Текст книги "Masterpiece"

Автор книги: Xavier Neal

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Jovi

There's a steady thumping in my head that causes me to groan loudly.

Why would you let me get drunk with Hayli? How was that a good idea? I know couple spats are hard but...wait what do you mean I didn't get drunk with Hayli? What do you mean I dreamt that? Okay, if that was a dream then why does my head feel like I was hit by freight train?

A soft voice questions, “You okay?”

Very slowly I roll over to a sight that's unfamiliar. The young female looks like an angel waiting to receive her wings. Her dark brown hair is braided to the side of her tanned skin. Her slim figure is covered in all white clothing making her blue eyes pop even more.

Who the hell is she?

Instead of speaking I simply nod.

“Good,” she whispers in what sounds like relief. “The Devil will be in very shortly to talk to you, but he's not the first thing any person should have to see when they wake up.”

Her humor makes me smirk.

At least she seems sweet.

She extends her hand for me to shake. “I'm Melody.”

I introduce myself as well. “Jovi.”

“Ghost's girlfriend.”

My heart aches instantly. Unsure if it's from the fact he is who he is or from the fact that I'm not exactly his girlfriend any more, I don't respond.

“By your reaction, I take it you had no idea what he did for a living.” She helps me sit up against the pillows, my entire body burning with an unfamiliar pain. “If it helps, he was trying to get out of this to be with you.”

I open my mouth to ask for more information, but shut it as soon as the door opens revealing a face that looks like it's come to sell me a new car or a new fridge.

Salesman look very similar despite what they're selling.

“Ahhh...” the male coos out and adjusts his tie. “You're finally awake.” With a wave of his wrist he says, “Melody get her breakfast now.”

“Yes sir,” she replies and slips out the door as he shuts it.

Once it's just the two of us he folds his arms across his chest and gives me a hard look. “Comfortable?”

Probably as comfortable as I'm going to get in a strange room with strange people. How did I get here? Why can't I remember a goddamn thing?

“I should probably start at the beginning.” His hands drop to slide into his pockets. “I'm the one who had you kidnapped.”

Kidnapped?! I've been kidnapped!

“Ghost...you know him best as Merrick McCoy, and I had a deal. I would let him free of my services to run off into the sunset with you if he did one final job for me. My money was on him dying during the job, but when he didn't I got very excited that something I wanted very fucking badly was going to be on my door step soon. Problem is...he got spotted. Now I have no package. I'm not a happy man. Or a patient one.”

Or forgiving if kidnapping me was how he dealt with that...

“Kidnapping you was not part of the plan, but I needed his attention.”

The door creeks back open and Melody strolls in with a tray full of breakfast food.

“Now, just so we're clear Jovi Carter, I am well aware of who you are and more importantly who your father is. I have no plans to keep you here longer than necessary and no plans to kill you.”

That's a relief.

“That is unless of course I have to.” With a vindictive smile he leans forward. “That would be just such a shame.”

This man is fucking crazy.

“Nothing to worry about I'm sure. Merrick only came to me to get out of this to be with you, so I can guarantee he will do everything in his power to get you back. In the meantime, you're going to spend a lot of time napping, so I hope you find the bed comfortable.”

Melody places the tray in my lap and whispers, “Have the orange juice. I know you're thirsty.”

Very cautiously I lift the glass and ask the man, “Who are you?”

With a smile that could send shivers down even the most notorious criminals' spine, he announces, “I'm The Devil. And this, Jovi, is my hell. Welcome.”

Merrick

How do you measure time? I mean really measure it. Do you measure it by the work week? The next time you get paid? Do you measure it by doctor appointments and grocery trips? The school calendar or holidays? Do you measure it in trips to the gas station or canceled dates with your boyfriend? Maybe you measure it in smiles captured and memories missed. In moments you felt fucking alive...that's what I do. And right now, time has ceased to exist. God, I need Jovi.

