Page 92 of Ravaged Soul
“I’ll talk to her,” I decide with a nod.
“And apologise.”
“Yeah, I heard you. I’ll fix this.”
“While you’re fixing things… Next time you almost die chasing bad guys, give us a head’s up so I don’t have to leave my apartment to track you down.”
“What have you got against getting some fresh air?”
Ripley rolls her eyes. “It’s way too people-y out there.”
“You’ll get bored of the quiet life one day, Rip.”
“Nah. I fought hard for my peace after Harrowdean. You can be sure I have no intention of jeopardising it.”
With our drinks finished, I stand up to envelope Ripley in a bear hug. Her head tucks beneath my chin, the scent of paint and varnish clinging to her oversized tee. Still, the embrace soothes something wild inside me.
“Stay for dinner?” She squeezes me once more and steps back.
“I’m not sure that I fancy getting food poisoning.”
“Raine’s cooking isn’t that bad. Ignore those idiots.”
“I should get back to the team. The case is getting to us all.” My head shakes. “It feels like we’re constantly three steps behind, and there’s no end in sight.”
“Sounds familiar.” Ripley’s lips twist into a grimace.
“Doesn’t it just?”
She clasps my shoulder, smiling sadly. “We won against all the odds before. That investigation nearly killed us too, but we still made it.”
“And it cost us everything.”
“Not everything,” Ripley challenges. “Not us, and not this family. Don’t lose hope yet.”
CHAPTER 13
EMBER
WHICH WITCH – FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
“Axel Slaughter,get back here this instant, and unlock me!”
No matter how loudly I scream, the purple-haired fuck fails to make an appearance. I suppose he thinks this is funny. All I said was that I planned to go into work today after being bedridden post-seizure. I can’t just lay here.
Now I’m pinned to my bed frame by a silver handcuff closed around my left wrist, keeping me trapped like a fucking prisoner in my own home. That wanker is on ‘watch Ember duty’ and took it to mean he could restrain me.
“You asshole!” I holler.
Worst part is, I doubt anyone else would free me even if they were here. Warner’s off on someEat, Pray, Lovesoul-searching mission, refusing to look at me after the fight. Hyland’s cataloguing evidence from the docks. Plus, I haven’t seen Blaine since Warner broke his nose.
Leaving me with the psycho.
And his fucking handcuffs.
“I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself!” I screech loudly. “I cannot lay in this bed for another day when we have an investigation to run. Let me out!”
This is exactly why I hid the attack in the first place. Their worried fussing is unbearable. Between Hyland hovering like a goddamn mother hen, Warner stomping around in a cloud of jealous rage and Axel wanting to spoon-feed me medication, I’m going insane. We don’t have time for this.
