Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
They had cameras installed.
What the hell? How had she not noticed? How had Taint not noticed?
“Where? Are there cameras in the main area of the club?”
With his lips pinned together, he nodded.
“Your team can see everything? They can watch us dance for free?”
His eyes narrowed. “That’s what you’re fucking worried about? The task force getting a free peep show?”
“Dancing is how we make our living…” She shook her head. He was right. That wasn’t important. She stared at him. “But this didn’t happen out…” Her eyebrows knitted together. “You have a camera in his office, too.”
Of course they did. Now it made sense. Why Rez was pissed. Why he knew she was home. But that also meant he didn’t need to be in the club to watch for T-Bone or spend time there at all. He could’ve seen everything that went on in the club because of the cameras.
Damn. That realization almost felt like a betrayal.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I couldn’t. This is a federal investigation, Sapphire.”
“But you’re telling me now.”
“Unavoidable at this point. Plus, you’re no longer an employee there.”
“Did Mel know about the cameras?”
“Yes. She helped our team get inside to install them.”
Sapphire pressed fingers to her mouth. “She never said a word.”
“Because she was told not to tell anyone. We wanted everyone to act natural and not be aware they were being watched. We wanted business to go on as usual.”
That made sense, but still…
“That means you saw what happened to Cherish.” Hell, he most likely saw the whole damn thing.
“Not in real time, but yes. I also saw what happened to you.”
The whole reason he showed up at her door tonight. “Why were you watching the cameras? I thought you were at the after funeral gathering with your friends?”
“I wasn’t watching the feed but a fellow task force member was scanning the recorded footage, saw what happened and that you were involved. He wanted me to see it.”
“Since when are you my keeper? I didn’t ask for that.”
His mouth dropped open, then snapped shut before, “Jesus, Sapphire. Are you so fucking independent that you can’t see when someone cares about you?” burst from him.
“I...” All the oxygen fled her lungs. She didn’t know what to say to that. She’d been fooling herself by thinking things between them were only casual. What they had was so much more.
He ripped her from her thoughts with, “You needlessly put yourself in danger. You should’ve called 911 instead.”
“Called 911? Are you kidding me? It would’ve been over before they got there, Rez. I’m not going to let another woman get assaulted on my watch. Not when I could stop it.” She hoped another woman would do the same for her.
“He could’ve hurt you worse than he did. You were lucky nothing worse happened because you took a major risk, Sapphire. That motherfucker doesn’t give a fuck about you.” His finger stabbed the air in her direction. “He doesn’t give a fuck about any of you women. He thinks of you all as no more than property. To be used as he sees fit. That’s their goddamn fucked up thinking. He thinks he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants to any of you.”
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know, Rez. But that doesn’t mean I was going to let him do it. Not without a fight.”
“Well, you got that fight.” His nostrils flared as he sucked in air. “Was he even alive when you left him there?”
“I don’t know.” She met his dark eyes. “And I don’t care if he wasn’t.”
“You’ll care if you go to prison for killing a man with your fucking shoe.”
“I should’ve shot him and made sure he’d never touch another woman against her will again.”
Grabbing her arms, he pulled her into him, pressed his nose into her hair and wound his arms around her to squeeze her so tightly, she struggled to breathe. “Killing another human isn’t as easy as you think. It would haunt you for the rest of your life, even if he deserved it. Taking a life always leaves a mark, Sapphire, so I’m glad you didn’t pull the trigger.”
The biker deserved to eat a bullet. Even though that would be too easy of an end for him. “I would’ve done it if it meant saving Cherish from something that would’ve haunted her for the rest of her life.”
He pushed her away slightly and stared down into her face. “How is she?”
Concern filled his expression. Not just for her but also for Cherish.
“She’s done with the Demons, too. She was really shaken up, even though we all knew what Saint was like and that the potential for him to do something like that was there. I helped her empty her locker and collect her things, then I made sure she got into her car and left before I did.”