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THIRTY-FOUR
‘HAUNTED’ ISABEL LAROSA
Lexi
The San Diego Chief of Police sneers my name, sending a chill down my spine as memories from years ago, during my week of being tortured by Alan for running to the police, comes barreling back to me.
I’m sitting in the police station after escaping through the bathroom window in the middle of the night. Gio had already left home a month before, and I couldn’t take one more second of suffering under Alan’s hands. A couple in a car that happened to be driving by dropped me off at the station downtown, and I thought I’d finally be free of Alan. I sat for hours detailing every brutal thing Alan has done to me, even making the officer turn green with sickness.
When I was done, it was the chief who came into the room with Alan on his heels. I thought I was going to witness justice firsthand until Jared Assman smiled at me like a lecherous demon.
He licked his lips, his beady eyes roved over my body, “Sounds like you two have quite the good times, Alan. I think I know of a way to charge you next time you lose in a round of golf.”
Alan’s responding laughter will never erase from my mind. It was malicious and vile in every way, it was also the start of my week in hell.
Alan never passed me off to Jared, but it never stopped the man from suggesting it every time he was around. He’d grope me, grip himself in front of me, and whisper his disgusting desires to me any chance he got, and Alan never cared. No, I never expected him to stop his best friend from harassing me, nor was I surprised he allowed it, but with the controlling and possessive way Alan held me in his life, one would think he’d put a stop to it immediately. Alas, Alan’s brand of insanity can never be understood.
“Julio, who the fuck is this guy?” Luce growls, his protective stance in front of me soothes me.
“What a foul mouth, you have. I’m curious, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” He looks over at Detective Julio who looks like he’d rather eat dog shit than be here.
“Sure do, chump. And your mother too.” Luce grins when Jared snarls and steps forward only to stop himself. He adjusts the tie at his neck and visibly collects himself before smiling once more, menace in his eyes.
My fingers grip Luce’s shirt tightly, seeing the outcome of Jared’s next words before they even leave his thin lips.
“I’m sure you kissed your sister with that mouth, perhaps that’s why she decided to turn to a life of prostitution. I hear you both have some daddy issues.”
I wrap my arm around Luce’s waist when he jerks forward, “Stop Luce. He’s trying to get us separated, please,pleasestop.”
I feel my heart banging in my chest, fear clawing its way up my throat and making my voice come out panicked. Thankfully, Luce hears me and places a soothing hand over mine on his stomach.
“My sister was never a prostitute, and she wasn’t killed by Giovanni. He didn’t kill his mother either. She went missing when he was just a kid, and until today, he never knew she was dead.” He snaps his attention to the silent detective beside him, “What the hell is this bullshit, Julio? You know G isn’t responsible for this.”
Julio opens his mouth to answer, but Jared holds up his hand interrupting him, “It seems you and Detective Velasquez are on more informal terms,” he turns to the man before continuing, “you’re dismissed, Detective.”
Julio sputters, his brows furrowing as his veins bulge in anger, “This is my jurisdiction, you have absolutely no right to order me away like one of your little beat cops.”
Jared grins and reaches toward the inside of his jacket pocket and produces a paper, “According to the federal judge in your district, I have full rights over this case and those involved. You may read that and see yourself out.”
Julio rips the paper from his hand and reads it before crumbling it in his fist. His eyes land on Luce’s, a silent message passing between them before he straightens and nods, “Answer no questions. You’re not involved as he so foolishly said. I’ll have him off the case within twenty-four hours.”
As he walks toward the bedroom door, he stops and turns back around, leveling a stare at Jared’s smug face, “You’re in over your head, and I won’t be held accountable for the hell you bring on yourself.”
With that, the New York detective leaves the room, ordering his officers to follow him.
Once we’re alone, Jared turns around and slowly walks toward the closet, looking in and gazing around as though he’s got all the time in the world.
“You have about ten seconds before I stop caring about prison and just shoot you in the face.” Luce growls, pulling out his gun and pointing it at the overreaching bastard.
My eyes flash to the open front door, worried that someone will see him and kill him instead, but no one comes back in. Jared’s chuckle has my attention snapping back to him and finding his beady eyes on me. I stare back, doing my best to hide my discomfort and slip on a mask of cool, calm, and collected.
“You kill me, and yourboyfrienddies.” Jared sneers the word with disgust as though he’s the epitome of perfection. Fuck him. He’s tied with Alan in the scumbag department, and he dares to try and make my man feel ashamed for loving another man?
“How about you choke on your own dick.” I say angrily, stepping out from behind Luce’s back.
Luce tilts his head to the side, a smirk pulling up the corner of his lips, “What she said, peewee. Besides, we’re all alone in here, and even if you’re wearing a wire right now, your buddies can’t hear you because this whole floor is hotwired with scrambler devices,” he steps toward Jared who has suddenly gone white in the face, “and you just sent away your only protection.”
Jared reaches for his sidearm, but Luce expects it and rushes him, slamming him against the wall with the barrel of his gun under his chin.
