She wipes at her eyes. “Lief, I ...”
“I will not leave your side, Valerie.”
“All three of us can go,” Chase offers. “We won’t leave you alone with that man. We promised to never let anything hurt you. Anything or anyone.”
She wipes at her eyes. “I don’t want to add anything to your plate, Chase. You’ve been working so hard.”
“Too hard. I need to reinstate that balance you like to talk about.” He rubs her cheek. “You don’t even have to need me. if you want me, I’m there.”
Hunter nods. “Anything at the mansion can wait. This can’t. You ... you should never have to wait on us, Valerie.”
She trembles. “Fuck, I love you guys, but I hate this situation.”
“Through the best and worst, we’re together.” Chase insists.
After another thirty minutes of promising not to leave her side, we all get dressed for the weather and head to the jail. On the car ride, I reach back and give Valerie her favorite knife. She looks at me with confusion. “They’ll take it when we walk in.”
“It’s to remind you right now, right here, that you’re a badass.”
“Lief,” Hunter warns.
I ignore him. “You talked a Russian hitman into letting you go. You snared all three of us and have made us better men. You tamed an Italian mobster in one conversation. You took on our aunt without hesitating. You are not the same little girl you were.”
She puts the knife to the side and squeezes my hand.
That’s enough to convince me that she can do this.
We check into the prison and we’re told to wait in one of the interrogation rooms. Only one of us can go in with her though. Chase has a conversation about that and they cave an inch – two of us can be in there with one behind the glass.
Hunter gets stuck with the short stick, staying behind.
Valerie sits between Chase and me, her foot tapping faster and faster until I lean over. “Treat this like a case study.”
She faces me. “What?”
“It’s a case study. Long-term affects of alcohol abuse on a man who’s already inclined towards aggression. You are in control and you’re studying the results, not on trial, not being interrogated.”
She kisses my cheek. “Thank you, Lief.”
“Bad ass woman therapist.” Chase reminds. “Who has tamed two mafia bosses. A woman who is more dangerous than any pit viper in the jungle without fangs or venom.”
She squeezes our hands and opens her mouth just as the door is opened.
A man with gray hair and bloodshot brown eyes is walking in. He sits across from us, then looks at Valerie and only Valerie. She places her hands on the table and I see the blank mask come down on her face.
“It’s been a long time, princess,” He says.
“Dad.” She greets. “Let’s talk about those accusations.”
VALERIE
My dad looks like shit. He looks almost exactly the same as he did when I last saw him. He’d snuck into my high school graduation as my mom’s guest. I’d seen him, but he wasn’t allowed to approach.
He grins. “You can come home now. You’ll have your own room and everything. And you’re already at the police station, so you can escape these ... evil men.”
“Let’s talk about you.” I make myself stay professional. “I’ve been told that you went to a private place and made a scene. Can you tell me why?”
He blinks at me a few times like he’s confused. “Because they’re holding you captive. Three men keeping you for themselves, for their pleasure, not even caring about what you want.”