Page 21 of Ordinary Girl

“Take her into one of the rooms out back. Make sure someone stays with her.”

I carefully hand Ana over and make my way back to Skip and Kasper. They’ve been joined by Rik now. The police are here, and they’ll want answers, so this – this is where Rik proves his loyalty to us. This is where he earns his Vikings pay check: does the job we pay him to do.

“We’re all clear now,” Kasper tells me, and I nod, jerking my head back.

“Two bodies back there. Hawks.”

Rik looks at me. “You shot them?”

“Not sure they were up for negotiating.”

“Did youshoot them, Joel?”

“They were about to rape someone. Already messed her face up, you think I was just gonna stand there and let them kill her? They got what they deserved. We look after our own, we don’t tolerate assholes coming in here, taking what isn’t theirs.”

“Jesus, Joel…”

“They killed an innocent woman, Rik. And then they beat up her daughter, on our territory. In front of us. We don’t let that shit go, and you know that. You know that.”

Skip’s head shoots around to look at me, his eyes narrowing. “They tried to rape Ana?”

“Got the bastards just as they were about to stick their filthy fucking dicks in her. She’s out back. Freja and Elise are cleaning her up.”

“I’ll have to talk to her,” Rik sighs, looking around the clubhouse. Tables are overturned, smashed glass covers the floor, the smell of gunfire hangs heavy in the air. It’s nothing we’re not used to. And our law-enforcement man, he’s just going to have to get used to this shit, too. It’s not like he’s never seen it before. He’s just never been a part of it in this way, until now. “Is she up for that?”

“Leave her,” Skip instructs.

Rik frowns. “Iwillhave to talk to her, Skip.”

“I said, leave her. We’ll deal with this, our way.”

“I can’t let you do that–”

“Do you remember anything about our last conversation, Rik?”

“Officers are already asking questions–”

“And we’ll be answering those questions the same way we always do when this happens. Whatyouneed to do is make sure we don’t get shit for defending ourselves. You still want to bring the Blackhawks down? You go for it, but believe me, Superintendent, we’ll be doing everything in our power to make sure that happens, too. And in this world, our power is way more forceful than yours.”

“Skip… Jesus! Come on…”

Skip strides off, heading toward the back of the clubhouse, and I step in front of Rik. I think we’re done now.

“We’ll take it from here.”

Rik bows his head, rubs the back of his neck before beckoning over the armed officers he brought with him. And then he looks at me, but his expression says it all. He knows the score. He knows what he signed up for. And he’s in way too deep to climb out now.

“None of your men died tonight, Joel. An innocent woman did. And just ’cause you got two of the bastards don’t think that’s going to help her daughter. She needs professional help, to deal with this…”

“She’ll get all the help she needs.”

He narrows his eyes. “How?”

“We’ll make sure she’s okay.”

“And that’s all I’m getting, huh?” He looks at me, but he knows I’m not even going to respond to that.

“Okay,” Rik sighs, dropping his head for a couple of beats. “Look, I’ve got to go back to the station, make out like this is all being sorted…”

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