All Chapters of The Law And The Liar: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Pain stabbed through my thigh like fire with every heartbeat, but I forced myself forward. One foot in front of the other, every step sharp and jagged, breath ragged as it tore through my lungs. The bullet hadn’t hit anything vital thank God but the wound was raw, and the blood warm against the chill night air. Behind me, the relentless staccato of gunfire echoed through the alley. The sound was deafening, a chaotic roar that swallowed everything else the pounding of my heart, the burning in my lungs, the sharp edge of fear slicing through every nerve. Raffaele’s voice cut through the noise, low and urgent. “Move faster! They’re closing in!” His gunshots rang out with deadly precision, each one deliberate. He kept their attackers pinned down, buying us precious seconds. But I knew better than to believe the second man’s fall meant the fight was over. Reinforcements were coming, and soon. We barreled toward the main street,

The safe house creaked with silence, walls swollen with heat and history. The soft throb in my leg was nothing compared to the ache sitting in my chest. Raffaele stood a few feet away, arms crossed, jaw set like stone. “You should’ve told me Silva contacted you,” he said flatly. I didn’t look up. “And you should’ve told me you weren’t dead three years ago.” His eyes flashed. “That’s not fair.” “No,” I said bitterly. “What’s not fair is waking up alone in a motel bed with no explanation. What’s not fair is having to clean up the mess you left behind. You made me believe you were gone, Raf. You made me grieve.” His expression twisted, and he took a step toward me. “I did it to protect you.” I scoffed. “You always say that. Like I’m some porcelain doll. I’m a cop. I’ve buried friends, lovers… my brother. But you? You didn’t even give me the decency of a goodbye.” “I was being h

The knock came again slow, deliberate, three steady taps, pause, then two quick ones. I froze. My whole body tightened like a coiled spring. That knock wasn’t random. It was a signal, a code I knew all too well from my days undercover in the SAPS.I glanced at Raffaele. His dark eyes were sharp and alert, muscles tensed like a predator ready to strike. My hand instinctively tightened around the grip of the pistol hidden beneath my jacket.“Who is it?” I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady.“Travis,” came the familiar, hoarse reply from the other side of the door.Travis Naidoo. Once my closest partner in SAPS, a brother-in-arms. But the years had changed us both, and in this world, trust was always fragile, like glass on the verge of shattering.A heavy weight settled in my chest, warning me that something was wrong. But I pushed the hesitation aside. We needed to know if we had an ally or another threat.I eased the door o

By dawn, we had a name. A face. And a decision to make.Captain Themba Dlamini wasn’t just any officer. He had medals, press conferences, and polished shoes that shined like truth. But now, I could only see the shadows in his file the unexplained reassignments, the sudden transfer of funds, the encrypted calls flagged at ungodly hours. Most damning? He had accessed the safe house logs just two hours before the sniper photo was sent to my phone.He was our mole. Or the closest lead to one.The city stirred as we drove toward Hawks headquarters, headlights casting long shadows on the wet pavement. I sat in the back of an unmarked vehicle, Raffaele beside me, Travis behind the wheel. No sirens. No backup. Just us and a growing storm inside my chest.“How do you want to play it?” Raffaele asked, glancing at me. “Kick down the front door, or go in quiet?”I didn’t answer immediately. My brain spun with possibilities. We were walking into enemy

I didn’t know how long I stood there after Raffaele walked away. His scent still lingered in the air smoke and spice and something heartbreakingly familiar. My hands trembled slightly, fists clenched at my sides, though I didn’t remember making them.The hallway felt colder without him in it. The silence was louder.I forced myself to move, step after step back into the apartment. The walls closed in as soon as the door shut behind me. It was too quiet now no footsteps, no heated arguments, no heart-pounding nearness.Just me and the weight of everything I had tried to bury.I should’ve never let him in. Not into my space. Not into my head. And certainly not into whatever part of me still remembered what it felt like to be wrapped in his arms in a world that made sense.I kicked off my boots and dropped onto the couch. The cushion beside me still held the faintest warmth from where he’d sat, and I hated that it made my heart ache.A knock at the door startled me.I froze, heartbeat ju