Page 36 of Fatal Attraction

Istood next to Spike outside the interrogation room a couple days later, growing aggravated as I checked the time, wondering what the hell was taking Harley so damn long to get here. She said she’d try to buy us at least a week, two at most, before she had no choice but to offer Karl a plea deal. But thanks to having to prep and plan for tomorrow night’s mission, Harley stated she couldn’t risk putting it off any longer. Even she had someone to report to and last I heard from her—which was precisely an hour ago—she’d told me she was trying to sway her boss into officially dropping the charges for Amber’s assault. If I had to take a wild guess for the massive delay, then that likely had to be why. Perhaps the talk hadn’t gone the way she hoped.

I was a minute away from calling her when Spike tapped my shoulder, and as I looked away from my phone, the door behind us opened, and Harley stepped in with her own annoyed look marring her face, a black briefcase tight-fisted in her right hand.

I was the first to speak. “Bad news?”

Harley sighed through her nose. “The opposite, actually. I literally had to sit down and go over every case top to fucking bottom before he’d consider it. Mercifully, I came out on top. He agreed to let me drop the charges in Amber’s case.”

“What did he say about Delilah’s case?”

She frowned then, shaking her head. “There was nothing I could do. I have no choice but to charge him for aiding in Delilah’s rape. If he acceptsthe deal, he’ll spend the next fifteen years in prison. If not, then his fate will be left up to a jury.”

It fell silent then.

As Spike turned, gaping unimpressively at Karl who was conversing with Ben, he asked, “What are his chances the jury will find him innocent?”

Karl belonged in jail. He did. It was just a fact neither Spike nor I could disregard, not after Karl violated the restraining order and had literally slapped the taste out of Charlotte’s mouth right in front of us. It fucking haunted me, tortured me, but no matter how angry I was, I had to swallow it down and focus on the bigger picture here and think about what was best for not only Karl, but Charlotte. So did Spike whether he liked it or not. Karl may have been a goddamn prick who needed a serious fucking attitude adjustment, but… He was innocent.

“He has a chance,” she whispered. “I know we all have important matters to attend to, so it’s best we not waste time.”

Harley entered the room first, and Spike would’ve gone in after her if it weren’t for my hand winding around his wrist, stopping him as my gaze narrowed down at the text I’d just received.

Great.

Just fucking GREAT.

“What is it?” he asked, his brows furrowing. “Is it Charlotte?”

Shaking my head, I showed him the display.

Tick tock, Bonecrusher. My patience is running shorter than the time you have left.

“How much time do we have, exactly?”

“Not much,” I muttered. “Less than twenty-four hours.”

Spike swore under his breath. “Okay… We’ll talk about it when we’re done here and on the way to the club. We still have to fill Felix in.”

This bullshit with Crow was the furthest thing on my mind, so I shoved my phone in my pocket and followed behind my partner, who’d opted not to sit in the chair beside Harley and paused behind her with his arms crossed tightly against his chest. I stood guard on Harley’s right, waiting.

“I have some good news.”

“Let’s hear it then,” said Ben. He sat up straighter, looking sharp in a dark brown leather suit and black tie. His dark hair was drowned in gel and styled in a way that somehow had each and every cowlick sticking up like a porcupine.

“I was able to drop the charges in Amber Strickland’s case. However, the masks found inside Karl’s apartment have his and Delilah Fields’ DNA all over them. I am here to offer a plea. Should you accept,” she said, turning and giving Karl a remorseful frown, “then you’ll be spending fifteen years in prison.”

“Fifteen years?” Karl repeated, his eyes bugging wide in utter disbelief. “You’re joking…right?”

“It’s either that, or let your fate be decided by a jury. I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can do.”

“But I’minnocent!” Karl’s jaw trembled the longer he gaped at Harley, tears in his eyes. “You seriously expect me to sacrifice fifteen years of my life over something I didn’t do?Fuck that. Take your deal and shove it up your ass!”

“It’s possible you could be facing more time in prison if you take this to trial.”

Spike and I shared a confused look. Harley never mentioned that to us.

But it was Ben who cleared his throat and asked, “What do you mean?”

“What I mean,” Harley said thickly, “is that Karl pleading guilty to the stalking charges brought upon by his ex-wife is already on record. In the eyes of the law, and with the evidence we have against him, that puts a huge target on his back. I know he’s innocent—we all do—but as the prosecuting attorney and regardless of what I believe, I still have a job todo, Ben. I’ve done everything I can to help, but if this goes to trial, I can’t hold back. I will not be your friend. So, this is the one and only time I will ask this.” She paused and then locked eyes with Karl. “Are you sure you don’t want to take the deal?”

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