Page 42 of Daddy's Mad Love

I ignored him.

He’d shown me who he really was when he’d stood by and said not a word when Jack bent me over the interrogation room table. The fact that I was now happy to be married to Jack was insignificant—at that moment, I had needed protection and defense, and he’d provide neither. Now I didn’t need a thing from him.

Just like Chief Barnes. I did need one thing from the chief, and I was here to demand it.

The chief saw me coming and straightened up, an odd expression on his face, as if he was shocked to see me there. Had he really thought there would be no reckoning? Maybe he had, but I wasn’t the woman he’d known before, the one he’d thrown to the wolves.

I was a wolf myself now.

I was no longer Hailey McQueen; I was Hailey DiNardo, and I had been wronged by him. Maybe he’d thought because he’d cooperated with Jack, the way he did with other powerful men, that there would be no repercussions. Meeting his gaze levelly, coldly, I strode toward him. Something about my demeanor, or maybe just the knowledge of who I was now married to, made him blanch. It was incredibly satisfying after years of being barely acknowledged by him.

“Chief Barnes.” I smiled thinly, coming to a halt in front of him. His gaze flickered over my shoulder, and I didn’t need to look to know that Tomas was staring at him, too, with a blank gaze that was more intimidating because of his lack of expression.

The chief swallowed hard but put his shoulders back, as though he was trying to show a lack of fear.

“Mrs. DiNardo.”

“I need to speak with you. Privately.”

Even though he’d already blanched, somehow, he managed to get even paler at my words, but he glanced over my shoulder again and nodded his head. The fact that he was looking at Tomas rather than me only increased my inner fury at him, but I kept it held quietly inside.

As he led me to his office, I saw Clara from across the room. She gave me a thumbs up. I hadn’t told her that I was going to visit the chief, much less what I was going to say to him, but she knew me well enough to guess.

There would be no more Mrs. Smiths coming to this precinct for help and being turned away. Not on my watch.

Not on Chief Barnes’ watch if he valued his life.

Did I sometimes worry I was becoming a bad person? Perhaps it was possible, but I was only using my power against someone who had abused his and refused to use it for good, despite the fact that’s exactly what he was supposed to do. That helped me feel a little better about it. We were not the same.

Settling behind his desk, Chief Barnes gestured for me to sit.

I did not.

I stood, looking down on him. Seeming to realize I would not be sitting and putting myself on a lower level, he shriveled in his seat. It was too late for him to stand up again unless he wanted to appear threatening, which Tomas—still looming behind me—might take badly.

“Chief Barnes, I am very disappointed in your dedication to serving and protecting the women who come in here looking for your assistance,” I said coolly, getting straight to business. “That is going to change. Now. The next time a woman comes here looking for help and is turned away, I don’t care how powerful her husband or family or the man she needs help from is, I will be holding you accountable.”

For the first time in my life, I had the pleasure of watching a person actually sputter. His face when red, then white, and he seemed unable to get a single word out for a good thirty seconds. When he finally managed to figure out what he wanted to say, he was glaring at me for pointing out his shortcomings. Typical.

“What if she’s complaining about someone from your family?” His gaze darted to Tomas again, as if to accuse him. So far, I had no worries about Tomas. He was a perfect gentleman to everyone I’d seen—he just looked scary.

“Then you will report to me, and I will handle it.” I pinned him with a look. “But there will be no more Mayor Smiths under your watch. Will there?”

He wanted to sneer at me, I could tell. Behind me, I felt Tomas move closer to me, backing me up. Did it burn that Chief Barnes wasn’t threatened by me?

A little.

But whatever got the job done. That’s what I’d come to accept. I didn’t care why he started helping the women who needed it, as long as he did.

And if he didn’t, he would find himself out of a job… just like Mayor Smith.

Finally, he nodded.

“Yes, Mrs. DiNardo.” Resentment colored every word out of his mouth. Again, I didn’t care.

“Good. I’ll be keeping an eye to make sure of it.” I smiled thinly at him and turned around, marching past Tomas and back out the door without looking back. I didn’t need to. He no longer mattered.

As I headed back toward the street, Bruce stepped in front of me, and I ground to a halt. Before he could speak, Tomas was suddenly between us, a wall of muscle and protection.

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