Grifter|| A Love Story||

5

He slid another paper towards me. "Same charges, different state, different name," he slid four more at me. "In seven different states actually. New York, especially wanting your head on a silver platter for the bank you somehow robbed. I'm still curious how you got that man to just hand you $30,000." Bas beamed with pride and leaned over, smiling from ear to ear.

"My girl is amazing," normally my heart would swell with his praise, but I wasn't amused in the slightest. No way I'd give up that secret.

"What's your point, Branch? If you're going to arrest me, then spare me this trip down criminal lane." He smirked at me, taking the papers back. Placing them back into the folders, filing them away into his briefcase.

"The way I see it, you two could go to prison for a very, very long time. All these jurisdictions fighting to bring you to justice. And they'd have me to thank." He eyed us both with caution like we were going to run away.

"So---you want confetti with your big celebration?" I snipped back, getting bored with his lazy speech. He gave a deep chuckle, letting it roar through his heavy gut and wiped a hand over his chin.

"Now, now, Lexie,"

"It's Alexis," I growled to him, cutting his sentence off.

That name was reserved only for Bastian and a few select friends. No one else. Branch eyed Bastian and he shrugged, trying to calm the situation. Bastian doing his best to give Branch his puppy dog eyes, pleading for him to continue.

"I've got a job for you," Branch blurted out in a hurry, my face falling thirty stories off a building. Eyes as wide as saucers trying to figure out if he said what I think he said.

"A what now?" I gaped, my jaw falling open.

"Hear him out, Lex. I promise." Bastian pleaded Branch slid over another folder.

"Or--a mark as you criminals call him." I opened up and the first image that greeted me was a police officer in a captains uniform.

Deep piercing blue eyes, crooked nose, and a pointy chin. There were three long scars cut into his right cheek like he had made an enemy fast. Just by the way he looked, I could tell he was untrustworthy. Like he could charm your pants off and then ruin your life with the flick of his wrist. The sight of him made my stomach churn with uneasiness.

"A--police captain?" I asked in disbelief this time. I looked up at Branch, who folded his hands under his chin and smiled, basking in the glory of our fate.

"It's either that or your partner here goes to prison." I eyed Bas who shook his head begging me to cooperate still, he must have known this was coming.

"So blackmail then?" I grumbled.

"Not blackmail, a favor for a favor." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"And what would we get in return, for whatever we have to do." 

"I let you go, pretend I never saw you. And we go on our merry way. You two continuing your life of crime and I continue to hunt you down, but I'll give you a two-week headstart." I snorted in response.

"You must be delirious or desperate to track us down and what?" I flipped through the pictures, coming to a handwritten page. Fully covered with cursive and side margin notes from Branch.

"Missing evidence?" I asked, almost to myself. I read more, engulfing myself in the wild tale the page had to tell.

Drugs, guns, and a shit ton of money were stolen from an evidence locker. That could have put a long time criminal in prison for the rest of his life. The department had no leads, no surveillance, and they were stumped. An informant ratted Mr. Policeman out and ended up dead a day later. Cue Branch's investigation and he had come up with bubkis.