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“I want to talk to him,” Hailey says.
“No fucking way!”
“I want to talk to him,” she repeats.
“Hailey—”
“I trust you with our lives, Morrison, so trust me with this.”
I look in her eyes and see she is determined, focused. I see game in her eyes—her tell is the squaring of her shoulders, the twinkle in her eyes, the swallowing of her breaths, and the way she allows her arms to uncross and hang at her sides, giving the illusion she is open, vulnerable. However, the rubbing of her ring finger against her thumb shows a trained eye she is anxious.
“I see a game running in your head. You think you got game?”
“I know I do.”
“You won’t convince him if he sees this.” I raise her hand up. “Relax the hands. Fuck, I can’t believe I’m allowing this shit. It feels like I’m sending you off to battle that piece of shit alone, and I don’t like it, Hailey, not even a little bit.”
“He is in cuffs and shackles,” the DA says as he stands.
“If he tries to touch you in any way, I’m gonna kill him with my—”
“Morrison.” Her eyes shift to the DA.
“Didn’t hear a thing.” He walks to the door. “I’ll have him in the room next door.” He points to the two-way glass. “She won’t be far.”
I pull her into a hug, wishing I could keep her here, away from him, but she needs this. I know she does.
When you ask for trust from someone, you damn well better give them the same, or you sure as hell aren’t gonna get far. And I don’t want just far, either. I want forever.
I see him shuffle in, dressed in orange, his head shaved. Then he turns and sits, so I can only see the back of him.
“He a white supremacist?”
“No, why?” She looks up at me.
“Swastika tattoo on the back of his skull isn’t gonna make him any friends in prison. He’s a bigger piece of shit than I thought.”
She gasps as she turns around. “Oh, my God. I’ve never seen that. His head has never been shaved before. He has friends who are black. I don’t understand.”
“Hailey, maybe you should reconsider facing him.”
“No, I can do this.”
“I know you can, but you don’t have to.”
“I can do this. Trust me.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The door to the small interrogation room shuts loudly behind me, making me want to jump. Somehow, though, I stand firm.
“I should say I’m surprised to see you here, but I’m not,” Monte says sardonically. “Too easy to read, Hailey. You always have been far too easy to read.”
Without thinking, I blurt out, “What’s with the tattoo? I’ve never seen you like this before, Monte.”
Evil dances in his dark eyes, sending a chill up my spine. I’d always feared the effects of Monte’s games and revenge scenarios on Marisa, but in this moment, I fear the man himself, and all he is capable of.
His voice is low and stern, and his stare doesn’t waver. “Know this, Hard Knocks: My past is none of your fucking concern—never has been and never will be. You don’t know my history, because you don’t need to.”
Feeling an unknown threat and a sense of things spinning out of control, I can’t stop myself as the words tumble out.
“I need to know anything that can harm Marisa.”
He laughs sadistically. “Oh, the things you can’t seem to see. I did all of this for you and for her.”
My stomach churns, the room spins, and I have no choice but to take the seat across from him.
“Stop playing games with me,” I choke out in a whisper.
Monte leans forward. “Don’t you see? Big Daddy Pimp wanted to put you on the corner, precious. He had bragged to the streets since you were fourteen about the price of your virginity. Your momma hustled you into the game, not to save herself, but to save you from the streets. Word got around, and Marshall got through to the dealer to give me my phone as an emergency and a little cash for Marshall on the side. The information was slipped to me that I was indeed playing against the virgin bride. I had two choices: win and leave you to the fate that was certain to crush the light in your eyes, or bargain on the outside for you, because in the end, I never lose, and I wasn’t going to that day.”
I have no words. I sit silently for what feels like forever, but in reality, it’s only two minutes before the DA pops his head in.
“Hailey, finish up. Time is almost over.” His presence reminds me I’m here on borrowed time and a favor from the DA. It is quite possibly illegal for me to even be having this moment with Monte.
“You bought me to save me?”
