Page 93 of Fatal Attraction

Percious’s chest was heaving then, so hard that all it took was one surprisingly vicious tug against the cuffs to have the clamp break open, partially freeing and enabling him to shoot forward and snatch Harley by her throat.

I lost it then, charging forward and one-handedly slamming Percious against the wall. My other fist pummeled him so hard in his stomach that he immediately fell to his knees, barely salvaging a breath before I slammed the back of his head against the bricks.

“SPIKE!” Harley screamed.

Within seconds Captain Burgess and Chief were storming inside the room, pulling me back. It didn’t go any good though because Phoenix picked up where I left off and head-butted the fucker as he made to stand and dropped him back on his knees. Phoenix kneed him in the chin and then sparta kicked him against the wall. Harley and the others desperately screamed for help, and it took four other officers storming inside the room to pull Phoenix off of him.

“Aren’t you going to do anything?” he angrily spat at Ben.

“No, I’m not.” Ben rose to his feet, tears streaming down his cheeks. As he looked at Harley, who was still rubbing fearfully at her throat, he said, “I’m resigning as his lawyer. I’m sorry, but… I can’t do this. I thought I could, but after what happened to Peter and Charlotte, I just can’t do it.”

“You fucking pussy,” he snarled as Ben left, shouting obscenities at the top of his lungs, his eyes feral and narrowed to slits. “You’ll pay for this! I’ll fucking kill you just like I did the others!”

“Percious Welch,” Captain Burgess furiously spoke. “You are officially under arrest for the rape of Deliah Fields, Amber Strickland, and the murder of Blaire Halloway, Felix McMann, Officers’ Brown and Stewart, and your cousin, Peter Welch. You have the right to remain silent. Anythingyou say can and will be held against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, and since yours just quit on you, if you cannot afford one, then one will be appointed for you. If you decide to answer questions without an attorney present, you will still have the right to stop answering questions at any given time until you talk to an attorney. Do you understand these rights?”

“Fuck off,” he sneered, his chest heaving. “Fuck ALL of you!”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Captain Burgess said with an annoyed huff.

Forty One

Charlotte

“So,” my mother said, quirking a brow as she helped herself to the small handful of French fries I hadn’t eaten. “How long have you been screwing those two detectives?”

“June,” Dad sharply hissed. “Seriously?”

“What?” She turned to him, blinking with a look that was far from fucking innocent. “It was just a question.”

“For fucks sake, June. Our daughter is in the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound, andthatis your main concern? It isn’t any of your business nor is it mine.”

“Of course it’s our business,” Mom tiffed in response. “It’s like you said, she’sourdaughter, Gary. Whoever she’s seeingisour business. After what Karl did to her, I have every right to know what—”

“No, Mom, you don’t.”

“Excuse me?” Her eyes flickered to me as she scoffed.

“You heard me. I’m a grown ass woman and who I sleep with isn’t any of your fucking business.”

She scoffed again, a plethora of emotions marring her face as she gaped heatedly into my eyes. All Dad could do was smile proudly. He reached over and grabbed one of my hands, squeezing it out of encouragement.

“Well, excuse the hell out of me for caring about you, especially after what you went through with Karl.”

Now it was my turn to scoff.

“Are you serious right now? You wereneverthere for me when I needed you. When Karl cheated and I mentioned getting a divorce, all you cared about was how much money I was going to get out of it, and then you got mad at me because all I wanted was to keep the house.”

“That’s absurd—”

“Is it, June?” Dad spoke up then, siding with me. “Because I remember very clearly how angry you were, how you cursed our daughter to Hell and back for not doing the right thing—or in this case—for not doing whatyouwanted. Me? I had no choice but to side with you because if I hadn’t, I’d have never heard the end of it. In exchange, it cost me my relationship with my baby girl.”

Dad rolled his eyes as Mom began whisper-sneering obscenities. “Just tell me this,” he said, turning to me. “Do they treat you right? Are they genuinely good to you?”

“They are,” I whispered. “I love them so much. I know being with two different men is strange, but I’d give my life for them, Daddy. I know they’d do the same for me, too.”

Dad grinned, his eyes glittering. “Then that’s all I need to know. Your happiness is all I’ve ever cared about, pumpkin. I’m looking forward to meeting them both when there isn’t so much chaos going on.”

“Thank you.” I squeezed his hand, letting him know just how much his words meant to me.

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