Badge of Honor (The Town of Pearl 9)

“Can I use the ladies’ room while you take care of business?” She saw his eyes grow darker and an expression of pure evil take over his face. She knew if he had his way she wouldn’t make it tonight. They would force

themselves on her and she would die fighting them off. She had to play the role to give her the opportunity to escape. She ran her palms up his chest and then pressed closer.

“I’ll wait here for you. If you really do want me.”

He stared at her and she wondered if she overdid it. Christ, she’d never done anything so intense like this before. She was flying by the seat of her pants.

They heard screaming and then Aces brushed his thumb along her lip. “Don’t you disappear. If you do, I’ll hunt you down, and you’ll regret crossing me,” he warned her and she nodded her head then lowered it in a submissive manner. He chuckled. The fucking control freak bastard. God she would like nothing more than to kill him. Remove his evil self from this earth to harm and kill no more. She thought about the reputation he had with women. About how often he raped, beat, and tossed away young, impressionable women he manipulated. It made her sick. Never mind the way he ran his illegal businesses and tortured and killed people who double-crossed him. Then she thought about the agents, the undercover cops who’d died trying to help bring this asshole and his corral of shit down. She had to maintain her role and contain her anger.

“You, keep an eye on her. Don’t let her out of your sight and when she’s finished you bring her to the car out back,” Aces said and him and Miklos walked away, leaving her with the six-foot monster man in the suit.

“Ladies’ room?” she asked and smiled. His face was that of a cold-hearted killer. No emotion, no feelings of anything but hurt and pain.

He directed her down the hallway. There was a door with no sign and then another door with the exit sign.

As he told her to open the door she saw an office behind it and then another room.

“Bathroom is in there,” he said and she quickly went toward it.

“Fuck. Now what?” she whispered as she realized she was now in another room. A private office. No windows in the bathroom and the only way out was through that monster and out the emergency exit.

She reached into the small clutch she brought in. No gun, but she did have her pepper spray. This was not going to be easy or pretty.

She gripped it in her hand and then headed out of the bathroom. The goon looked her over.

“Let’s take you downstairs like the boss ordered.”

She didn’t know what other employees or men would be outside that door, so she made her move as he opened the door.

“Wait, I forgot something.” As he turned, rolling his eyes in annoyance, she shot him right in the eyes.

He hollered like a baby and then started swinging his arms like some wild ape. She ducked and ran under his arm. His hand grabbed her upper arm, nearly ripping the skin from it. She screamed and punched him in the face, shocking him some more. Then she shoved him back into the room, closed the door, and ran down the hallway.

She saw the exit and shoved it open, sending off the fire alarms. She ran down the emergency metal staircase on the side of the building then down the road to the same spot. No one was there. She continued to run when she heard tires squealing and thought she was as good as dead until she heard Frankie yelling, “Lauren.”

She gasped, turned, and the dark SUV with the tinted windows stopped. He grabbed her, pulling her inside, then closed the door as the SUV took off.

“Holy shit. Oh God, Lauren. Damn it.” He caressed her hair and she tried to calm her breathing. She took in the inside of the SUV and saw it wasn’t just her and Frankie but also Hercules, Roach, and one of the trooper investigators.

“That was too fucking close,” the trooper said.

“She did amazing. Holy shit, Lauren. You were fucking amazing,” Hercules said and then raised his palm up for her to high-five him. She did and then the others did the same thing as she eased off of Frankie’s lap.

“You’re a natural. I may just ask for your help again in the future,” the trooper told her.

“Hell no. That was a onetime gig. I’m sticking to homicide investigating,” she said and they chuckled.

“You did it, Lauren,” Frankie told her.

She heard the radio go off in the front seat. The investigator from the state police was talking.

“Make sure they’re all out of there, and then get everyone in position for the raid,” he ordered and then he smiled at her.

“Aces and his crew from the Tenth Street gang are going down tonight. Thanks to you, Detective Michaels.”

Roach gave a hoot and a cheer and the others did, too, as Lauren released a sigh of relief. It was over, and tomorrow she was back to being a homicide detective.

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