Page 108 of Reckless Devotion

“Let me refresh your memory.” I stand and swing my bat at an old tabletop jukebox, smashing apart the glass cover. When I look back at the man, he finally has the decency to look more scared than annoyed. “Young girl gets assaulted at a party, and instead of protecting her, you call her abuser’s father.”

His eyes go wide and that dark something that lives inside me growls, pacified by his obvious fear.

“Now look here, you don’t understand—”

“Let me be very clear that I’m not here for excuses,” I hiss, wedging the tip of the bat beneath his pudgy jaw and pressing his head back. He clutches the couch tighter, whiting around his knuckles. “There is no grey area with this, and nothing you can say to fix it.”

“Then what do you want?” he yells, his eyes bloodshot.

“I’m so glad you asked.” I shove a little, pinning his head to the wall behind the couch and making him wince. “I want you to break the rules for good this time.”

His scruffy whiskered lip curls, hands leaping up to try and temper some of the bat’s pressure, but I don’t let them succeed.

“You’re going to do what you should have done years ago, and arrest the Rénirs for their crimes.”

The old man scoffs, his face turning purple. “What crimes?”

“You know what crimes!” I roar, releasing the bat and smashing a row of antique bottles off the shelf above him. They smash to the floor, some leaping up to bite at my feet, but a cutor two isn’t enough to drown out the thumping fury rip-roaring around my system. “The ones that paid for you to buy this shit hole.”

The anonymous file that had arrived in my inbox this morning was simply titled, “Read me.”And within it, twenty years of financial records that linked the Rénirs with corruption and fraud—bribing judges, tampering with election votes, money laundering. You name it, they’ve done it. And the hyperventilating old man in front of me has been on their payroll since the beginning.

“And not only that.” I reach down and grab him by the collar, dragging him up against the wall and wedging the bat across his throat lengthways. “You’re going to find a way to frame them for a list of crimes that I give you.”

“Are you mad?” The old man gasps, scrambling at the bat. “The Rénirs run this town. I can’t do that!”

“You will do that, and do you wanna know why?” I bare my teeth, grinding them so hard they hurt. Only ragged breathing and beer-scented breath reaches me. “Because the Rénirs might run this town, but I run New York City, and I know people so powerful that they make the Rénirs look like fucking amateurs.”

I lift him from the wall and slam him back into it. “And if you don’t, I’m going to take all of that money you’ve hidden in an offshore account in your daughter’s name because you thought you were so clever, and use it to pay people to make your life a living hell every day until you die.”

A high-pitched groan sounds from the back of his throat and the scent of ammonia cuts the air. “Okay, okay!”

I let go of him, allowing his heavy body to slump to the couch like a sack of shit, noting the dark stain spreading across the front of his jeans.

“I’ll do it,fuck!” He clutches at his throat, scrambling to one corner of the couch.

I take a step back, my whole body trembling as I try to wrestle my anger back into its cage.

“And if I find out you’ve harmed one hair on another person’s head ever again—emotionally or otherwise—I’m going to hunt you back down and finish the job I started.”

The parting words come out as a granite-rough growl, barely loud enough to register. And with that, I force my shaking body to turn and walk out of the bar before I indulge the thing clawing to escape my chest and do something I can never take back.

Chapter 38

SUNNY

The large industrial metal door cranks open and my gaze falls onto Chase where he leans against a large kitchen island.

My heart leaps, some of the heavy vibration I’ve carried for the past couple of days lightening. I run into the large apartment space and don’t even hesitate before I fling myself at him, moisture springing to my eyes as he scoops me up into a bear hug.

“Thank you,” I manage to croak into his chest.

“Don’t mention it, kid.” He lets me go, his voice gruff as his hands land on my shoulders and he pulls back to look at me. “Are you okay?”

I sniff back my tears and jerk my head to the side. “Kinda.”

He nods, looking like a bag of dicks himself. Dark purple bruises press beneath his eyes, and his usually relaxed face seems drawn, stubble verging on a beard like it hasn’t been tended to in days.

“We’ll be in touch to check in, Mr. Walker.” We both turn to look at the plump woman in an ill-fitting pantsuit, who nods her head toward Chase and then in my direction. “You’ve got my contact details if you need anything, Daniel.”