The words came out sharper than I intended, but hell, everything about her scraped raw edges against me.
It wasn’t just the fights — though she could cut a man down to bone with that mouth of hers. It was the way she carried fire into everyroom, like she’d decided the world owed her a reckoning and she wasn’t about to wait for permission.
She got under my skin, and not in any one way I could name. Half the time I wanted to put her in cuffs just to get her to stop talking. The other half... I couldn’t stop watching her, even when she was furious at me. Especially then.
And maybe that was the problem.
That’s why I’d shown up in person with a file I could’ve sent by email. Not because it was urgent. Not even because it was protocol.
Because I wanted to see if the fire was still there after she walked away.
“She means exactly what she says,” Remi corrected, walking around the counter. “Which is more than I can say for most people.”
I watched her cross the room and grab a folder from one of the cabinets, sliding it into her oversized bag like this was just another Tuesday. But I could see the tension in her shoulders. The kind you only get from holding up someone else’s world too long.
“You all right?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I’m not the one who just left, so she wouldn't explode.”
Fair enough.
I pushed a little further. “I was wondering... How do you two keep this place running? This much volume? Most of your clients can’t pay. The other half are too scared to stay and bail.”
That made her pause. She turned slowly, one brow raised. “Why, Chief? Are you planning to shut us down?”
I chuckled because, God, this girl, “I’m asking how it works. Honestly.”
She gave me a long, measured look. Then walked to the mini fridge, grabbed two of those overpriced canned teas I never understood, and tossed me one.
I caught it, mostly on instinct.
“It works,” she said, cracking her tab, “because we diversify. Grants. Fundraisers. Donations. I do different types of coaching on the side for businesses. Ava picks up consulting hours for family lawfirms. Sometimes I take on speaking engagements or company retreats. We both take night calls at the shelter once a week.”
I blinked. “That sounds like three full-time jobs.”
“More like six.”
“Jesus.”
She took a sip. “It’s not glamorous. But it keeps the lights on and we get to keep doing what we do.”
I leaned against the counter again, watching her. “And you think that’s sustainable?”
Her mouth quirked. “Sustainable isn’t the goal. Surviving until the next girl walks through the door is.”
That landed heavier than I expected.
“Any of that illegal?”
Her mouth quirked again. “You want to start digging, Chief?”
“Just doing my due diligence.”
She raised her tea in a mock salute. “Then... It's legal." Then she shot me a wink that looked wrong coming from her and finished with, "Technically.”
That made me bark out a laugh, just once, but loud enough that she turned back toward me.
“You ever consider doing something less... all-consuming?” I asked.
