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I ducked my head and nodded. “I understand.”
For the next hour, I explained what happened and what I had told Hunter. I told the officer how Mr. Gates would make me feel uncomfortable anytime I was near him, and how I found him in my apartment more than once, even though I hadn’t put in any complaints for repairs. I also told them how I’d had to replace panties that had gone missing mysteriously.
“Why didn’t you come to us sooner?”
“At first, I thought I was imagining everything, then I was distracted by school and work. When I did finally realize something was off, and it wasn’t my overactive imagination playing games with me, I was locked into a lease. I just wanted to finish out my lease and move away from him, which is why Hunter was at my house in the first place today.”
“You told Mr. Warren what was happening with your landlord?”
I nodded and shrugged. “I was more talking to myself, and he overheard me, asking what I meant. I couldn’t lie to him, so I told him and made him promise not to tell my brother.”
“Why would you tell him not to tell your brother?”
I gave a sarcastic half laugh. “For the very reason, we are sitting here right now. I knew if Martin found out, he would do something about it, and I didn’t want him in trouble. I didn’t know Hunter would get involved in any way.” I hung my head in embarrassment and shame. “I wish I hadn’t told him. None of this would be happening right now if I had kept my mouth shut.”
“Charley, you should have come forward sooner. What if Mr. Gates is doing this to another woman, and she’s too scared to come forward?” The lawyer placed her hand on my arm and gave it an encouraging squeeze.
I nodded. “Can I see Hunter now?”
“Yeah, follow me.” Officer Maddox led me from his office to a room marked interrogation. He opened the door and let me in.
Hunter was sitting at the table but stood up swiftly when he saw me. His eyes wandered over my body quickly, but it felt like an intimate caress all the same. “The cameras are off, and nobody’s in the viewing room, but just keep it to conversation.”
Hunter nodded, and Officer Maddox left the room. “Hey, Angel.”
His gruff voice was my undoing. I’d kept my emotions intact until I saw him. My lip trembled, and I bit down on it in an effort to hold it in. He must have sensed I was on the verge of losing it because he pulled me into a hug and then sat back in the chair, pulling me onto his lap.
“Easy, Angel. I’m all right.”
“This is all my fault.”
“No, Angel. This isn’t your fault. You didn’t ask your landlord to do what he did, and you didn’t send me after him. You were just the innocent bystander in all of this.”
“What’s going to happen next?”
“I’ll be getting out of here soon, and then we will go back to my place and have a talk.”
“Your place.”
I shivered at the look he gave me. “Yeah. We have to get a few things out in the open and deal with a few punishments.”
“Punishments?” I asked and licked my lips. His eyes zeroed in on the move, and I squirmed in his lap. My body was humming with awareness and a need I’ve never felt and didn’t understand.
“It’s all fun and games until someone gets punished, Angel. Then, it’s pleasure.”
