Page 59 of Keeping Collette

“What?” Confusion lit her as she looked over to him. His body was tense, and he was watching her and not what was happening beyond the window.

What was going on? Why was Deal saying they should go? Wasn’t the whole reason they were there so she could get answers? Granted, she’d already come to the conclusion that wasn’t happening, but there was still the chance that Craig would crack and give them what they wanted to hear.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh and a loud expletive had her swinging back around to look at what was happening. Craig’s nose was bleeding profusely, and Irish was standing beside him, looking like he was ready to hit him again.

“What are they doing!? They can’t be doing that!” she exclaimed, shocked at what she was seeing.

“Let’s go, Collette.”

In all the time she’d been around the guys from Alliez, she never once thought they would do what Irish had done to Craig, even though the guy was scum.

Deal ushered her out the door, closing it with a bang, but not before she heard another howl of pain.

She dug her heels in and yanked her arm out of Deal’s hold. “Stop. Tell me what the fuck that was all about?”

Collette rarely swore, unless she was angry, and she was blazing now.

“The guys weren’t getting the information they wanted, so they tried other methods.” He said it so calmly, as if this was how all police interrogations happened.

“I don’t believe this is normal. Nor do I believe anyone in this building will be happy with what you guys are doing. I don’t get it. Is this really how you operate?” She didn’t want it to be true. But maybe she’d been naïve in her thinking about what they all did. They were all former military. They would’ve used all sorts of ways to get information out of people. Methods that weren’t entirely legal.

“Collette, honey, look at me.” Deal lightly gripped her upper arms and she raised her gaze to look at him. “No, this isn’t what we do, but we’ve watched the tapes of the police interrogations. Onslow wasn’t giving them any information, and given how they’ve finally admitted that there is a serial killer on the loose, they want to get any and all information they can get to find this fucker. We had meetings with the detectives in charge of the case. They were aware that things might get a little heavy.”

“Still doesn’t make it right.”

“No, but sometimes we have to step into the gray areas of life to achieve what we want.”

It still didn’t sit well with her.

But what if it gives you the answers you want and need?

The counter argument from her inner voice couldn’t be ignored. “I guess.”

Deal pulled her in for a hug, and she wrapped her arms around him letting his warmth seep into her soul.

“I know this is difficult for you, honey, but this asshole could have vital information for us. We’d much rather he gave it freely, so we didn’t have to resort to those tactics. We want answers as much as you do, and we will do whatever is necessary to get them.”

A hard edge entered his voice, and if she didn’t know that he could be incredibly gentle as well, she might have pulled away from him. With those words, she’d gotten a look at the SEAL he’d once been.

Deal had been trained to do unpleasant things. Things that would rid the world of dangerous criminals who had no morals. He was still doing it.

“You good now?” he asked, putting a little space between them.

“Yeah I am. It’s just—I didn’t expect that, I guess.”

“No, I know you weren’t, which was why, when I could see what Irish was about to do, I wanted you out of there.”

Was he worried that she would think differently of both Ox and Irish?

Did she?

She let the thought sit, and decided that she didn’t. They were still the same men she’d met. Men who fawned over their wives. Who would do anything to protect them and their children. They were good men, and Craig Onslow wasn’t. “I want to know, so I’m okay with however we get those answers. If we do,” she finished quietly.

“We will. Trust me. When Ox and Irish get back to the office, we may not know everything, but we’ll have a better idea of what he was up to, and if he is involved with the whole operation.”

“Do you think he works for the traffickers or the serial killer? Or both?” It wasn’t beyond the realm of believability that Craig Onslow worked for someone. Who that someone was, well, hopefully he gave them that information.

“It’s possible. We don’t know for sure. Or he could just be a creeper who gets off on enticing girls to go meet him in shitty places, and then having a laugh knowing they’re there while he’s comfy in his basement apartment.”