“That's a terrible fucking idea,” Drew argues with Madden at the bar while Knoxie stands in the kitchen across from them nibbling on a burger.

She went and got Madden's favorite as soon as it opened this morning, but he hasn't had a bite. I haven't either. I have a feeling it's for similar reasons.

             

“Then you fucking think of something!” Madden yells tossing his hands in the air.

From the kitchen table, across from Destin, I chime in, “Maybe we should tell the Commissioner. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he found out. Maybe-”

“This isn't some shitty B-class action movie where they're gonna turn you into a snitch and let you drive away into the sunset, Merrick. This is real life. This is the point where if he finds out who are you it's jail. Then the pen. And most likely your body found in the yard, the same way dad's was.” Madden's cold description sinks me into my seat.

The air in the room stiffens so tight I'm not sure I want to breathe. Shutting my eyes closed I hit the back of my head against the wall, Jovi's heart-broken face haunting me instantly.

If she didn't hate me before there's no fucking way she doesn't now. How the hell am I supposed to live with that look of pure hatred for the rest of my life? It wasn't hatred? Then what was that? It damn sure wasn't sadness. I've seen that. That was the look they wore at Ben's funeral. The look I saw was something so much worse, I feel like I should be looking for a line in Romeo and Juliet.

Suddenly it hits me. “Shit! We gotta get Hayli!”

Triple D responds in unison, “What?”

“Hayli!” I shout jumping to my feet. “We gotta get her before The Devil does. He kidnapped Jovi, but what's to stop him from using Hayli to prove a point that he's fucking serious.”

“Damn,” Daniel mutters and stands. “Baby bro's got a point.”

“Trying to prevent a mess rather than create one. Refreshing,” Drew sighs sarcastically.

I ignore his comment and state, “Let's go get her.”

“No.” Madden points a finger at me. “You fucking stay.”

“What-”

“I don't want you fucking leaving this house unless you absolutely have to. There's nothing stopping The Devil from picking you up-”

“He doesn't want me! He just wants his package!”

“He wants it all!” Madden stands abruptly. “How fucking hard is that for you to get? He doesn't just want his package! He wants your head on a stick for fucking him over! He wants his package! He wants the rest of us in a position to do his errands and bitch work until we die! We've already got a debt I'm stuck paying! Do not for one minute think The Devil isn't all about making it so much fucking worse!”

I whisper, “What's the debt?”

Madden sighs, “It's not important.”

“Clearly it is,” I argue, anger surging inside me.  “If it wasn't for your fucking debt the rest of us wouldn't haven't been stuck in this goddamn lifestyle! So tell me, Madden! What the fuck was the debt!”

Knox tries to invade, “This conversation-”

“You wanna know?” Madden steps closer to me. “You really wanna fucking know?”

She tries again, “Madden-”

“Dad only worked for The Devil in the beginning to get us all to a place where we were okay. Where he could fucking feed and clothe us without worrying if this would be the day he was gonna get let go of by some dick head boss. He got us to a point where we didn't have to fucking slum it and then being young, and stupid, and a fuck up, I made a huge mistake that I should be in jail for. Instead, he called The Devil for a fucking favor. The last job he did for him, which wasn't the last of what he had agreed to is what got dad is prison. Those unfinished jobs got rolled over to me. Me! That debt fell in my lap! It became my responsibility to fucking do it in order to keep all of us alive! And I don't mean in this cushy lifestyle, I mean keeping him from killing us! It's my fault we're in this position now! It's my fault dad's dead! I tried to keep all of you out of this! I tried to keep all of you from having to be a part of this but fuck...The Devil is always three steps ahead, Merrick. So listen to me for once asshole. Sit. Down. Let Triple D get Hayli.”

Instead of doing what he says, I walk out of the room leaving him to do what he always does. Make all the fucking choices.

I don't doubt my brother. I don't doubt that what he wants is just to keep my alive, but I hate this feeling of uselessness. I am utterly useless. I should be the one coming up with ways to rescue the love of my life, not just sitting here twiddling my fucking thumbs.

