Chapter Nine. #2
“If you insist,” Marabelle agreed as she sat back behind her desk.
I did. It was the least we could do to keep everyone safe.
◆◆◆
Wylde was waiting for me when I left to check it was safe for Geri to leave. “Are you okay?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, confused.
“How River’s treated you.”
“Oh, I’m used to that. In your opinion, is her attitude any different from half the townspeople?”
“People shouldn’t judge,” Wylde snapped, looking annoyed.
I tossed my hair back and laughed. “Like you, Wylde? You judged us and still do.”
“No!”
“Yes. I know you do. You think we’re into illegal things.
Let me tell you something, Wylde: we might be—we might not.
But if we were, we’d not do anything to harm anyone.
Most of the club has suffered at the hands of someone.
We wouldn’t put that on others. Traffickers, drugs, arm shipments, they’re things we look to take down.
Not take up. The tip-offs your department has had, who on earth do you suppose they come from? ”
Wylde rocked back on his heels as he considered my words.
“We might dabble, but that’s all it would ever be. Hardened criminals who destroy lives are something we’re not. And you and I, Wylde, we’re at two opposite ends of the spectrum. Not everything is black and white, because grey exists.”
With that, I turned and walked away. Wylde may want into my pants, may even want more than that, but it wouldn’t work out.
He was the law, and I was a criminal in his eyes.
I was good at shocking his family, but I wasn’t someone he’d take to the policeman’s ball.
A pang hit me as I entered the shelter. Would anybody ever want me for me?
Could someone look past the president of an MC and see the woman underneath it?
Wylde
I’d known how deep the Royal Harlots were in with the shelter. It was the one thing the people of Portsmouth respected them for. Rivers was pissed, though. She wanted to know where the safe houses were, and after realising she’d get shit from Sapphire, she was now pressing me.
“Forget it, even if I knew, I’d not tell. Those women deserve somewhere safe to stay. Doesn’t matter how much we try to keep shit quiet, things leak, Rivers,” I said, finally losing patience with her.
“And this has nothing to do with you wanting to get your dick wet?” Rivers retorted. Luckily for her, we were in the precinct’s car park when she opened her mouth, or there’d have been hell to pay.
I ground my teeth audibly, and Rivers looked proud that she’d got a reaction. “Come with me,” I ordered.
“You’re not my boss,” Rivers shot back.
“Get your fuckin’ ass inside and to the captain’s office before I put an official complaint in,” I warned her and marched off. I didn’t even stop to see if she was following, but went straight for Hatton’s door. I banged loudly on it, knowing my rigid stance and anger were drawing attention.
“Come in,” Hatton called.
I entered and found Rivers on my heels. Hatton looked at our faces before motioning to two empty chairs. “Sit the fuck down. You start talking.”
“Detective Rivers is accusing me of hiding things from her because I want to fuck Sapphire from the Royal Harlots.”
“Like what?” Hatton asked calmly.
“Like the fact that one of the women there was attacked, and the RHMC is moving her to a safe house. Sapphire refused to disclose to either of us where the safe house was. Rivers then confronted me in the car and demanded I tell her. When I informed her, I didn’t know, and if I did, I wouldn’t say, she accused me of keeping quiet so I could fuck Sapphire. ”
Hatton tempered his fingers and stared at me before turning to Rivers.
“Wylde’s got no right to hide things from me, I’m a detective too. He acted like I can’t keep a secret,” Rivers exclaimed angrily. “Why’s he protecting a criminal enterprise?”
“What authority do you have to know where a victim goes?” Hatton asked.
Rivers blinked. “What?”
“I said, what fuckin’ right do you have?”
“I’m a detective, I was called to an assault scene!”
“And I gather you took their statements and put a BOLO out,” Hatton said.
“Yes! Well, Wylde put the BOLO out, I wanted to check the footage first,” Rivers stated. “He took the word of Sapphire that Liam Danvers was the attacker.”
I silently ground my teeth and stared at Hatton.
