Page 83 of Brutal Ice

The reporters kept filming.

Royal had blood on his hands. On his body. His clothes. So did Violet. She stood beside him and she shivered and her gaze followed the ambulance as it left.

“She’s not going to make it,” Violet murmured. “Is she?”

He wanted to touch her, but he didn’t want to put more blood on her. He didn’t respond, but Royal knew that was answer enough.

“Royal.” Curran cleared his throat. “You have to go to the station with us.”

Royal had known this moment would come. He smiled at his friend. “And here I thought we had an agreement.” A shake of his head. “But you were playing me all along.” He could almost admire that trick.

Curran stared back at him. “You can’t commit murder. Doesn’t matter if the people you’re after are the scum of the earth, you aren’t their final executioner.”

He would have been, that night. If Curran hadn’t stopped him from pulling the trigger on Micah. “You saw what he did.”

None of them would ever be able to forget Simone’s blood-soaked body.

“You really think he should get to live for the next fifty years?” Royal asked. “After what he did to her?”

Curran didn’t answer. The scene was now lit up like the freaking Fourth of July. The cops had brought in so many lights. Uniforms rushed in every direction, and a female EMT made her way steadily to Violet.

“Miss?” The EMT reached for Violet. “I want to check you out.”

“I’m not hurt.” Violet turned away from the EMT. Moved toward Royal. “We’ll both go to the station,” she informed Curran.

Curran dipped his head. “Right. I have questions for you, too, Violet, but Royal…” A wince. “I don’t want to use the cuffs in front of the crowd.”

Royal laughed. “Why the hell not?” And he extended his wrists toward Curran. “You have a job to do.” You have your job. I have mine.

Curran swore. “Just get in the cruiser, would you?”

Royal didn’t move. Not yet. His gaze swept over Violet’s profile. “Violet…”

“You’re arresting him?” she demanded. “For what? Saving me? Trying to save Simone?” And she edged so close to Royal that her arm brushed against his. “You can’t do that! You can’t put him in a cage when he hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Oh, Royal had done plenty over the years that counted as wrong.

And, apparently, Curran knew all his dirty secrets. Again, he was impressed. He’d always thought the guy showed talent and promise. Nice to be proven right.

“This isn’t the time,” Curran breathed. “I need to get Royal out of here. You can come to the station, too. But he’s gonna need a lawyer.”

“He attacked me!” Micah suddenly screamed.

Yeah, that prick was still there. Being loaded into the back of another ambulance. One hand was cuffed to the rail of the gurney. Micah’s free hand flew up and pointed at Royal. “Arrest him!” A screech. “He killed Simone! He attacked me! Put a gun to my head!”

That’s what happens when you’re a murderous prick. “Should have let me kill him,” Royal muttered to the detective who’d turned on him. “That mistake will come back to bite you in the ass.” He still kept his wrists extended toward Curran.

Swearing, Curran took the cuffs and locked them around Royal’s wrists. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“You will be,” Royal assured him.

“No!” Violet’s voice broke through the night. And all eyes seemed to surge toward them.

Curran began leading Royal to a nearby patrol car. Micah had been sealed inside his ambulance.

“No!” Violet blasted again, the denial even louder and even stronger this time. “Royal saved me!”

The reporters pushed closer.

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