About an hour later my bedroom cracks open and Knoxie's face appears around the door. “Still stewing?”

“Is Madden?”

“He left,” she replies.

“Where?”

“Not sure,” she answers dropping down beside me on the edge of my bed. “He's barely speaking to me.”

“Sorry,” I instantly apologize. “I didn't mean to...fuck up whatever-”

“You didn't,” Knox states pulling her legs to her chest. “It is what it is.” With a shrug she mutters, “I just hate when he shuts me out like this.”

“Of all people, you would think you would be the one he let in.”

“You would think,” she mumbles. “I was the first one who knew he had to start to work for The Devil. I was also the first one by his side to help.”

Fuck. I didn't know that.

After a long pause I ask, “Do you know what it is Madden did back then? What he did to make dad call in that favor?”

“No,” Knox sighs deeply. “But I remember the night. Usually when times get a little uncomfortable, not typically this bad, we reflect on it. Most of the time I grab him a burger from Bab's Burgers, a large onion ring, and we sit in the garage and relive the moment.”

Seriously...is she talking about Madden? Cold as fuck. Distant as shit. Hard as a fucking rock, Madden?

“That night, he crawled into my bedroom through the window. He was terrible at sneaking in. Always tripped over something. That night it was a pair of my heels. He came in and slipped into my bed. He held me so tightly I couldn't breathe. His arms were caging me in right under my ribs. It fucking hurt, but he was trembling. Totally shaken up from whatever had happened,so I just let him stay that way. He never spoke about what actually went down. He just laid there until the sun rose. Hell, he never spoke about coming to me that night to anyone else. I hadn't either until this moment. But that's the closest the two of us have ever been. Probably the closest the two of us ever will be.”

For her sake as much as his, I pray that she's wrong about that.

             

There's a small knock on the door before Hayli joins us, a frightened expression on her face. Immediately I rush over and she throws herself into my arms. A small sigh comes out of me.

Not at all like hugging my girl, but it is like having a small piece of her back with me. This is better than nothing. Besides if I had to be responsible for Hayli dying too I...I don't know what I would do with myself. At least I can tell Jovi that I saved her best friend. Maybe that'll help her forgive me.

“I'm scared, Merrick,” she whispers in my ear.

“Me too.”

We stay embraced for another moment before she pulls back and slugs me in the shoulder. “Ouch!”

“That's for getting me into this shit!”

Knox giggles and leans back on her palms. “I knew I liked you.”

One Knox is enough. We don't really need two of them.

Unsure of what else to say I sigh, “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be sorry.” She folds her arms across her chest. “Be smart.”

“I will be.”

“Be quick.”

“You better fucking believe it.”

Stabbing me in the chest with her pointed finger she demands, “Be the one that brings my best friend back.”

“At any cost,” I firmly assure her.

“Good, Romeo,” Hayli whispers before flopping down on the bed next to Knox. “I need Jovi.”

“I need her too.”

In a defeated tone she asks, “So what's next?”

That's a good question. That's a damn good question.

             

Jovi

Seeing his face immediately makes me smile. The playful smile I've fallen head over heels in love with is not one I'm sure I could ever live without. Merrick's hand reaches for me through the open window. As soon as I reach for it, there's a burning sensation in my back. The high pitched ringing in my ears is enough to drop me to my knees, but the throbbing pain is what floors me. My eyes drop to the floor where there's a dark red puddle. My blood? That's gotta be my blood. Who else's blood would it be? I take another two breaths before all goes black.

             

Terrified I shoot up, inhaling sharply, desperate to get as much air in my lungs as possible.

Thank God that was just a dream. It was right?

I touch my chest then my back, the thin string around my wrist wiggling around. While I'm double checking for wounds, a gorgeous female with a dark braid strolls in the room breakfast in her hands again.

Who is she? Do I know her?

“Have we met?”

