Page 58 of The Fighter
My only choice to cover my tracks had been to come out more aggressive than he expected. My blackmailing hadn’t been planned, especially the part about wanting weekly fight training with Leo. I had plenty of big guys who were more than willing to spar with me down at the station. Sure, Leo was the best, but after what happened between us and his stupid misogynistic comments, did I really want to be physical with him again?
Looking down at my shaking hands, I knew the answer to that question. I had felt drawn to touch him a few minutes ago and it made me mad at myself.
From now on, I will keep my distance.
In an attempt to distract myself, I took another look at my research that I’d organized this morning. The growing numbers of suspects, the open questions, and the blind alleys of dead people who couldn’t give me answers made it a huge puzzle with no solid leads. What I wouldn’t give to talk to Dina, her husband, or even her father, Marcus Aurelius. If my hunch was right, I had a case of a double murder on my hands. I just wished that I knew if the murderer who killed Dina was the same who killed her husband Henry.
Around an hour after Leo had left, Mila called to invite me to a late lunch with her and Willow. Since I was hungry and needed a break anyway, I was quick to accept and go with them.
“Let’s take that table in the corner.” Willow pointed to a wooden booth, but I shook my head.
“No, if something happens, we don’t want to be cornered. It’s better if we sit closer to the door.”
“Nothing is going to happen. There’s three of us and the two guards are right outside.” Willow scanned the room. “There’s hardly any people here anyway.”
Walking to the table that I wanted, I pulled out a chair. “That can change, and we all know that I’ll be the one to defend you two if something happens, so I say we sit at this table.”
“All right.” Willow sat down next to me. “You’re almost worse than Solo, you know that?”
“He’s a smart guy and he understands security. I’ve learned a thing or two at the police academy and one thing is to always have an escape route.”
“Hmm.” Willow picked up a thin tablet and went over the menu. “I don’t know, Raven, you’ve changed after you joined the police. You used to be funny but now you’re more serious.”
That hit me hard in my chest. “I’m still funny.”
“Not as funny as you used to be before the academy.”
Mila pulled up her sleeves and gave me a small smile. “Careful that you don’t turn into a new Leo.”
“Why, what’s wrong with Leo?” Willow pointed to the menu tablet. “Ooh, that looks delicious.”
“Raven thinks Leo is too serious.”
Willow looked from Mila to me before tilting her head. “Huh… I don’t know. I’ve seen him joke around plenty of times with Solo and Zasquash.”
Mila agreed, “Exactly. That’s what I said. And he has a beautiful smile.”
I gave a small snort. “I wouldn’t know, he never smiles around me.”
When a bot approached us to ask what we wanted, Mila asked for a few more minutes to decide.
“It’s just that Leo is my boss and he’s… well, bossing me around. Sometimes he says things that are chauvinistic in nature, and I have a problem with misogyny.”
Mila fiddled with her earlobe. “I know, Raven, but we talked about it before. The Nmen haven’t relied on women for centuries. They aren’t used to expecting great things from us females.”
“Of course, they have relied on women. Who do you think gave them their young ones?” I tried reading the menu card while being part of the conversation.
“I know, but the resentment they’ve been holding on to about being isolated up here has made them negative toward strong women.”
Willow objected, “That’s not true. I’m a strong woman and Solo never had a problem with that. Who wants to share a salad and some brussels sprouts or maybe the red beets with pears?”
I nodded. “Sure, how about we just order a bit of all their side servings and share it? They have good bread here and a really nice selection of olives.”
We called over the bot and got our order going before returning to the subject of the Nmen.
“Leo just drives me crazy with his views on women. I’m tired of men seeing us as fragile and inferior to them.”
“He said that?” Willow lowered her brow. “That’s so strange because Leo was amazing during the tour with all us performers from the Motherlands. He was furious when we were attacked, and I have no doubt that he would give his life to save any woman.”
