Pinto handed him the information. Without saying a word, the cop stalked back to his vehicle, leaving him to wonder what the hell this was all about.
While he waited, he checked his messages, and he couldn’t help but grin at the sight of Fiona’s name on the screen. He tapped on the message, and his grin broadened to a smile.
Just wanted to say hi. Hope things went well with your family.
He typed a response:It did. Thanks for asking. Have fun with Liz.
He’d just hit Send when the officer returned, the scowl still firmly in place. “Step out of the vehicle.”
This couldn’t be good. “Is there a problem, Officer?”
“There will be if you don’t step out of the vehicle.”
Pinto’s pulse kicked up a notch, because none of this seemed like a normal traffic stop. For starters, he knew he hadn’t been speeding, and the cop had yet to mention a single infraction he’d committed to warrant the stop. But rather than argue, he got out of the car, tucked his phone into his back pocket, and tried to ignore the ball of dread that had formed in the pit of his stomach.
“You got anything in the vehicle that I should know about?” the officer asked.
“No, sir.”
“Then I suppose you wouldn’t mind if I took a look.”
Alarm bells went off in Pinto’s head. He’d heard horror stories about illegal substances being planted by law enforcement during these types of searches. “With all due respect, you can search my car if you have a warrant. Otherwise, I do not consent to a search of my vehicle.”
“It sounds like you’ve got something to hide.”
“Not at all, sir, but like I said, I do not consent to a search of my vehicle.”
The cop’s eyes narrowed. “Turn around and put your hands on the car.”
What the hell?“Am I under arrest, and if so what’s the charge?”
“I said turn around and put your goddamn hands on the vehicle.” The cop placed a hand on his service weapon, the message all too clear. “I’m not going to tell you again.”
The situation was rapidly escalating into dangerous territory. Not following the officer’s command could land him a resisting arrest charge—or worse—so Pinto turned around and pressed his flattened palms against the Mustang.
“Am I going to find any weapons?” the cop asked as he patted him down. He removed the phone from Pinto’s back pocket and placed it on the roof of the car.
“No, sir.” There wasn’t anything else to find. His wallet and keys were still in the car.
The cop made a sound of contempt. “Don’t move until I tell you.”
How long he stood there, he honestly couldn’t say, but his arms were numb by the time a second police vehicle pulled off the road behind the first, its flashing lights combining with those of the first to create a strobe effect. It appeared to be an unmarked police cruiser, because the flashing lights were mounted on the dash instead of on the roof. Somebody stepped out of the vehicle, but the lights made it difficult to see the person clearly. As the officer drew closer, he came into focus.
Fucking hell. He should have known this was where things were heading.
“I got you a present for Christmas,” the first cop said, a distinct note of humor in his voice.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” Officer Dennis Heckler shook the other cop’s outstretched hand. He wore a blue polo shirt over khaki pants, with a dark jacket to conceal his badge and gun. “Is your cam on?”
The cop shook his head. “Nah, piece of shit’s been on the fritz all afternoon.”
“That’s a damn shame.” Heckler’s focus shifted to Pinto, his gaze sharpening like a predator that just spotted its favorite prey. “You’ve been messing around with what’s mine.”
This was probably a really good time for Pinto to keep his big mouth shut. He was outnumbered and unarmed. Too bad his New Jersey upbringing wouldn’t let him just sit there and take the abuse. “She hasn’t been yours for a long time, bro. You don’t get to choose who she—”
The punch to the kidney wasn’t unexpected, but it still hurt like a motherfucker. Pinto clenched his jaw and held in the grunt, determined to deny the bastard the satisfaction of knowing how much that hurt.
“Perhaps you didn’t understand me.”
