Chapter 21

Saturday

10:27 p.m.

There were a lot of people to wrangle, to arrest that evening. People throwing clothing on quickly, stunned. Most of the guests were let go. After all, they were simply party friends and didn't have anything to do with the bust.

But Olivia had made sure that she was the one to stay by Camila, and Antonia next to Logan and Miles as they were taken by other officers to the squad cars.

After that, Olivia had gone back inside the house and took the privilege of wrenching the older woman's hands behind her back, Camila's cuffs on, the older woman smirking.

There weren't many police units for the Easthampton police department, so they had to take people in in waves. Five cars and thirteen arrests meant a couple of trips to the station.

Olivia had never been to the precinct in Easthampton, but she knew she would be seeing what it looked like very soon.

For now, they were waiting in a sort of holding pattern, in the living room of the Benetti-Keene residence.

They had already taken the four men involved in the illegal sex crackdown—Miles, Logan, and two other men, along with the six underage girls involved—and now Camila, Priscilla, and Kaia were with them, currently in police custody, waiting on the sofas of the residence.

It was going to be a long night.

But Olivia was used to this.

Long nights, overnights, and waiting until statements were made, lawyers called, was simply a pattern that the brunette knew all too well.

Olivia stood, arms folded, looking at Camila, who was also looking at her.

"You're proud of yourself?" she asked.

Olivia smiled. "More than you know, Camila."

She looked over at Kaia, who was now in a dress, as opposed to being naked when she last saw her, sitting on the opposite end from Priscilla.

She wanted to ask her why.

She wanted to sit down with her and ask her what made her go so deeply undercover that she had sacrificed her personal dignity.

But that would have to wait.

For now, there was just an awkward silence among the five women.

Priscilla was still smiling and the brunette detective kept watching as she smirked at Camila and the older woman, in turn, would turn her head away in disgust.

"Bitch!" Camila snapped at Priscilla.

Olivia and Antonia both looked at each other, smiling.

"And you two…" Camila continued. "Are you even married?"

Olivia shook her head. "I'm married, but not to her." Olivia kept her gaze on the busty woman.

"Then who are you married to? A woman? A man?"

Olivia only smiled. "I don't believe you need to know anything about me, Camila. Just know, that I'm a cop. A detective with Manhattan SVU, and you've been caught."

Camila only glared at her.

"A man?" Camila scoffed. "That's what I thought. You're not even a lesbian."

And Olivia wasn't going to give her any information, nor the satisfaction of answering her questions. She didn't deserve to know anything about the real Olivia Benson-Cabot that she held so sacred to her own personal affinity.

"What about you?" She looked at Antonia now.

Antonia only shrugged her shoulders. "All in a day's work, Camila. All in a day's work."

And Camila was fuming. Anyone with eyes could see it.

Officers came in through the front door now, ready for the last three people.

They moved up to Camila and Priscilla and Kaia and lifted them from their seated positions and began walking them out of the house.

Olivia looked at Antonia, who looked exhausted. This whole evening had taken a toll on both of them. She stepped toward the younger agent. "You OK?"

Antonia smiled and let out a huff. "Not really, but…"

Olivia nodded. "I know…"

Olivia ripped off the tag to her $1,150 black jeans, the one to her $385 hunter green silk blouse, and her $775 black boots. She stood, looking at them as they lay on the bed. She eyed them, her hands on her hips.

This outfit that she was about to put on was over two-thousand dollars, when the brunette would normally only spend around two-hundred on this particular ensemble. Oh, how she wished she could have her own clothing. But it wouldn't be long now that she would be back in her own clothes, back at the beach house, back with her family.

But there was work to be done first.

Antonia entered now and she smiled.

"Hey…" the brunette detective said softly.

"Hey…" Antonia answered, moving to the closet.

"This clothing is ridiculous," Olivia offered. "I would never buy such expensive jeans or blouses...or boots, for that matter."

"I've been enjoying it," Antonia said from the closet.

Olivia only smiled.

She supposed she had, as well, but there was something so frivolous about paying this much for clothing she could buy for much less. But appearances, in the East Hamptons, were everything and everyone knew the label, the cost, the status of wearing an expensive brand or tag.

Antonia emerged from the closet now, holding a pair of jeans and a white button down and a black blazer. She paused and looked at Olivia. "It's over now. Right?"

Olivia managed a smile. "Yeah...I think so, Tone. At least this part of it."

The younger woman came closer, standing next to her and eyeing the laid-out clothing. "This your interrogation outfit?"

Olivia laughed lightly. "I think so. But…" she cleared her throat, "...I'm hoping that things...everything...will be back to normal soon." She turned and looked at the petite woman. "I just want to thank you, Antonia. We got this part done faster than I ever could have hoped and imagined and I just want to say that you're an amazing agent."

Antonia faced her now. "I meant every word I said, Olivia. When all of this is over and we're back to our jobs and our own lives, I'm determined now, more than, ever to have what you have—a wife, kids, stability and…most importantly, love."

