Page 62 of Capture Me
I laugh. “I think that might be the only way to make that man cry.”
“So, what do you do for fun?” she asks. “I mean when you aren't kidnapping innocent women, getting your ass kicked by their hacker best friend, or getting shot at.” She pushes her plate back and takes a drink of her wine.
“Ha, ha, ha.” I roll my eyes at her, but my grin betrays me. “Actually, like any self-proclaimed nerd, I like gaming. But my real pride and joy is my Hayabusa.”
“Your huge pussy?”
I snort a laugh. “Shut up, you brat. It’s my bike. Zero to sixty in under three seconds. My baby flies.”
“Sounds terrifying.”
“No, it sounds like freedom.”
“I wouldn't know what that feels like.” She says it as a joke as she waves her hand at the fancy house that doubles as her jail, but I see the truth of that statement in her eyes.
“Well, what does a captive do when she is not a captive?” I finish the last of my chicken, turning to her with a grin.
“You’re such a dick,” she says, her eyes dancing with amusement. “Actually, two things. Reading, which you clearly know about, you fucking stalker." She gives me a pointed look. “The other thing I haven't done in years. Mom and I used to drive out to the outlook up at the top of Captain’s Hill. At night, the stars are so clear, and with the waves below…” She trails off, chewing her thick bottom lip.
“Freedom.”
She just gives me a strange look, and I can see the walls that Fallon has had so fortified around her start to come down. She hesitates a moment, seeming unsure of whether or not to share what seems to be haunting her. I wait patiently until she speaks again. “I don't think I could enjoy that kind of freedom anymore.”
“Why do you say that?” I keep my voice low, doing everything I can to keep those walls of hers down.
“That night I can't fully remember, when I was attacked, that bastard took something from me. Getting away now wouldn't be freedom without taking back what he stole.”
My mind is reeling with possibilities of helping her take something back. I am pretty good at breaking in and leaving places without a trace. If we can find out who he was, I can get back whatever he took without much issue. “What did he take? I’m sure we can help you get it back when we find him.”
She chuckles quietly, which has me confused. “Well, that was why I was trying to find you. He took my safety. I can’t go in public without looking over my shoulder. I can’t go out for drinks without being hyper aware of not losing control. I think about it every single day.” She stares at the table.
I turn my chair to face her, then reach down and turn hers to face me. Her eyes meet mine and I know I am gone for this girl. This girl who is so strong and brave, and carries around this burden without allowing anyone to know. I just want her to allow me to help.
“What would you want us to do when we find him?” I slide my hands into hers.
Her face hardens, and my stomach sinks thinking that I just said the wrong thing. That is until she speaks again. “I just wanted Cerberus’s help to find and catch him. The rest I want to do. I deserve to get my revenge. I want to confront him about what he did. Maybe I’ll feel safe again when I carve out a pound of flesh.”
A wicked smile covers my face. “Sounds like a plan, Siren.”
My phone goes off, interrupting the conversation. A pop-up notification from Declan appears. I swipe it, revealing an image and file for Officer O'Brian. Declan is apparently making some progress.
Fallon sees this and turns to me. “Why is the cop so important?”
I take a breath, Teo would kill me for this. “This has to stay between us. Matteo would shit a brick if he knew I was sharing this with you.”
She nods, miming zipping her lips.
“You remember what we told you about Luna?” She nods again. “Well, we’re working on getting our own pound of flesh and he’s a part of it.” I point at the screen.
It must be her turn to be calm and open because she quietly asks, “What did he do?” in a way that isn’t prying and is full of gentle support.
“We reported her missing to him, and he essentially dismissed the case, claiming she was a runaway. He even disregarded the evidence we provided. When we saw him at the meeting with Clay, it clicked that he played a role in her disappearance. I was able to dig into him andfound that he has a ton of cases where he did the same thing. He closes them without an investigation. Runaways, assaults, even a few murders. Evidence never makes it to processing. But he’s slick. He’s never the last one to touch any of the evidenceofficially. When I found his offshore accounts, I realized he wasn’t doing this alone. Someone is paying him to be a fixer of sorts.” Her eyes stay on me as she listens, her thumb stroking mine as she holds my hand.
“How many people has he done this to?”
“There are at least ten cases a year that I can link to him, probably more that I can’t. And it has been going on for at least fifteen years.” Her eyes widen in response.
I clear my throat, ready to change the subject. I can't spend too much time thinking about this. It makes me itch to hurt someone, and it's not what I want to focus on right now. “Come on, let’s get out of here, I want to show you something.” I grasp her hand and pull her to her feet, then lead her upstairs to the third floor and my cave. Nerves jump in my stomach. Why am I nervous to show her this?Because she matters.
