Chapter Four. #2
“You haven’t seen the victims! One’s got broken fingers on both hands, another has crushed balls and might not be able to have kids, and the third has a penile fracture. Add in cuts and bruises, this bitch beat the crap out of them, yeah, detective, exactly,” Dix retorted with hate as I winced.
“Maybe they should have kept their hands to themselves and not sexually assaulted Rose. Seems to me they got what they deserved,” I replied, and Dix stared at me with wide eyes.
“Are you kidding me? She wears a cut, we all are aware of their men, a slut gets what she deserves,” Dix growled, and I blinked.
“You’re off the case. This is now mine. I’ll call Hatton and let him know exactly what happened here.”
“They’re club sluts!” Dix insisted.
“She was a victim of sexual assault and other crimes. You’re believing those assholes because they’ve dicks, and she wears a cut? Yeah, I think it’s more than clear that you’re done here,” I replied.
“She’s a slut; they’re all sluts at that place!” Dix exploded, and people looked over.
“Nice to know, I wonder how much we’d get for a slander suit,” a voice drawled. A shiver ran down my spine—Sapphire. Behind her lurked Vengeance.
“Thank you for your defence, Detective, at least the suit won’t be against you!” Sapphire continued. I turned around and saw her with her phone out, recording the entire scene.
“You can’t record me! This is a two-party consent state!” Dix shouted at her.
“Actually, that’s regarding private conversations. It’s a First Amendment right to record police officers while performing their duties. You’ve no expectation to privacy! And you call yourself an officer of the law. Seems to me you need to go back to school, officer,” Sapphire sneered.
“Knowles, get your partner out of here,” I ordered.
Knowles looked between the two of us, and Sapphire smirked. He dragged Dix off as I watched them go.
“Thanks, Wylde,” Rose said, and I offered a brief nod while I held Sapphire’s eyes. She looked vaguely amused.
“Yes, thank you, detective. I appreciate you sitting with Rose until I arrived, but don’t you have a job to do?”
“Huh?”
“I’m sure you said you were taking Rose’s case, and you need to call your captain and also breathalyse those assholes in there,” Sapphire said.
Damn, I was staring at her like a fool.
“Yeah, Rose, I’ll get your statement soon,” I replied, and with a nod to them, I walked in the direction Knowles and Dix had come from.
“What the hell was that?” Rose demanded as I began walking away.
“What?” Sapphire replied.
“You two were eye-fucking each other—and don’t deny it!”
“Shut up bitch, your eyesight is clearly compromised. Let me see your face,” Sapphire retorted even as I smiled.
Sapphire was eye-fucking me, was she? Nice to know.
Sapphire
I was infuriated with the situation and worried about how Rose’s face might heal.
The doctor had mentioned her eyesight might be damaged to the point of blindness.
Rose had to wear an eyepatch for a few days while the swelling went down.
After the usual scans and whatnot, I hung around to see what was happening.
Two different uniforms had turned up, and I’d seen Wylde talking to them. His captain had also arrived and spotted me. Chase Hatton listened intently and then headed over to me.
“Sapphire,” he said, approaching.
“Captain Hatton.”
“I understand two of my uniforms were rude earlier and made—”
“Let me stop you there, Captain. The video is already with my lawyer, who will no doubt be contacting your chief soon. I know my club has a reputation for many things; we don’t tend to let it bother us. People will judge where they want,” I said, holding up a hand.
For a brief moment, Hatton looked relieved, like he might wriggle his boys out of this. Not likely.
“However, when an officer makes allegations that are unproven in the open, it’s no wonder we’ve a bad rep.
Add to that, they hadn’t taken Rose’s statement and were prepared to arrest her.
Our boats have cameras; that footage, in addition to my recording, is on its way to your chief.
It shows a clear attempt at sexually assaulting Rose.
It also shows Rose defending herself. Those men are very lucky; all they did was grab her ass and tits.
If they’d gone any further, Rose should have dumped their asses at sea.
“I don’t care who they are, rich or poor; they assaulted a member of my club.
I expect the book to be thrown at them, like it would anyone else.
Rose ought to be treated like a victim because she was.
Just because Rose can defend herself doesn’t make her experience any less traumatic.
Your cop was judgmental, rude, and about to make a wrong arrest, and he didn’t give a shit.
He just wanted to bang cuffs on a Royal Harlot.
“I can’t tell you, Captain, how tired I am of this shit. But my lawyer will ensure your department knows. I’ve nothing against you or Detective Wylde, but that uniform needs a fuckin’ wake-up call, and I’m about to give him one,” I said calmly.
Chase Hatton held my eye. “I understand, Sapphire, and he will be reprimanded.”
“Good, but I want blood. Rose might be blind in one eye because of those assholes, yet your officers were going to arrest her without her getting medical attention. That’s bad policing.”
“Agreed.”
“We do a lot for this community, as in bringing jobs to the area, helping charities, raising funds, and so on. We are very community-minded, and I’m sick of being suspected of illegal crap.
There’s no proof because we aren’t doing shit.
One day, your officers might get that into their thick skulls.
In the meantime, we’ll continue to deal as we’ve always done. With dignity.”
Hatton stared at me as I baldly lied to his face. He smirked a little but wiped it away quickly. “I understand. And apologise. You said Rose might be blind?”
“The boom those fuckers swung at her impacted right on the eye socket. There is damage, but the doctors can’t tell how severe it is because her eye is too swollen.
Her eye socket was fractured alongside her cheekbone.
Those idiots are lucky, because she managed to get them back alive and in one piece. Me? I’d have drowned them,” I admitted.
Wylde winced behind his captain, and I wondered what Hatton would say to my words.
“Wouldn’t have blamed you for that. Please keep me up to date with how Rose does,” Hatton said and handed me a card.
I took it gingerly, wondering if this was some trap. Ever since we began setting up base here, Hatton had been watching us and after us. Now he was offering… what?
Confused, I pocketed the card as Hatton nodded in Wylde’s direction.
“He’ll be the lead on Rose’s case. If there’s anything you wish to know, contact Detective Wylde. Thank you for your time, Sapphire,” Hatton said and dismissed me.
My ego could handle that, although some probably couldn’t. Hatton walked back to the two uniforms, said something that made them look at me and wince, then left.
“If Rose is awake, I’ll take her statement.” Wylde approached me.
“Sure,” I replied as Nun strutted into the waiting room.
“Where is she?” she demanded.
“You can go with Detective Wylde; he’s going to hear what she has to say,” I said to Nun and gave her Rose’s room number. They were keeping her in overnight to monitor the concussion she also had.
I choked back a laugh as Nun moved past Wylde and drew eyes to her. She wore a black bustier, a pleated miniskirt, and knee-high boots. Her hair was drawn back in a bun, and she had a man’s white shirt hanging just past her ass cheeks.
“Holy crap,” a guy murmured. “She’s hot.”
“Too hot for you, stud,” I said as I began to walk away.
“I’d like to try, though,” he replied, and I laughed. So would many other men!