AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shake as I wait for the officer to come ask for my license and registration, barely registering the fact that there’s a faint buzzing coming from my pocket.
I almost don’t check it, but what the hell? I’m about to go to jail, might as well see if I’ve got someone calling about a job. Like they’d hire me after seeing an arrest on my record anyway …
But when I see the screen, my blood runs cold. It’s Santino.
When I answer it, before I can even speak, his deep voice is talking to me. “Sweetheart, I need you to remain calm.”
“What?” I ask, a tear managing to escape and trickle down my cheek. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ll tell you later, but right now, I want you to remain calm and just sit tight, okay? If they get to you before I get to them, don’t give them anything, just keep stalling.”
I can’t make myself answer him audibly, but I find myself nodding my head as I swallow thickly and take a deep breath.
“That’s my good girl,” he says to me, his voice warm with praise. “It’s going to be fine, just trust me.”
It’s only after he hangs up that I realize I never told him what was happening.
Chapter Five
Santino
I grit my teeth as I watch the cop climb out of his car and approach Renee’s.
Even with as much power as I have, dealing with law enforcement still puts me on edge. I never know if I’m going to be dealing with one that can be bribed or not. While I’ve got the department chief looking the other way with pretty much everything, there are still lone actors on the force.
But everyone has their price, and no price is too high if it gets Renee out of the trouble I know she’ll be in.
Last night, I took the time to have one of my guys run her car’s plate numbers and work his magic to secure some information. Mere hours before that, I’d watched her unlock it and pull something out of the trunk, so I knew it was hers.
Or, well, that it belongs to someone she knows. Her step-father, according to the background check I ran when I found out who the car belonged to. More than that, he reported it as stolen days ago. Funny that he hasn’t reported Renee as missing …
Each day, more and more pieces of her puzzle fall into place. And I relish putting it together.
Just as the cop gets to her car’s passenger-side door, I step out of my own vehicle. As I button my suit jacket, I call out to him. “Officer, a word please.”
Every ounce of charisma I have is poured into the statement, and I can see he’s noticed it when he looks up and tenses. Or maybe he just recognizes me. Either way, it looks like I might be able to gain the upper hand after all.
I approach the cop car with slow, measured strides, letting every inch of power in my body show itself. I’m the Bianchi Beast, after all—what’s the point in having a reputation if I don’t use it? The officer’s eyes widen when as I draw near. I watch his hand twitch, but he doesn’t reach for the gun at his side. Wise choice.
“Officer,” I say calmly, keeping my hands in a neutral, welcoming gesture, where he can see them. No need to make him twitchier than he already is.
“Mr. Bianchi,” he says, sounding almost surprised. I’m glad to see that my face is still recognizable, even for cops I’ve never met. My reputation precedes me and I plan on exploiting that for all it’s worth. “What can I do for you?”
“That’s a good question,” I tell him. “What’ll it take for you to look the other way from this?”
“S-Sir?”
“What’s it going to take for you to get back into your squad car and pretend this traffic stop didn’t happen?”
The officer’s brows furrow. “This vehicle has been reported as stolen,” he explains. “The owner has been looking to press charges.”
I take a deep breath and glance down at the car. It’s a four door sedan, dented and rusted to hell and back. There’s little doubt in my mind that it’s pretty well worthless, but the law doesn’t always care about worth or what real justice looks like. After a moment, I bend over and peer through the front passenger window. Renee, visibly upset and shaken, looks up at me with wet, wide eyes.
“Get out of the car,” I tell her. “Grab anything that’s yours and nothing more.”
The officer and I watch as she scrambles out of the car, pops the trunk, and grabs a shopping bag. With a click of my key fob, I unlock my car and nod at it. She takes the hind and ducks her head, walking swiftly behind me as I turn to the officer once more. Just as I hear the soft slam of her closing the door behind her, I finally speak.
“There you go, officer,” I tell him evenly. “You can tell the owner that you found abandoned on the side of the road. I’m sure the he’ll be thrilled to take it back.”
