“Wait here.” I ducked into Scarlett’s room. “Hey, kiddo. I have someone here that really wants to see you, can I let him in?”
She grinned. “You got him here so quick! Yes!”
I smiled. “Come on, you know me. I’ve never taken no for an answer, I wasn’t about to start now.” I cracked the door open. “You can come in.”
Avalanche slipped into the room and headed straight over to sit on Scarlett’s bed. He put on his usual carefree persona as he plopped down next to her.
“Hey, kid. Just couldn’t get enough of me?” He flashed his signature grin.
Scarlett giggled. “I need a new bear! My brother broke it last visit.”
“A new bear? Hm. I think I’m beared out. Can I offer you a fish?” He made the ice fish behind his back and pulled it out. She burst into a fit of giggles.
Fuck me.You are mad at him. This is super cute, but you absolutely donotwant his babies. You. Are. Mad. At. Him.
I went to slip out of the room.
“Wait! Miss Violet, thank you. You’re the best honourary big sister anyone could ask for.”
Tear stung my eyes.
“Any time, kiddo. You’re the best little sister ever.” I gave her a big smile. “Now, I have a job to do. I’ll come by when it’s time for Avalanche to leave.”
She nodded excitedly as I closed the door.
“You know the drill.Turn around and walk away, this really doesn’t have to be ugly.”
“Step out of my way, Miss Hayes.” The captain of the ERT stood a foot taller than me, his ego suffocating the emergency room waiting area. He was trying to look intimidating, but he just looked like an asshole.
“Or what?” I taunted. “Or nothing. So tuck tail and run while you still can,Captain.”
I’d dealt with him seven times at this point—still didn’t know his name. I guess he assumed he was important enough thatI should know who he was and he didn’t have to introduce himself. I didn’t and he should have.
“You’re really going to stand there and defend a murderer? Your mother must be so proud.”
A wave of unrelenting rage washed over me. I’d let it go the last time he brought up my mum, but today I couldn’t.
“She’s dead. Killed by your police force ascollateral damagein your war against the villains. You don’t know shit about me but maybe you should do some research before you open your dumbass mouth. Get lost, before you piss me off even more.” I didn’t recognize the sound of my own voice, it sounded so cold, so detached.
“You’re sure it wasn’t one of your precious villains?”
“None of myprecious villainsneed bullets to kill. She was riddled with them. One of your men emptied a full clip into her. Get out of my face and out of my fucking hospital.”
It was almost four years ago when I went to the morgue to identify her body. The coroner wouldn’t pull the sheet lower than her chin. I’d demanded to know why. Two holes in her neck, four in her collarbone, six in her chest, seven throughout her abdomen. Seventeen bullets total. The only consolation was that the officer was killed.
Later, I went back and watched the footage from the news. It was a fight against Avalanche; he went after a member of city council right after a council meeting. Mum worked as a clerk and was trying to get to cover when the officer freaked out and emptied his mag into her. Avalanche had stopped his attack to try and save her but he didn’t make it in time. Instead, he killed the officer.
That was when my crush on him started. Knowing he’d gone out of his way to try and save my mum, then not even hesitating to avenge her. Some people might blame Avalanche for attacking in the first place, but the councillor he was afterwas a grade A asshole. Multiple sexual harassment accusations that were swept under the rug—women being paid off or fired—insider trading investigations, domestic abuse charges, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
“Miss Hayes?—”
“Shut up. Get out of my fucking hospital before you make me lose my temper. My favourite patient is probably going to die today and I’m not letting you ruin one of her final memories because you need to prove you have the biggest penis. I promise you that you do not want to test me I will make your life miserable.”
“Did you just threaten me?”
“No I promised you. Get. Out.”
The captain turned an unnatural shade of red—as he usually did during his little visits—spun on his heels and stormed out. He paused at the door.
