Page 60 of Escape From Me

“Something tells me that I would get a lot further in the ranks if I were to bring in a head of a gang rather than some little minions. These characters here? They had no problem telling me that they needed to call their boss. That you would take care of this. Not the typical reaction really.”

Daisy kicked my calf, and damn it if I didn’t let her go enough she got around me before I could tuck her away again.

“What do you mean go up further in the ranks?” she asked.

Her presence got more than just one of the cops’ attention.

“Look what we have here. You guys into human trafficking too? Fuck me, this night is getting better and better.”

Daisy’s foot slapping on the pavement put those borrowed boots to use.

“What? Heck no. Shut your mouth. Do I look like they can control me?” And on cue, she yanked her arm out of my hand. “The thing is, I am new to all this.” She circled her hands around the area as she yanked the helmet from her head and it nearly went flying from her hands as she fumbled to catch it. The cop laughed.

The thing about Daisy is that I saw the repressed desires behind those eyes. She had no idea who she was or what she was capable of, not yet. Like any of us, until you get backed into a corner, you don’t know just what you can do. So instead of reaching for her like my hands itched to do, and instead of pulling her back into the security of my arms, I watched her.

I let her free. I inched along with her. Slow and steady. They didn’t seem to notice me moving as they watched her. The power of being female really never should be underestimated. She stepped, I stepped, until she was closer to the other man than I was comfortable with.

“You’re cute. Want to change sides?” one of the cops said.

My knuckles cracked as I flexed them.

His eyes glanced in my direction, but he looked back at Daisy.

“Cute? Hmm. That’s nice. Thanks for the offer, but I don't see you satisfying me with, what? All three inches? Look at your hands,” she said.

The laughing stopped.

“Shit, dove. Stop toying with them. Let’s get this all sorted out so we can go home.”

The guns were no longer pointed at any of us. Daisy’s little antagonistic comment seemed to have disarmed the pricks. This wasn’t part of the plan, but I could form a new one as we stood here.

“You won’t be saying that when I have you bent over my car. Fuck. Who do you think you are?” The cop turned to me. “Throw the bitch in, and I dunno, a few grand, that should cover the protection tax. You don’t want to be on our bad side.”

I cracked my neck, rolling it side to side.

My resolve cracked. If he touched her, he was going to die.

“Maybe it’s us you don’t want on your bad side.”

They laughed and pulled the guns back out.

“Not everyone is on payroll with the gangs. What the hell gang are you anyway? Actually, I don’t fucking care. Although I guess by looks of the bikes all around you sure as shit aren’t Vipers.”

The cops chuckled like that was some kind of joke. And the Vipers were certainly a joke.

“Right. Well, here are the terms. I give you a decent amount of cash and my boys walk away, and you make that car disappear on someone else’s turf. This is Spector territory, and I’m pretty sure you know that.”

You could almost see the wheels turning as they looked back and forth between each other.

“Spectors, huh. I think maybe we have a few more requests then.”

Daisy got to the lead guy and every muscle in my damn body tensed.

“Maybe you know my father? Senator Ashford?” she said.

She reached her hand up and rested it on his forearm. The other two dipshits seemed a little less prepared to shoot me at the very least. It was clear who was dirty and who was following for the payout.

“Senator Ashford? No way is his little princess out here with the likes of these guys.”

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