“Yes, Jovi. I'm Melody,” she announces lowering the tray beside me.

Shit...why don't I remember?

“Why am I here?”

Kindly she starts to unroll my silverware. “You were taken.”

“Taken?!”

“Yes. Are you hungry?”

My eyes wander to the fresh fruit and buttered toast. “I feel like I already ate.”

“Yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” I shriek.

She nods. “The drugs are strong. You barely stir.”

“D-D-Drugs?” my voice is barely able to stutter out.              “I'm being given drugs!”

“Yes,” Melody softly answers. “Non-addictive sedatives mostly. It's to keep you the least coherent as possible and your memory unclear. You're not supposed to remember anything you see or hear here.”

“How?” I whisper out confused. “How am I taking them?”

Melody bites her bottom lip and nudges the glass forward. “Drink your juice last...”

At least she doesn't seem to be heartless or terrifying. Maybe she's a prisoner all on her own. See that scar by her collarbone? Maybe...just maybe there's a story there.

Suddenly we're no longer alone. A man who looks like he might be in charge of a big business enters the room that is starting to feel like a shoe box rather than a room. Certain if I've met Melody before that I've met him, I strangle my brain to recall his name.

Help me!

The man hums, “That'll be all Melody. Miss Carter, it is time for your check in with your beloved.”

Excited I scoot forward, my attention grabbed by my change of clothes.

Did I...did I change? Who changed me? How drugged up am I? Holy shit...I don't think I can get any more terrified.

“Madden negotiated for proof of life checks. However, if I get wind of you trying to hint him into your location, you will not like the results. Am I clear?”

Cautiously I nod, “Yes.”

“Good,” he hums cheerfully. Turning to the opposite direction of the door, he turns on a T.V. and I see something that I needed to.

“Merrick!” I scream and reach a hand out for him.

“Baby!” He screams back moving for the screen. “I'm so sorry, baby! For everything.”

Sniffling away the tears that have started to form I shake my head. “It's okay.”

It really is. No. I mean, it's not his fault I'm here right? Wait. Wait. What do you mean it it is. He's...wait, he's who? No...how could...How? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. That's a good point. Stealing things and all the other criminal bullshit he does is not okay, but you're right. That's not who he is any more. Did someone tell me Merrick wanted out of his? That he was trying to get out?  That he wanted to be done. No, it doesn't fix everything, but that damn sure counts for a lot.

“I never meant to hurt you,” he whimpers, tears in his own voice. “I...I...I just...this was supposed to be the end of it all. This whole deal was supposed to get us a future together...not ruin a chance at one.”

A sniffle comes out of me. “You just...you focus on getting me out of this okay? I'll yell at you later for the rest.”

The short attempt at humor causes him to try to smile. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Good, because I promise to spend the rest of our lives making this up to you baby. Every day and every night. I love you. I love you so much Jovi Carter McCoy.”

My lip trembles at my future name.

You're damn right I still wanna marry him! How could I not? No one's perfect. This is...this is just something that if I live through we have to work through. Right. When I live through it. Don't think there won't be hell to pay or that it'll be a quick fix, but there will be a fix. Come on, he's my soul mate. How could I not try to work shit out?

“I love you too.”

“Isn't that just beautiful,” the man, whose name I think starts with the letter D interrupts our talk. “You got your proof of life McCoy. I want my package. Tick-tock.”

Neither of us are allowed another word. He turns off the screen and any flicker of hope I had is smothered away by the darkness of it.

“Eat. Sleep. See you tomorrow,” he declares exiting the room.

The door shuts behind him and I stare at the food in front of me. Instead of eating it, like I know I'm expected, I push it to the side and begin to bawl uncontrollably.

I'm scared. So fucking scared. What if I never see him again? Or Nadie? Or my dad? What if I die in this room? This poorly Hawaiian theme decorated abomination of a room. What if my whole life is over? Tell me I'll be fine. Tell me that you have faith he'll rescue me. Tell me...tell me you think I'll be okay.

