Chapter 23 #2
I fed him another bite, looking him dead in the eyes.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to help every woman who has walked through our doors.
My—our—entire life is dedicated to helping women who’ve not found justice by the law.
We step in when everybody has given up. We don’t initiate.
We retaliate. More often than not, we women can’t prevent what men do to us.
The pointless pain they inflict. The damage they do to our mind, body, and soul.
But we can end their reign of terror. Men always start it, Lieutenant. Wildcats just put a stop to those men.”
He held still the entire time I talked. He wasn’t expecting me to admit any of it. “Who gave you women the right to become the judge, jury, and executioners?”
I rolled my eyes. “The fucking victims. After the cops, the lawyers, and the actual fucking judges didn’t do shit for them.”
“And you claim to only accept cases of those women who’ve been failed by the legal authorities?”
His lips turned into a smirk when I stayed quiet for too long.
I pursed my lips because he’d got me there.
I looked down at the pasta and stabbed some with my fork.
I met his eyes as I fed him the bite. “For the most part, yes. But there have been instances when it was too dangerous for the victims to actually go to the cops. And don’t argue with me for the sake of it on this.
You know the justice system far better than I do.
You might actually care about the victims, and you might not take bribes.
But there are bad apples everywhere. Your own fucking detective, that asshole Jones. ”
When I offered him another bite, he shook his head. “I’m done. Thank you. Now, did you kidnap him or kill him?”
I stayed silent, glaring at him.
Our gazes clashed. Electricity spun around us as I waited for him to say something fucking meaningful after I laid my truth bare in front of him.
After a full minute of charged silence, he shook his head. “I don’t fault you ladies for your actions. You’re not exactly killing off innocent people. I acknowledge that. But what about the Russian mob? Did any victim of the Russian mob hire you? Did the cops hire you? Why take them on?”
I placed the plate on the floor in front of the chair and sighed at him.
He was asking way too many questions for a man sitting tied to a chair.
“Look. I am happy to answer your questions, as long as you won’t arrest us for what I tell you.
Either you’re willing to work with us or you’re against us.
You need to pick a side. You can’t have it both ways. This is not a fucking confessional.”
His face was devoid of all expression and emotion. For a long minute, he looked impassively at me, once again glaring at the scars on my face. I, on the other hand, put all my effort into not fidgeting under his scrutiny.
“Fine. I won’t arrest you,” he said, making me gasp. “But I have conditions.”
My heart dropped. “Of course you do.”
“If you don’t want me to arrest you and your vigilante group, I will stay with you. I will work with you. No matter the case. I will review each case and decide which one you take on. I need to see that you are telling the truth, and that you only execute the bad guys.”
I scoffed. Loudly. The audacity of this fucker. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Fuck no. We do not take orders from a man. Especially not from a fucking cop. There is no way any person in my group or I would agree to your atrocious demands.”
“I will arrest you and your group, then.”
My temper flared, and I pulled out the gun from the back of my pants and aimed it at his head. “I’ll kill you before you touch any of my girls. I promise you that. So try me, Lieutenant."
The mad fucker leaned forward and pressed his forehead to the barrel of my gun, his eyes trained on mine, a devious smirk on his stupid face.
“Pull the trigger, little criminal. If I’m found missing after over forty-eight hours, my contact will raise the alarm to the NYPD.
He gave me access to this place, so I’m sure my team will find you.
And there will be nobody who would be willing to give your little vigilante group a chance. ”
My head pounded with frustration. But for the life of me, I couldn’t agree to his conditions.
“You can work with us. That’s all. We don’t ask for your permission.
We don’t ask for your authorization. You work with us as a temporary team member.
You listen to the orders if you’re involved in a mission.
I'd rather you just be the audience here. But that is it.”
He dragged his forehead across the barrel, shaking his head. “No can do, little beauty.”
I jammed the barrel into his forehead, making him hiss and pull his head back.
He sighed as if I were an inconvenience to him.
“I will fucking stay with you, in your house. I will have my eyes on you. There is only one other thing that you can give me in exchange for my agreeing not to interfere with your missions. You give me this, and I’ll…
respect…your and your group’s decisions. I will put my trust in you.”
I just knew his asking price would be too high. The hottest man I’d ever seen in my life was also the most fucking infuriating man to ever walk this planet. “What?” I asked, gritting my teeth.
His smile widened, and shivers racked down my spine. “Your name, my little criminal. Give me your name.”
Fuck my life.