Page 118 of Retaliation

Jenkins’ turned nearly blue, but he couldn’t argue with the entire precinct against him.

“This isn’t over,” he spat, storming off.

Poison and Gavin burst into laughter. The absurdity of the situation was too much to hold in.

“Why am I not surprised to find you here?” Gavin said between chuckles, shaking his head. “Only you would kick a cop’s ass and have the whole precinct on your side.”

She grinned, feeling a strange camaraderie with the officers who had defended her. “Well, Jenkins was asking for it.”

Gavin led her to a quieter corner of the station, still laughing.

“Tell me everything,” he urged, his voice full of amusement.

She recounted the morning’s events, and with each detail, they both laughed more. The absurdity, the tension, and the sheer ridiculousness of the encounter made it all the more hilarious.

When she finished, Gavin wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. “You always manage to find trouble, don’t you?”

“I don’t find it. It finds me,” she replied with a grin.

Gavin leaned back, stretching his legs out, as she leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, still riding the adrenaline.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened?” Gavin asked, glancing at her bruised knuckles from the corner of his big blue eyes.

“What do you mean?” She acted oblivious.

“You haven’t spoken to me since you told me you’re astreetfighter.” Gavin lowered his voice and whispered the last words, glancing around the room as if the check that no one was listening.

“I’ve been meaning to call,” she tried to explain, lowering her head in shame. “Things have just gotten out of control, and I’m still trying to pick up all the pieces.”

“Does, what’s his name... Scorpion have anything to do with it? He didn’t try to hurt you again, did he?”

“We sorted our shit, and got back together, but then…” She shrugged. “He was training me and kept pushing me to do more, punch more, kick more. More and more. I couldn’t take it. My hands were bleeding, and he wouldn’t let me rest.” She shuffled her feet, the weight of her words settling in her chest.

Gavin eyed her carefully. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but why are you still with him then?”

“I’m not,” She scoffed. “I told him it’s over.” She refused to acknowledge the emotions those words caused, so she shoved them to the back of her mind and closed a door on it.

“Great!” Gavin exclaimed, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. “Well, in that case. What are you doing tonight?” He beamed.

“Gavin!” She blushed, bumping his shoulder with hers.

“What?” he asked, wide-eyed. “Hey, I can’t help that I think you’re hot and that I’m really into you,” he explained with a wolfish grin.

Her face turned scarlet, and she stared down at her feet. “Since I’m not training anymore, I’m free.”

“Awesome!” he said excitedly. “It’s a date.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at his childlike excitement. “Well, Officer, seeing as I’m not under arrest anymore, am I free to go?”

He grinned, the humor still dancing in his eyes. “Yeah, you’re free to go. But only if you agree to dinner and a movie?”

“Is an officer of the law actually trying to bribe me?” She feigned shock and Gavin threw up his hands.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“As long as it’s a horror and not some sappy love story,” she replied.

“That’s my type of girl,” he said proudly, getting to his feet and offering her his hand to help her up.

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