Merrick

Today was supposed to be our wedding day. Our goddamn wedding day. We were supposed to have said vows earlier and right now we should be laying together in a hotel suite. She should be moaning my name and I should be whispering her new one. The one we should be sharing.

Scrubbing my face I lean back against the couch. “I'm fucking going out of my mind.”

“That makes two of us,” Hayli sighs from beside Daniel. “I've never been stuck in the house this long.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Drew says from the kitchen table across from Destin who's typing away furiously on his computer.

“Easy for you to say, you remember what the outside world looks like,” Hayli snips.  Snapping her head at Daniel she gripes, “Do you have to breathe so goddamn loud?”

“Do you have chew so loud?”

Normally I would snicker, but given the situation, the timing, the subject, I just don't have it in me.

Madden strolls out of bedroom shouting into the phone, “Fuck! No! I can't-just– shut the fuck up. I'll be by in a few.” As soon as he hangs up, he demands, “Drew. Let's go.”

“Where?” Drew questions. When Madden glares, he stands up, and surrenders. “Nevermind. Let's go.”

Before they're out the door, I call to Madden, surprised he's even stopped moving for this long. “Hey, Mad Man. I have an idea on how to save Jovi.”

Holding the door open for Drew to go through he bites, “I don't need your fucking ideas. I need you to just sit the fuck tight and wait for us to get something together that'll actually work.”

The pain from his lack of faith in me echoes with the slam of the door behind them.

I turn to Destin, “Will you-”

“Nope.” Destin rises to his feet. “I'm gonna grab a nap. Not much more I can do until Madden decides what it is he wants to do next.”

“But I-”

“No.” Destin strolls out of the room with his lap top.

Defeated, I slouch further down as Hayli sighs, “I want a bath.”

Daniel cocks a grin. “For two?”

She tilts her head at him. “I'm not that desperate yet.”

“Run the girl a bath and then swing by the bar to get your dick wet,” Knoxie demands entering the room.

“Love that fucking idea.” Daniel hops up. “Come on fire crotch. Let's get you wet.”

“There's so much wrong with those sentences,” Hayli grumbles following behind him the direction of the bedrooms.

Knoxie flops on the couch beside me, clearly exhausted from more than just what I've been seeing.

I've seen Madden treat her like shit before, but this is even worse.

“Wanna talk about it?” I quietly ask.

“You wanna listen to my idea about how to get Jovi back?”

She shakes her head and we enter a small stretch of silence.

Quietly I confess, “I gotta get outta here and get some air, Knox.”

“You heard your overbearing dickhead brother. He wants you to stay in the house.”

“Yeah well, he's not always right.”

Knox lifts her eyebrows. “Ain't that the fucking truth.” She rolls her head over to me. “However, I can't let you go out.”

“What if...” my sentence stops as Daniel rounds the corner.

Taking out his keys he announces, “I will be back. Full. Fucked. And feeling fantastic.”

“Just go,” Knox demands.

As soon as he shuts the door, I suggest, “What if you didn't see me go out?”

Sarcastically she tilts her head.

“What if...no one did. So no one is to blame.”

“Then we're all to blame.”

“Madden included,” I point out cleverly.

“You really think that's gonna hold up?”

“It'll hold up well enough not to let all the blame fall on you.” She folds her arms across her chest, her defenses weakening. “Come on, Knox. I'll be gone just a couple hours.”

“Where do you wanna go?”

I have a plan. It's crazy. It's insane. I think it'll work, but you've seen this whole fucking household.  No one is gonna listen to me. No one wants to hear it, but it needs to be heard. Trust me on this one. Just...go with me on it.

             

“Just...on a drive. I'm going insane here. This is the longest I haven't been behind the wheel of car since I was 10.”

“Aw, I remember when we let you drive the 4 wheelers.”

“This shit is killing me. Between Ben's death and Jovi's kidnapping, I need something...anything I can control.”

