removed from my wrists, and I rub them. “I want a cup of tea before I make my phone call.”
The copper stares at me, and his fingers dance along his baton again. I had been sitting on the steel bench, but now I rise. “It looks like you want to break that baton in.” I shrug out of my jacket.
“You need to learn to keep your mouth shut.” He doesn’t bite like I thought he would. The large steel door slams behind him. He has more willpower than I had given him credit for.
I’ve too much violence still roaring through my veins that needs to be unleashed. Picking a fight with a copper wasn’t wise, but right now, all I saw was Frankie’s smashed-in skull.
I have to bang on the steel door for a solid minute before the small shutter is opened.
“What?” The gum circles inside his smiling mouth.
“I was going to ask for my phone call, but right now, I’d like it if you stepped in here so I can wipe that grin off your face.” I slam both fists against the door, and he moves back.
There is more movement in the hall, and Paul appears.
“Pipe down, O’Reagan.” He flexes his muscles. “I’ll take care of this, Jackson.”
Jackson’s smile widens. “Yes, sir.” He’s grinning at me like I’m in for an ass beating. Paul waits until he’s gone before opening the door. I sit back down on the seat as he hands me my cigarettes and lighter.
“The man you beat nearly to death is in St. James hospital.” Paul starts as I light up a cigarette.
“I never touched anyone.”
“Well, he isn’t exactly talking, Shay.” Paul seems irritated as he keeps glancing at the door.
“I want his name and address.”
Paul nods. “I’ve rung, Leo. He’ll be here soon.”
I inhale deeply and blow smoke out. Leo, my lawyer, would get me out of this with a few words. He was that good.
“There’s a red-headed girl hanging out in the alleyway of the station. From CCTV, I see she entered the underground carpark with you, so I’ve been keeping an eye.”
I get off the bench, and Paul shrinks slightly. “Thanks.” I inhale deeply. “Yeah, keep an eye on her.”
“I’ll do that.” Paul is ready to close the door.
“Any idea who rang it in?”
I’m watching him carefully. “No, but I’ll find out.” He closes the door behind him, and I sit down and finish my cigarette.
After that, it moves smoothly. Leo arrives, talks the talk, and yep, I walk. It’s cold outside, and the full impact of the fight roars to life in my broken and damaged fists.
I walk along the front of the station and pause at the alleyway. I take the cigarettes and lighter out of my pocket.
“Come on, Emma.” I don’t turn but start to walk again. A block away, she falls into step beside me.
Neither of us speaks as we make our way to the car. The minute she’s in, she puts on her seatbelt, I don’t.
“You want to explain to me why you entered that cage?” I can’t look at her. What she did was reckless and downright fucking stupid. “Now, Emma!” I bark. When she doesn’t answer me, I finally look at her.
She shrugs. “I just wanted to experience it.”
“You wanted to experience someone hitting you? I mean, you want a man to slap you around?”
She tuts and folds her arms across her chest.
I drag myself closer to her. “I mean, I could go a few rounds with you, Emma. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not. I thought I would be fighting a girl,” her words are hissed.
Her reasoning was fucking pitiful. I start the engine. “I mean, I could still go a few rounds.”
Her snort is loud in the car. “You look like you’ve had enough.”
“Do I?” I slam my foot down on the accelerator. She had no idea what she had walked into. The odds that the person she ended up fighting was the same animal that killed Frankie still hasn’t fully registered. The image flickers from Frankie’s smashed-in skull to Emma’s smashed-in skull.
“I’ve half a mind to leave you here on the side of the road.”
“Calm down, Shay.”
I jam on the brakes and stop in the middle of the road. Cars blow their horns, but I don’t give a fuck as Emma slams her palms against the dash before she’s catapulted back into her seat. Her face pales.
“The fucking animal wouldn’t have stopped. He would have killed you if I didn’t intervene.”
She’s sinking