Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
"You want me to live with you," Faith says, staring at me like I've grown another head. She's curled up on the couch in her safe house, tucked as far into the corner as she can get without falling off the other side. Even though she slept for several hours, she looks exhausted. Her eyes are still red and swollen and her hair is a mess. She's still beautiful.
"You no longer feel safe here," I explain as gently as possible, crouching down in front of her. I just want to pull her into my arms and hold her until the haunted look on her face disappears. "I won't ask you to continue staying here after what happened."
She stares at me, her gaze tracking back and forth across my face, but she doesn't deny her fear. I think we both know she can't. What Sanders did…well, I wouldn't feel safe here either if I were her.
"I should have told you that he made me uncomfortable," she whispers, grimacing. "I didn't like the way he looked at me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"You aren't at fault in any way for what he did," I growl at her, and then silently curse myself when she flinches away from me. "If anyone owes anyone an apology, it's me. I'm sorry I wasn't paying closer attention. I should have seen that he made you uncomfortable, angel. You did nothing wrong, and what he did wasn't your fault. Understood?"
"I…" She nods, wrapping her arms around herself. "Is he going to get away with it?"
"Hell no, he isn't."
"What will happen?"
"He's been suspended pending an investigation. Once the investigation is over, he'll be terminated. He'll also likely lose his badge." He won't get another chance to use his position to prey on a woman. If Finn and Roman don't see to it, I will. Men like Sanders are a disgrace to the badge. We're here to protect people, not prey on them.
"Will I have to testify?" Faith whispers, her distress over the possibility obvious.
"Do you want to testify?"
She quickly shakes her head.
"Then you won't testify," I say simply. "You'll be asked to write a statement, but if you don't want to testify, I won't force you to do it." With Gunner's statement and his willingness to testify, dragging her in for a formal interview isn't really a necessity at this point anyway. Gunner saw and heard enough to get Sanders fired, and he feels badly enough about what happened to have no qualms about testifying for the ATF's Internal Affairs Unit. "If you want to press criminal charges against him, you might have to testify at trial."
"I don't want to testify," she whispers, seeking my gaze. "I don't want to see him again."
As much as I'd like to see him behind bars for what he did…I can't force her into pursuing that avenue. She's been through enough without me taking her choice away from her on this. What I want doesn't matter. "Whatever you want," I promise. "The choice is yours."
"Thank you."
My brows furrow. "Don't thank me for not putting him in jail."
Her face falls like I hurt her feelings, which wasn't my intention. I don't want her feeling like she owes me anything, especially not for this. She never should have been put in this position where she has to decide whether or not to press charges against a man who was supposed to protect her. But before I can attempt to fix the situation or explain what I meant, her expression firms.
"Why do I have to stay with you? Can't the ATF send women out here to guard me?"
"They don't have anyone available at the moment," I tell her, keeping my tone level. When Finn signed off on putting her in protective custody, we tried to arrange for female guards, but the few who work with his gang unit are busy working other cases right now. And it shouldn't bother me that she's reluctant to stay with me, but I find that I don't particularly care for her reluctance or her distrust. She's been anxious and leery since she woke, keeping as much distance between the two of us as possible. I don't like it. I want to go back to this morning, when she turned to me for comfort.
"What about–?"
"Faith, conejita, there is no other choice," I tell her, cutting her off before she can finish that question. "If there was, believe me, I would have proposed it, but there isn't."
She flinches like I struck her and then quickly squares her shoulders as if trying to hide that reaction from me, though I don't understand why it upset her. Nothing I say to her seems to come out right.
"Fine," she huffs, clearly annoyed. "I'll stay with you then."
I open my mouth to ask her why she's so deadset against it and then snap it closed again, not sure I want to hear her answer, not with the way she's all but bristling like a pissed off kitten as she glares at me. "Go get your things together," I mutter instead, rising to my feet. "I'll wait for you outside."