Knox lets out a deep sigh and shakes her head. “I don't condone this.” Standing she gives me a mischievous smirk. “I'm gonna go shower while you sit here, in a house with no big brothers to watch over you, and grieve over photos of Jovi on your phone.”

“Yes,” I lie like she wants. “Grieving over photos of Jovi.”

“Try not to make yourself too upset,” Knoxie winks and heads back the direction of her room.

The window of escape is small, but perfect. As soon as I hear her door shut, I quickly grab my keys off the bar where Madden has demanded they stay in his sight.

Yes. He's that controlling right now.

 

Darting out of the apartment before Knoxie can rethink her decision about looking the other direction, I start to play over and over in my head exactly what I plan to say when the chance comes.

I've got one shot to make this right. I won't fuck it up. I swear.

              After zipping up my hoodie, I cautiously jog around the corner from my car towards the one place I know I need to be even if no one agrees with me.

My side remember? You're supposed to be on my side.

Looking around constantly to insure I'm not being watched, I arrive at the front door giving it a heavy knock.

Thankfully the first face I see isn't going to bash mine in. “Merrick...”

“Nadie,” I greet her sweetly in return.

Gripping the edge of the door, she leans her face against it. “Now's not really a good time. Jovi's not here. She hasn't been here for a couple days. Actually, now that you're here, I should ask. Have you seen her? Please tell me you've seen her.”

My mouth drops to reply when the door is yanked open harshly and a face that I prayed when I finally did meet it, would be under completely different circumstances and he would be trying to figure out how to divorce us not kill me.

Oh yeah. He's gonna try to kill me.

“Who the hell are you?” The Commissioner's voice booms.

“Hello Commissioner Carter. My name is Merrick McCoy.”

“McCoy? As in-”

“The McCoys.”

“What the hell is a McCoy doing on my door step?”

“I'm your daughter's fiance-”

They shriek together. “Fiance?!”

On a deep breath I push past it. “And I'm the reason she's been kidnapped.”

Much faster than I anticipated, he wheels himself quickly around and tosses me against the wall. His large hand wraps tightly around my throat, fingers digging into my pressure points.

Fucking impressive for a guy his age. He's commissioner for a reason right?

“Nicholas!” Nadie screams banging on his arm to let me go.

I don't struggle for him to drop me. Instead I ease as many shallow breaths as I can while waiting for him to give up on trying to kill me on his front porch.

We all know I deserve much worse than this.

“You can't  kill him,” Nadie pleads.

The Commissioner crushes my windpipe tighter. “I can.”

“Nicholas!”

His hand unclenches and air rushes back to my burning lungs. As he watches me struggle for oxygen he grunts, “In my house. Now.”

Nodding rapidly I slink past him inside, looking around my surroundings once more.

Can't be too careful with what's about to happen next.

Nadie leads me around to the living room, a place I've never actually been before.

Come to think about it, besides the kitchen where Nadie made us breakfast and Jovi's amazing bed, I haven't seen much of this house. Not complaining. Right...Head in the game.

Carefully I have a seat on the couch while stroking the bruising flesh.

“I'm going to get you an ice pack,” Nadie volunteers.

The Commissioner immediate says, “No.” With an even more livid expression than he originally was wearing before, he stops in front of me and demands, “Speak.”

“My name is Merrick McCoy-”

“I heard you the first time.”

“Jovi's my fiance.”

“Heard that lie as well.”

“It's not a lie,” I cautiously argue. “Today would've been our wedding day.”

He quickly shuts down the idea. “That's impossible.”

“Fiance?” Nadie whispers at me. “When did...How did I not know?”

“You knew they were together?” He bites at her.

“Not now,” Nadie brushes him off.

“What the hell do you mean not now?” The Commissioner snaps. “This is the time to have that kind of discussion!”

“It's really not,” Nadie calmly disagrees.

“To hell it isn't! You knew my little girl was dating a thug and didn't tell me?”

