Cruel Infatuation (Underground Kings 3)

No one has noticed me yet, but if I move an itch, that gun might be turned on me, and I’m not in the mood to get shot.

The greaser takes the cigar out of his mouth and blows smoke in Officer Howard’s face. “But we are better at our job. You get me?” He smiles, letting the burning ember of the cigar hover just above Officer Howard’s skin. “Do you want to know how many cops I’ve killed for less? Don’t make me add you to the list, friend. Apologize to Grayson. You know every man here was wrongfully convicted, and for you to throw that in his face was mean.”

“Mean? What are we, twelve?”

The man tosses his head back at the officer’s remark, and I didn’t know it was possible for a laugh to have a Northern accent, but his does. “Did ya hear the guy, Jaxon? He thinks we’re acting twelve.”

“I heard him,” Jaxon replies.

The composure of the greaser slips a little, and he elbows Officer Howard right in the gut. The cop doubles over and coughs while the greaser runs his hands through the side of his hair to make sure it’s still in place. “Do not fuck with us, Howard. I like you, but I’m not afraid to kill you.”

I can’t take anymore. I step into the room, and the sound of my foot hitting the ground has all heads turning toward me. Officer Howard’s eyes narrow when he sees me, and he spits a wad of blood on the ground.

“There the little killer is,” he greets.

I hold up my hands to show I’m not a threat.

“What the hell are you doing? Get back! You could end up getting hurt, Finley,” Grayson says to me.

I point to my face. “I’m already hurt.”

He doesn’t like to hear that. His jaw flexes. Grayson wraps his arm around my waist and holds me back from getting closer to Officer Howard.

“Who’s the chick?” the greaser asks.

“The woman I’m here for. She’s wanted for a double homicide, and I can’t believe you guys are protecting her,” Officer Howard spits. “Once criminals, always criminals; am I right?”

“I thought you were on our side. You keep saying shit like that, and I might blow your fucking head off anyway, Howard. Keep it up!” Jaxon knocks Officer Howard’s temple with the barrel of the gun.

“I didn’t kill those men in cold blood. I’d never do that. Look at me.” I wave my hands up and

down my body. “I’m bruised and scratched from head to toe. I was protecting myself.”

“Then, you’ll give a statement and—”

“And nothing. We all know how the criminal justice system works. She’s already been accused. She could face prison time. The only reason I was found guilty was because my own girlfriend stabbed me in the back, and we had sex that morning. There was DNA evidence.”

My spine straightens when I start to put two and two together. He had been convicted of rape? Oh my god, I did leave one horror for the other. No, wait. No, I didn’t. If that was the case, he wouldn’t be trying to ignore me every chance he got. He was disgusted when he saw my bruises. He was found guilty, but was he innocent?

That makes me feel better, if it’s true.

“So, what? You’re just going to keep her here? There’s a nationwide search for her. You’re officially harboring a murderer. Do you want the feds involved?”

“I don’t regret what I did. If you charge at me, rip my towel off my naked body, and force yourself between my legs, you better believe I’d shoot you too.” I try to charge at the police officer, but Grayson holds me back.

Heaven snickers, and Owen has an amused grin on his face.

Officer Howard looks me up and down, really taking in how fucked up I am, and his shoulders sag. “Those men do that to you? You’re black and blue everywhere.”

“Those men and one other. I just don’t know if the other is dead or not,” I say, my body slightly trembling, and I don’t know if it’s from the anger or Grayson rubbing soothing circles on my back to keep me calm.

“She’s staying,” Jaxon says. “She’s officially part of our little entourage. We’ll figure out how to deal with her on the news. We aren’t new to this. She’s safe here. Better here with us than guys like you, apparently.”

“I’m trying to do my damn job.”

“Well, you’re going about it the wrong way. You know damn well what would happened if this came out. She’ll be charged. No one gives a fuck about women these days, and it’s wrong. Well, we’re protective of women. We care about our women. We will make sure she gets the justice and peace she deserves.” Grayson’s word have hope flying around in my stomach like a thousand dragonflies. He said, ‘our’ women. Does that mean he considers me his, or does that mean he was just being nice? I’m not going to read into it, no matter how much my heart is skipping every other beat, making it difficult for me to stand upright because my head is dizzy from the lack of blood flowing to my brain.

I’ll be fine.