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She had no idea how hard it had been not to push past the security barrier and pull her into my arms.
Everything inside me raged at the sheer fact this beautiful creature spent the better part of the last twenty-four hours in this godforsaken place. I couldn’t protect Sophia from whatever she’d experienced while they held her.
I’d fucking failed her.
“We will take a more secure route for our exit,” I informed Sophia, guiding her toward the precinct's east side. “I don’t want anyone knowing you’re out before I have you secured at home.”
She nodded, her mask still firmly secured over her features. However, I knew this woman. This act was her shield to protect herself so no one saw the vulnerable woman underneath. I knew when she saw that she was being remanded to my custody, she would think of her parents and their relationship and how scared she was to repeat it.
But she couldn’t hide the minor telltale signs of relief. Her shoulders were more relaxed, and she eased further into the touch of my hand at the base of her waist.
However, the exhaustion radiating from her tugged at every one of my protective instincts. I wanted to find the DA and punch him for putting my woman through this ordeal.
Using her to carry out personal agendas went against all the rules in my book. The judge and the DA’s office made an enemy of me.
I directed Sophia past another security point, and then an area used more for station staff. Once we reached the east side of the building, we took a narrow hallway and approached the back exit, where two members of my personal protection team came into view. They stood next to my car, with a third holding open the passenger side door for Sophia.
Once both of us were inside the cab of my vehicle and I pulled out of the underground garage, I prepared myself for the questions bound to come from her lips.
How did you get me out? Who did you bribe? Was it Lucian or someone else who pulled the strings?
Except she only stared out the window, head pressed firmly against the headrest.
“Ask, Sophia.”
She shifted her attention in my direction. “I’m not following.”
“Yes, you are. I know you want to. It’s written all over your face. I’d want to know if I were in your position.”
“Okay, I’ll ask. How did you manage it when no one else could?”
“I called in a favor the mayor owed me.”
“That’s impossible. He’s related to the Randolphs.”
“You heard about that connection. Interesting.”
“I think the cops thought they could scare me with that information into confessing or something.”
“The Randolphs’ connections mean jack shit. Especially after I showed the esteemed mayor the video of his dear deceased nephew's exploits.”
“Wait. You have Keith assaulting someone on video?” The panic in her voice had me setting her hand on her lap.
“The statute of limitations ran out on that situation a long time ago and the family settled with the Randolphs out of court.”
“Another cover-up,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Yes. The Randolphs wielded their money and power to hide their son's crimes. I plan to use their son’s misdeeds to protect you in any way possible.”
“Did you threaten to leak the footage and exploit the mayor’s connection to the Randolphs?”
“No. It’s more that the mayor now understands distancing himself from certain family connections is better for his political aspirations.”
Putting fear in someone’s head was good enough. The video's release would only cause the victim to suffer more, and she’d been through enough.
“I don’t want you ever to leak it.”
“I know, Sophia. I wouldn’t do that to her or you.”