I'm just fucking over relationships left and right.

“He's not a thug,” she argues.

“His last name is McCoy isn't it?”

“That's not fair,” Nadie defends. “Your name doesn't define you! That's part of the reason Jovi has been struggling so much to find herself. Because she's attached to the name Carter. Because she's attached to Commissioner Carter. It's not your favorite thing to hear, but she's not a little girl any more, Nick. She's 21. She can make her own choices. She's an adult.”

“She's not an adult.”

“Just because you don't want her to be doesn't mean she's not.” He attempts to fight again when Nadie looks at me. “How long have you been engaged?”

“Not long,” I quietly respond.

“What's not long?” When I don't answer she asks a follow up question. “What about a ring? Where's her ring?”

“It's the one she usually wears around her neck. The rose.”

“Of course it is.” Nadie shakes her head. “How could I not get that?” She lets out a deep breath. “Why didn't she trust me enough to tell me?”

I offer her comfort. “We um...we weren't telling anyone.”

Although if we had to pick someone, I would've picked Nadie or Knox. They seem least likely to convince us otherwise.

“McCoy,” the Commissioner invades the conversation. “You fucking McCoys haven't stayed off my desk for years. Like that Ben McCoy kid.” He turns to Nadie with a displeased expression. “You knew she was dating a McCoy?”

“Not until the day Ben died,” she answers before shooting me an apologetic look. “I am so sorry for your loss.”

I nod, which is when he bites, “Why? He was just another case file. Just another useless piece of garbage filling my streets. Costing hard earned tax paying citizens money.”

Calmly, I state, “With all due respect sir, you may not have enjoyed the laws he broke, but he was not a terrible person. He may have been a fuck up. He may have been a little careless, but he was a damn good person.”

“Good people don't sell drugs.”

“Good people don't skew crime scenes.”

He points a sharp finger at me. “Are you accusing me of something?”

“No sir,” I softly back down. “I'm simply saying that just because a person makes a bad choice, or a few, doesn't make them a bad person and just because someone wears a badge doesn't make them a good one.”

The commissioner wets his lips and shakes his head. “I read Ben's report.”

“Which version?”

He lifts his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“This isn't what I came here for,” I mumble.

“No. But you started it, so finish it. Are you implying the report on my desk is false?”

“I am,” I firmly state. “Like many cases it was falsified. Someone in your precinct has an agenda and like everyone else they don't mind breaking a law to see it get accomplished. Your department is dirty on both sides of the law Commissioner.”

“How dare you...” Riled up he takes a harsh step at me. “How fucking dare you come at me like that!”

“You insisted sir.”

Angered by my words he growls, “Get back to the point of this visit. My daughter. Explain.”

This is about to get so much worse. Hope my vocal chords can take the next strangling.

After a deep breath, I start, “You know the man you call Ghost?”

He grits his teeth. “Point?”

“It's me.”

His hands flex like they're preparing to come after me. “What?”

“It's me,” I repeat seeing Nadie bury her face in her hands on the other side of me. “I'm the one you've been chasing.”

“This is not happening.” My lips remain closed. “You're seriously going to sit in my living room and tell me my daughter is willingly engaged to the biggest pain in my ass-”

“She didn't know,” I rush out. “She didn't know until the night she got taken. When we met...I didn't want her to know. I wanted her to see the real me. The side that no one pays attention to.” For a moment I get lost in thought. “Jovi did. She loved that side of me. She loved the straight lace part. That was enough for her. Hell, that was enough for me.”

Nadie gives me a sweet look, which makes The Commissioner growl under his breath.

Not a romantic, is he?

“Anyway, I knew I wanted out of this life. I wanted more. I wanted to be that man she deserved. A better man. So...I made a deal.”

“A deal? What kind of a deal? A deal with who?”

I sigh, “The man you call The Devil.”

He shouts harshly taking a step towards me. “Are you fucking serious?”

You know, I'm beginning to see a pattern in responses.