Page 42 of Fatal Attraction

“NO!”

I shoved Phoenix back, my restraint cracking as I turned and ran, making it about halfway down the hall before my legs pathetically gave out.

I collapsed on my knees, crying harder as I hugged myself. A strong set of hands grasped my shoulders, and I flinched, whipping around with my teeth bared.

“This isn’t their fault,” Harley said softly. “It’s mine. Ben didn’t know you were in a relationship with them. I-I made a choice and luckily, it worked. They had nothing to do with it, Charlotte. It was all me.”

I wasn’t sure what happened, but something inside of me must have snapped because the next thing I knew, Harley was on the floor, crying out as she grasped the side of her head. A stinging pain wrapped around my right hand, and I internally swore as I shot to my feet to shake out my fist, needing to walk off the pain.

I made it about six steps before I froze, the reality of what I’d done finally sinking in.

Oh, fuck…

I just punched my boss.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!

“If this went to trial,” Harley said after a moment. I turned with caution, finding tears snaking down her cheeks as she stared up at me from the floor. Phoenix, Spike, and even Captain and Chief were mere inches from her, their mouths hanging wide. “You’d have to testify. Everything about your relationship with them, the club, all of it would’ve been made public, Charlotte. I-I didn’t want you to go through that, andso—”

“That wasn’t your choice to make. What do you think will happen to Karl once our perp finds out he’s free? You just sentenced him to his fucking death!”

“But… I don’t understand.” Honest confusion swept over her face. “I thought you wanted him free?”

“What Charlotte’s trying to say,” Phoenix said to Harley, “is that even though you deserved it, she’s sorry for punching you.”

I scowled at him.

I most definitely was NOT sorry for punching her.

“That,” added Spike, “and what you’re failing to remember is that we had a plan, Harley. We literally discussed this shit yesterday, or were you not listening?”

He was right. We did have a plan. We knew Karl wasn’t going to accept the plea deal, just like we knew Karl being locked up was the only thing that was currently keeping him safe from my stalker. I didn’t care about having to testify at trial. I was willing to put every-fucking-thing on the line, even my job. But if Harley had known all this time that once everything came out—that Karl would go free despite the evidence against him, then why would she keep such valuable information to herself? Why not stick to the plan and just move forward with the trial?

“We do want him free,” Chief said, breaking the silence. “But there’s no guarantee we’ll catch this guy tomorrow night. You should’ve told us what you were planning, Harley. If we don’t catch this fucker before Karl’s released—”

“Then we’ll have another murder to investigate,” said Captain Burgess. “Karl’s murder.”

“Put him in WITSEC,” I frantically demanded. “Call Ben, explain the situation, and get the arrangements made before Karl is released. Nobody else outside of us, Ben, and the other WITSEC agents can know about this. If something happens and Karl gets killed, then that means someone within our loop ran their mouth to someone they shouldn’t have.”

“Meaning our perp could be someone in law enforcement,” muttered Harley, nodding as she began piecing everything together.

“Yes,” I nodded. “Or perhaps a family member or close friend.”

“Either way,” said Spike, whose lips were curled, his tight eyes fixed on Harley. “You fucked usallover. If Karl dies, his blood will be on your hands.”

“I’m sorry,” Harley whispered as she stared up at me, tears filling her eyes again. “I’m so sorry.”

“You should be.” I scoffed, fighting the burning desire to strike her again, and spun on my heels, needing to get the fuck out of here. “You should be.”

Eighteen

Spike

Phoenix and I pulled up atDaggersthe following evening, getting out and taking in the horde of cars and motorcycles parked around the building. Phoenix told me to wear the least favorite pair of clothes I owned, so I opted to wear an old coffee-stained T-shirt and a pair jeans I hadn’t worn in months. As for Phoenix, he’d chosen to wear all black and had even opted to wear a matching beanie on his head. Why all black—I hadn’t a clue, but if he was expecting for shit to get bloody tonight...

Shit.

It was easier hiding bloodstains in black.

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