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Brothers-in-arms.
He met the eyes of each of his teammates and gave them an appreciative nod.
“Aspen is your woman, then she’s one of us,” Mac announced.
As always, Columbia Police Department protected their own.
Aspen blewout a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. Ball sat at the table with her while the detectives sat across from her. They eyed her with distrust on their faces. They’d gone over the story of what happened at least four times.
She’d lost track of time since she’d entered the small interrogation room.
“How did you get Sergeant Owen’s gun?” Detective Roth asked, cocking an eyebrow.
She’d seen the look in his eyes before. It was the look of a cop who had already deemed her guilty just because of the color of her skin. As if all people of color were guilty of heinous crimes.
“Right before those men attacked us, Declan made me get in the car and told me to open the glovebox. But before I or he could get it, the men jumped him, and the one I shot—” Her voice ended on a catch. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering.
She’d taken a life.
Her vision blurred, making it hard for her to see. She sniffed and ran a hand across her eyes to wipe the tears before they fell. She wasn’t a violent person and because of that man’s actions she’d had to protect herself.
There was only one man to truly blame for this.
Ray Acosta.
“And your relationship with Sergeant Owen is what?” Detective Shots asked.
She rolled her eyes. This was the second time he’d asked her the question. He’d only formed it a different way this time. She glanced over at Ball who nodded.
“We’ve been seeing each other,” she replied. She looked him straight in the eye, not caring if she appeared agitated. She was tired, hungry, and worried about Declan. Since arriving at the police precinct, she’d yet to see him. They’d kept them separated, and she was worried that he was still trying to claim that he’d shot the dead guy. “It hasn’t changed since the last time you asked me.”
Roth let out a snort and tapped his fingers on the table. Nothing she could say was going to change this man’s prejudice against her. He was probably counting down the seconds until he could handcuff her and throw her in a jail cell.
“I’m just curious on why, if you are a regular woman dating an officer, the feds have to be here in the room—”
“As I told you, you don’t have clearance to know why Ms. Hale has to have a federal agent here,” Ball cut off Detective Shots’ question. His demeaning tone wasn’t lost on any of them in the room. Neither of the detectives’ pay grade would allow them the privilege to know the details of Aspen’s case. “Now as I told you, there will be no charges against Ms. Hale. It was purely self-defense. You have about ten witnesses who reported those men were assaulting your coworker and trying to drag her off to kidnap her.”
“Now see here—”
The door opened, and a tall, older man in a uniform with an air of authority entered.
“Good evening,” the man said. His gaze landed on Aspen before he offered his hand to her. “Hello, Ms. Hale. My name is Captain Spook.”
She murmured a greeting before sitting back and watching him greet Agent Ball.
The detectives stood from the table, offering their seats to the captain. He sat in his chair, his worn face looking as tired as Aspen felt.
“Ms. Hale, I’ve recently gotten off the phone with the mayor, and it would seem there will be no charges brought up on the death of the man you shot,” Captain Spook announced.
“What?” Shots and Roth echoed simultaneously. Their complaints were silenced with one stern glare from the captain.
Aspen held back a smirk, watching the emotions cross Roth’s face. He had wanted to find a reason he could arrest her, but it looked like the feds must have spoken with the mayor.
“Ms. Hale, you are to be released into the custody of the US Marshals.” Captain Spook nodded to Ball.
“Thank you, Captain.” Ball stood and extended his hand to the captain, who took it.
“Before you go, we have someone who wants to speak to Ms. Hale.” Captain Spook stood from his chair.
