desk, oblivious to the looks he was receiving from his friends, going up the short flight of steps to reach his desk. He had to pass several other detectives’ desks to reach his own toward the back, next to the captain’s office.

He wasn’t halfway to his desk before he noticed everyone had quit talking and were watching him.

“What? Have I got toilet paper on my shoe?” he quipped, an uneasy feeling coming over him when no one answered. “What the fuck is wrong with all of you?”

The captain’s door opened. “Slater, I want to see you.”

Slater went to the door, coming to a standstill when he saw Ice sitting in a chair with his feet on the captain’s desk. “What’s he doing in here?”

“He has just given me the name and evidence to convict someone who’s been selling illegal firearms.”

“Who?” Slater asked.

“You, you son of a bitch! That’s how you gained the knowledge to set Ice up so he would go to jail, to throw us off the scent that you were selling them.”

“I didn’t. You can’t have any evidence.”

“We raided your house while you were at lunch and found them in your fucking basement! How can you be so stupid as to hide them in your own house?”

“I wouldn’t! I was framed! He framed me!” Slater pointed at Ice.

“That’s not all the evidence we have. The man you were using as a go-between confessed to receive immunity, and so he doesn’t lose his license. He’s willing to testify that you threatened to kill him if he didn’t set up a sale between you and one of his previous clients.”

Slater lost control and lunged for Ice, but the two officers grabbed him before he could.

Ice slid his feet down from the desk, standing.

“Is that all you need from me, Captain?” Ice asked.

“That’s it for now, Ice. Thanks for all your help. The D.A. will need you to testify.”

“I’ll be there.” Ice gave Slater a gloating look as he passed, which caused him to struggle harder against the men trying to handcuff him.

Ice heard the Taser as he walked away from the office.

* * *

“You finished packing?” Ice asked, picking up another box.

“That’s the last one, I think,” Grace said, blowing her hair away from her face.

“I’ll pack this out and be right back.”

“Okay.” She absently looked around her bedroom to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.

“Damn it to Hell.” Ice’s shout from the living room had her running.

The contents of the box were on the ground and Daisy was sitting next to it, wagging her tail. The door was standing wide open. Frantically, she started looking for Bear and Waylon. She had chosen to name the puppy Waylon because he would sit outside her bedroom door and wail the nights Ice stayed over

Just as she panicked, Ice came to the doorway with a furious expression, packing a dachshund under each arm. After he handed her Waylon, Ice closed the door then gently placed Bear on his feet.

“Check his collar while I pick this up,” Ice said irritably. “I think we should get shock collars so, when they try that shit again, I can zap them.” Ice looked at both dogs vengefully.