Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,121
man to the ground and stepped over him towards his father. “I used my words, but none of you blowhards could hear me over your own barking. And if I raised my voice, I’d be a hysterical woman. That’s how it works, yes?”
It was in his eyes that clearly that was how he thought it was all going to play out. I would get angry and throw a fit. They could all point to that and treat me like a child having a tantrum as that was how they saw women.
“Too bad you weren’t man enough to take me on yourself, Leisser.” I glanced over at Carson and snorted. “Clearly your son wasn’t, and I bet that apple didn’t fall far from the tree.” I held up my hand to hold off what he was about to say next. “And don’t give me this bullshit that this is insanity. Your counterparts and even some on your own council have wanted and tried to do much worse to me.”
I didn’t give him a chance to reply, walking over to the media so they had a clear shot of me.
“The next person who opens their mouth and spouts such nonsense that women deserve what they get for being weak will have the same talk I just had with Carson to prove them wrong. I will show up and you will recant it on the record for all to see, or it’s an invitation for me to disprove your point.
“This was a one-time chance I allowed for them to get the police. I won’t again, so don’t try it for a trap. I’m not stupid enough to fall for that, no matter how many of you seem to forget that or spin your wheels. Any of you come for the havens or make a play against HAVEN and I will do more than possibly disfigure you permanently. You have my promise on that. And I will do it with a smile.”
They shouted questions after me as I left—pulling down my barriers so Carson’s people could attend to him—ignoring them and focused on someone surprising instead. Captain Reddy of the supe police who had come to investigate me about Jordan Holmes and his friends.
I held out my arms towards him. “Going to arrest me?”
He shook his head as he tried to bite back a smile. “As you said, others could call the police to report a disturbance, but what I saw was clearly a demonstration.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I highly doubt that’s considered a peaceful protest, Captain.”
“I didn’t say peaceful but you did demonstrate a lot, Ms. Vale.”
Fair enough. “You’re going to get in trouble for not picking me up when you had the chance.”
“I believe I am,” he agreed, glancing out at all the cameras and crossing his arms over his chest. “I was told I’d be demoted if I let my personal opinions and beliefs stand in the way of my orders and duty to my chain of command.”
“Meaning ignore their corruption and follow their personal opinions and beliefs,” I drawled.
“I took it as that as well.” His lips twitched when I snorted. “But I wanted to make sure to be the one to answer the call after seeing our normally hesitant and typically conservative head of council make such a bold move like breaking hobgoblins out of other shifter estates and supporting you.”
“The Brooks’s like me,” I teased.
“Yes, yes they do.”
And I could get word to them that one of theirs was being fucked with at the supe police department. Well then. I waited until he’d met my gaze again before I spoke in his mind.
“I’ll talk to them either way, but just so you’re clear who I am, you won’t ever find those vampires.”
He slowly raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m fully aware. Nor four members of a fox shifter family. The son knew one of them from Jordan Holmes’s new school and apparently, the younger sister told a crazy story to her aunt that the parents sold her older sister and then they all disappeared, along with that brother. The aunt said it sounds exactly like something her brother would do and doesn’t care if he’s found.”
“I didn’t know who was involved, but I’m glad the other kids had family to go to and won’t be sold like property by their parents or male siblings,” I replied, barely able to keep my rage in check.
“You are not the only one, which is why the notes from that