Page 51 of Copper

“Space shoes,” Aaron mumbles, closing his eyes.

“I’ve never been arrested or held a job that required fingerprints on file. I’m not in the system even if you found some DNA or prints. If I left fibers behind for your forensics, I’m sure they put them aside to see if they could compare them to someone with a motive, but who suspected me?”

He pulls back from me a little, his face turning from blind rage to sheer exhaustion.

“As for Cannon’s goons in the middle of all that, I took care of them in the order you found them, except for Geoffrey, of course. He’s a tough guy to find since he spells his name with a G instead of a J. I didn’t figure that one out until after he attacked us and I saw the news report.”

Aaron looks at the floor, and I keep going. He asked to hear everything. “They had to go, too. I couldn’t have them point a finger at me as a person Cannon was after. I was worried that they may start looking around for people who had reason to take out Cannon. Sure, I’m a woman. A stripper. I’m sure I wouldn’t have been their first choice as a suspect because a lot of men don't think strippers have two brain cells to rub together. That's total bullshit. I walked into work with stained shorts the day I killed Todd Daniels, but I quickly threw those away as soon as I could. Peter didn’t notice the blood on them when I sat in his office and talked to him. I also waited three months before making a move on any of the men. Most people think a suspect would act immediately after being threatened. No, I took my time. Geoffrey sure didn’t suspect I was capable of anything at the turtle gala. I was so used to biding my time to get away from Beck that I turned into a patient woman, and a patient woman is a dangerous and powerful force to reckon with.”

“Why kill Murphy? He didn’t know you were involved.”

“Why the fuck not?” I close my eyes for a moment. “He’d bring whatever girlfriend he was seeing into the club and make us girls go down on each other while he watched. Maybe he thought it was fun to have power over his cousin’s estranged wife. I’m sure that was part of it. He bullied the other women and made them sell his trash, taking Sheri’s tips like he was her pimp. Once Cheryl told me he was threatening her kids and that he had raped Sheri, I was done hemming and hawing about killing him. I am so done fucking around with every piece of shit like them.”

Aaron rolls his neck like his body doesn’t know what to do with the adrenaline rush.

“Anyway, I was done with him after I knew everything I needed to know about Cannon and his dudes. Does anyone really miss him?” I ask. “I know he trafficked and moved drugs. He pissed off a lot of people. Threatened kids. Spoiler alert, zero people have missed that piece of shit since I took care of him. I knew you were on to him, so he was an easy setup. Then, when you got close, it was easy to make it look self-inflicted.”

“You should have let me get him.”

“Should have. Would have. Could have. He’s not a player in the game now. You should really thank me.”

“Someone will fill his shoes, and I’ll have to start from scratch to build a case, Lucy.”

“True. But you’re a good cop, Aaron. Your detectives are good. Everything will unfold as it should. Besides, once you got him, someone would fill those shoes. It doesn’t matter which way he was taken out.”

Aaron lets go of me but runs his finger over my lips as he backs away. “Did you get a taste for it? Is this who you are now?”

I snort and rub my neck, laughing. “Are you really asking if I’m a serial killer now?”

He gives a short nod, and his eyes flick to the ceiling, probably worried about Ruby and Pearl being around a serial killer. The tear that’s been in his eye finally spills over, and he doesn’t wipe it away. My fingers itch to touch it, but would he even let me?

“I did what I did to protect myself, Aaron. That’s it. Protect myself. Protect Peter. Love him or hate him, he’s the only family I have left, and they threatened to hurt my family. I couldn’t have anything with you with those men alive. That’s why I fought us and pushed you away until I just couldn’t anymore. Beck would never have let me leave if I hadn’t killed him. You would have been in danger from Cannon. The girls would have been in danger. Hell, with those men in the world, every woman and girl would be in danger.”

“We would have dealt with it like we did when Geoffrey showed up. Together.”

I snort laugh. “I told you, Aaron Dwyer, I’m bad news. I’ve tried to tell you all along. When I told you I’d done bad things, did you just think I meant the dancing? I kill awful men. I’m angry, Aaron. I’m still angry about being beat on for years. Then, when I get some fucking peace, some mafia henchmen show up at my door and threaten me. I am done being a punching bag, and I am done being a victim.”

“You don’t regret it? Do you consider yourself some sort of vigilante?”

I don’t blink, and I lift my chin, straightening my shoulders until I’m at my full height. “I regret nothing. I’m what happens when men fuck around. They find out. I woke up one day and realized I could either cower and cringe for the rest of my life or I could fix the problem. I righted some wrongs for myself. For Ellen. For all of the women and girls trafficked and hurt by Murphy. For any other woman that would have been beat on by Beck in the future. For every person, male or female, who was scared for their lives and their families by George Cannon and his band of little bitches. So, you ask if I have a taste for it – fuck yes, I do. I have a taste for justice. I won’t go looking for a fight, but if someone starts shit with me, I’ll fucking finish it. The legal way of doing things and the people that were supposed to help let me down too many times.” I pause and take a breath. "Present company excluded."

His chin quivers, but he clears his throat, trying to get control of his voice. “Will you ever hurt me if you get mad at me? If we argue or this doesn’t work out?” His eyes flick to the ceiling again, probably worried about leaving his daughters alone in the world. Is he having second thoughts about bringing a child into the world with me?

I hope not. I want a life with him more than anything.

“Never,” I whisper, meaning it with all my heart. “I would die first. I’d never hurt you. You’re everything to me, and you’re a good man. Even if you break my heart twenty years from now, you’ll never be akin to Murphy, Cannon, or Beck.”

A tear comes out of my eye at the very thought he can even think I'd hurt him. Something about crying with him in his basement over our future moves me. I want to wrap my arms around him. Not in a sexual way. I want to hold him, rock him, and tell him it will be OK.

“I need to know if youwantto do this again!” he yells, pointing to the floor. “Is it a compulsion?”

I step forward and finally wipe the tear trail off his face. Surprisingly, he doesn’t flinch at my touch. “I’ll only do it again if trouble comes for me. And I’ll damn well do it if trouble ever looks in the direction of your girls or any child of ours. I love you. I love your girls, and I’ll do whatever the universe says to do to protect everyone in this house. Consequences be damned, Aaron. But you’ll need to tell me what those consequences are.” I back away and hold my hands out like they’re ready to be cuffed. “After all, you’re the law in this county.”

Chapter 26

Aaron

Ifixedthedrywallthat night. My father was a drywall and construction contractor, so I learned drywall at age fifteen when my first summer job was working for my father. Ironically, it was also the summer I worked up the nerve to ask a beautiful, auburn-aired girl with a few freckles across her nose to the movies.

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