“Liars. And it’s easy to prove them as such.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know if one girl files a complaint against you, it’s easy to swat away. Could just be some crazy bitch, right? But when enough start to complain, people start to question it. There’s gotta be some fire producing this smoke, you know? And it turns out I can get in touch with a whole lot of these girls. All of them stepping forward together, a lot harder to swat away, now isn’t it?”
Victor snarls. “No one will believe them. They’re all whores.”
Scar shakes his head, still beaming. “Did no one ever teach you how to talk about a lady? A shame, but I guess no one would mistake you for some sort of gentleman.”
“I’m still not hearing anything to suggest why you all aren’t prison-bound. People have survived worse than what you’re planning to throw at me.”
“All right, I’ll cut to the chase. Your bookkeeping is sloppy as fuck, man. All your bribes, all your payoffs. It isn’t hard to find them if you ask the right people the right questions.”
“The hell are you talking about? I cover my tracks perfectly.”
“Do you? Do you know every source you use? Maybe I know a guy who knows a guy who works in your department and can get some confidential paperwork released. And I can call in favors to make him violate the secrecy he swore to you. Tomorrow night, the news could be spouting about how corrupt the district attorney is. There’s going to be so much outrage that the state won’t be able to ignore the trouble you're causing. Even with all your ties? They’ll throw you under the bus to save themselves.”
The color drains from Victor’s face. “You can’t possibly have the information you claim to have.”
“Wildfire has a lot of friends, too, Victor. Actual friends. Not just people we paid off. Can you really say the same? Are the people you trust with your secrets really that loyal?”
The lawyer squints. “What are you proposing?”
“We’re going to take Baylee here. And you’re not going to do shit about it. You try to destroy us and we’ll destroy you right back. She’s an awfully lovely girl, but are you going to give everything up for someone you barely care about?”
The lawyer grumbles, shaking his head. “Fine. Have it your way. Let me go and you can have the girl.”
Blaze keeps his grip tight. He looks at me and smiles, and I can’t help but smile back. He closes his eyes. Something is running through his head. “No, I got something else I’m demanding on top of her release.”
“The hell else do you want? You got your slut...” The words make Blaze’s eyes flame with anger.
“No more,” Blaze says, his gaze locked on Victor. “No more girls for you. No more bringing innocent, unwilling young women into your home to do your awful things to, whatever those things are. If I ever see or hear of you with a woman who doesn’t want to be here? To hell with our deal, I’m coming back here to finish the job I should do now.”
The words are powerful, and dig right into Victor’s head. Blaze throws Victor down to the ground, and he hits it coughing and gagging.
Blaze runs to me, and I run to him. Our arms lock in an embrace, and we go right for the kiss. It’s cliche as hell, but there’s nothing that I want to do more than embrace him right now. To have him hold me. Okay, there’s more that I want to do with him, but not with an audience. It can wait until we’re home.
“We’ll keep in touch, Vic,” Scar says. “Try not to make our little relationship any more complicated than it needs to be.”
More grumbling from the lawyer.
“I’m never letting go of you again,” Blaze says, kissing me on the forehead and running his fingers through my hair. “Never letting you out of my sight.”
I giggle. My guardian angel, here to hold me and protect me. No matter what happens, I can count on him to come through. That one last moment of dread was terrifying, but it’s over now.
“I love you, girl. I don’t care if it’s crazy to say it so soon, it’s true. I love you with all of my heart.”
I smile. “I have to say I love you too, Blaze. My lovely roughneck biker...”
“My hot wife.”
“Jumping right to that, huh?”
“Are you disagreeing with my plans?”
“No, no, it’s just that we are moving faster than I thought was typical. Just an observation, not a complaint.”
We walk side by side, hand in hand, following his friends to the elevator. “Nothing typical about me, babe. So why are you surprised that this is any different? You’re mine, and you’ll always be mine. I don’t see much point in dilly-dallying about that fact when we could be making it official.”