Page 7 of Warped

My heart sank. “Sorry, Detective, but I don’t need your officers here. I have my own friends who can take me.”

“You need to be safe, Verity.”

“They’ll be enough to protect me, Detective. I think we both know that.”

They knew exactly who Tony the Hound was and what crimes he’d committed, but it was like most of the top people in the mafia. They knew he’d committed the crimes, but they couldn’t get any shit to stick. That was why it was so important I stayed alive long enough to send my father down. No one else was stupid enough to do it. The cops also treaded carefully around me because they wanted my father to go down, too. All it would take was me being intimidated into not doing it, so I simply turned around and said no. Then their case would fall apart.

“I just want you to stay safe, Verity.” His tone had softened, and I noted how he’d switched to using my first name. I was thankful no one called me Viola anymore.

Ugh, how I’d hated that name, though I did miss the way X had called me Vee.

“Thank you, Detective. What time do you need me there?”

“Nine sharp.”

“I’ll be there.”