Page 28 of Treason's Temptation
Whatever oxygen Treason brought in with him was gone. Saying yes felt like making a deal with the devil. I survived it once, but twice would break me.
“How do I know you won’t use this to blackmail me again and again?”
“I won’t.”
“Wow, that makes me feelsomuch better.”
“What do you need, Navie?”
“I want your word that you’ll agree to my five demands without contest.”
“Three, and you have a deal,” he countered.
I squinted at him, thinking this was a negotiation. I wasn’t sure if I was bluffing myself, but caving now would give Treason more leverage.
“I said five or I’ll take my chances on my own.
“Aight, Vie, but if I’m giving you what you want, you have to do your part.”
“Stop calling me Vie, and get me out of here. I want my account unfrozen by the morning, too,” I shoved the chair back, ready to leave. Irritated that I would be doing so with Treason beside me.
“I’m your man. We’re supposed to have cute nicknames and shit,” Treason said, unbuttoning his jacket and draping it around my shoulders.
“I can think of many names to call you,” I sneered, but Treason chuckled, knocking on the door.
The recycled air was giving me a headache and clogging my sinuses. I had never been happier to step into the dimly lit hallway. We barely made it five steps before one of the officers spoke up.
“Mr. Westbrook,” the younger one called, trying to sound more confident than he felt. “You think you’re just gonna walk her out like she’s not under investigation.”
Treason tilted his head. “I know I am.”
“She’s a suspect in an active inquiry.”
“My lady was arrested on a bogus tip that wouldn’t hold up in any court. We’re leaving.” His tone turned sharp, dripping with condescension.
His lady?
“We’re still sorting out the details,” the older one said, clearing his throat. “Looks like it may’ve been a mix-up at the leasing office, but her name flagged in the system tied to a fraud investigation.”
“You froze her nonprofit account,” he said, voice low but sharp. “That’s illegal unless she's been charged with a crime, which she hasn't. That’s strike one.”
The older officer opened his mouth, but Treason didn’t give him the chance.
“She asked for her attorney,” he added easily, lying while his eyes narrowed. “No one called me. That’s strike two. Three, your officer inappropriately made sexually suggestive comments. Should I keep going?”
His face turned red with each word spoken. The whole precinct watching Treason hand him his ass on a silver platter didn’t help.
“I suggest you get your paperwork in order before you find yourself on the wrong side of mine,” he added smoothly. “But in the meantime, I’m taking her home. If you need to speak to my client again, contact my office. Let’s go, baby.”
Treason steered me toward the exit past curious eyes and whispers. Stepping out of the precinct doors, a black SUV sat idling at the curb, but the blinding flashes from cameras and microphones shoved in my face made me shrink into Treason’s chest like a child.
“I got you. Walk to the truck and don’t say a word,” Treason mumbled, nudging me forward.
Mr. Westbrook, is this your girlfriend?
Did you orchestrate this arrest to distract from the stalled education funding bill?
How does Thandie Moyo feel about this?