“Did Mrs Danvers, Gabi, Marabelle, and Sadie identify Mr Danvers?” Hatton asked.
“Yes. But Wylde—”
“Wylde nothing. He did the job you were supposed to do. I guess you would have taken the footage, pissed around for a couple of hours, and then checked it over. Meanwhile, Mr Danvers would be getting further away. Do you know anything about Mrs Danvers’ situation?”
Rivers seemed to sense this wasn’t going her way. “No.”
“Did you even do any checks before heading out? Like asking Wylde if he knew something?”
“No,” Rivers ground out.
“Wylde knows the case. He was there the last time Geri Danvers was admitted to the hospital. He’s also been called out to the shelter four times with Officer Katie House to deal with Mr Danvers.
Katie usually handles the calls there. But she’s off today, which is why you went.
From the complaint I’ve just had from Gabi, you were rude, condescending, wilfully combative with Sapphire, and intimidated the witnesses.
“Nobody has to tell you where the safehouses are. Why? Because they’re fuckin’ operated privately and funded by the RHMC.
They’re not state-run ones. Wylde is correct.
Once someone spills the address, including to a trusted partner, the location gets around.
That property is no longer a refuge. Not even the clients know where they are being moved to.
That’s the entire point of a safe house.
“And lastly, I hope the fuck you didn’t accuse Sapphire and the Royal Harlots MC of being a criminal enterprise to their face.
One lawsuit this month is plenty. The truth is, you fucked up.
Thought that because you had a badge, you were more important than the victim, who was being supported by a group of people you don’t like.
Throwing baseless accusations at a dedicated and decorated officer is unwarranted and unprofessional!
” Hatton bellowed at the now paling Rivers.
“I want a written apology from you to Gabi and those at the shelter, and one for Wylde, and also for Sapphire of the Royal Harlots. And I hope you are able to grovel as much as you can run your mouth. For the next month, you’re on scut work.
And if you step out of line again, you’ll be directing traffic!
” Hatton roared. “Fuckin’ risking the safety of a victim because you’ve got goddamn ego problems! Get out of my office!”
Rivers leapt to her feet and raced out, the door banging shut behind her. Hatton turned to me and grimaced. He reached down and opened his bottom drawer and banged two shot glasses on it before pulling out a bottle of whiskey.
“I know you want Sapphire. You got anything on her being a criminal?”
“Nothing. Although she did say today that if they were involved in anything illegal, it wouldn’t harm people. She also admitted that the tip-offs we’ve had on the trafficking, drug runs, and arms shipments came from the Harlots.”
“What the fuck?” Hatton exclaimed, sitting up.
“Yeah. She laughed at me and asked where we thought they’d come from.”
“Damn. That makes sense. But she said they’re not doing that? Did you believe her? Could they be stopping rivals so they have a clear run?”
“Don’t think so. We’ve got drug problems like everyone else, but it’s minor compared to most towns. Same with unlawful weapons. We get one or two a year, but certainly not an influx like we’d have if the Harlots were running guns.”
“What’s your gut say, Wylde?”
“I doubt they’re clean. Money laundering, smuggling, hacking, yeah, I can see them doing that.”
“I’ve heard rumours of an illegal underground casino, and creating fake identities for the women that are rescued.
And I’ve been told of an escort service that RHMC runs, but I can never get a lock on it.
The RHMC are alleged to protect prostitutes as well.
Stops the pimps beating the crap out of them. ”
“Captain, I think they’re doing illegal crap, but is it shit we want to shut down? Our crime rates have been low for the last eight years, but they began dropping slowly after the Royal Harlots arrived. I also believe they’re behind the attacks on the gang members.”
“You do?” Hatton asked; his eyes gave away that he’d already arrived at that conclusion, too.
“Yeah. These assholes are trying to move in on territory claimed by the club. They have cleaned the streets around them; they won’t like what’s going on,” I said.
“Agreed.” Hatton shoved a shot glass at me. “Drink. And tell me about wanting Sapphire and what happened at the country club.”
I choked on my mouthful of whiskey. Fucker planned that, I swear!