Olivia swallowed, feeling her eyes mist slightly. She had no idea where it was coming from but taking on this assignment had been difficult in the first place. And now that it seemed to be wrapping up, Olivia couldn't help but to let in the flood of emotions that she had tried so hard to keep at bay.

She would see her wife soon.

She would hug and kiss her kids soon.

She would be back to normal life soon.

Olivia reached forward and took the younger agent into a hug. "You'll get there, Tony. Just keep staying the course and you'll get there.

Antonia hugged her with equal fervor and faintly declared, "I know I will."

They pulled away and looked at each other.

"Well, let's get changed and head to the East Hampton Police Department."

Antonia nodded.

The two ladies changed in an amiable silence, both knowing that they had, in all likelihood, spent their last evening at this Pacific Lane beach house.

And Olivia was fine with that.

1:47 a.m.

Antonia and Olivia were seated on the opposite side of the table as Kaia Schiffer.

The younger, mocha-skinned woman had her face hidden, her forehead resting on her folded arms on the surface of the table.

"I told you…I just got in too deep."

Olivia leaned forward. "Kaia?"

Kaia lifted her head now and looked at the older detective, her face morose and tear-streaked.

"When was the turning point?" Olivia asked, empathetically.

"The first time I tried heroin three weeks ago. That was it for me."

Olivia nodded, looking at Antonia.

"You know you're gonna lose your job?" Olivia asked.

"I know that…"

"Are you going to go to rehab?"

"I have to," Kaia said quietly. "I'm already shaking for not having it, Olivia." She held her hand out to demonstrate the unsteadiness before shaking it and returning it to her lap.

Kaia's face contorted now. "God, I really fucked up," she cried.

Olivia's heart strings tugged, but this young agent had gotten herself into this undercover case so far deep that she now had to shovel her way out. It was going to be a long road for the younger woman, but there was no other way to get through it other than by doing the hard work that it would take to regain respect and begin moving upward in her life once more.

Antonia stood and Olivia joined her.

Looking back once more at the sobbing young woman, they left the room and moved on to the next interrogation.

3:01 a.m.

Olivia leaned against the wall of the interrogation room, one ankle crossed over the other, arms folded, looking at Camila Benetti. The room was windowless, beige, a table in the center, a chair on either side.

They had already questioned Kaia in Room 1, Priscilla in Room 3, the older woman not offering anything except what she already had right before police swarmed in. And her story hadn't changed one iota, even when her lawyer finally arrived.

Now, they had been in interrogation Room 5 for the past forty-five minutes and Camila Benetti was more annoyed than frightened, which didn't surprise Olivia one bit.

"When is my lawyer getting here?" Camila demanded.

Antonia moved from the doorway and pulled a chair out before sitting directly across from the older woman. "What does it matter, Camila? With all of the evidence against you and your wife, this is pretty much an open and shut case. Don't you think?"

Camila only glared at Antonia.

"Lawyer or no lawyer, proof is proof. No matter what you say or don't say." Antonia folded her hands and leaned with her elbows on the table.

Camila looked at the brunette detective now, smiling.

"Is something funny?" Olivia asked, pushing her upper body off of the wall and moving to stand next to her. She leaned over. "Why did you do it?"

Camila turned her head, their faces mere inches from the other. Her eyes scanned Olivia's face, still smiling. "Money, darling."

Olivia nodded slowly and stood erect, her arms still folded. "And that's it? Drugs aside…there's not an ounce of remorse you have for what those poor girls went through with those pigs of men?" She began circling around the table now, slowly pacing, her eyes on Benetti.

"They could handle themselves. Some of them were very mature and, once you give them enough drugs, they were comfortable with anything Miles, Logan and the other men made them do."

Olivia's top teeth and bottom teeth ground against each other, the tension creeping into her neck, her hands clenching once more. She sailed to the table swiftly and slammed her closed fist on the surface once. "You're nothing but a modern-day pimp…a human trafficker!" She felt her breathing quicken as she moved in even closer. "Those girls are scarred for the rest of their lives now because of you. They'll need detox and rehab for all the cocaine and heroin you made them do…"

Camila brushed her off, turning her face. "Please."

"Please?" Olivia scoffed, bringing her left foot to the front right leg of the older woman's chair, and abruptly sliding it to the right a foot before she leaned forward, hands on the armrests of her chair as she got in close, once more. "I'm gonna make sure you stay in prison for a very long time. All six of you."

"And I'll make sure that won't happen." Camila looked back at the brunette.

"People like you make me sick," Olivia shook her head and began pacing again. "Such privilege, such a cold heart. There's not even a part of you that's sorry, is there?"

"I am sorry, Olivia. I'm sorry you weren't who you said you were and I'm sorry I never got to get you in bed." Camila smirked again.

Olivia pushed herself off of the older woman's chair and held her hands up. "I'm done with her." She glared at Camila once more and moved towards the door, just as it opened, a white-haired man in a gray suit and glasses entering. She looked at the lawyer now. "She's all yours." She looked back at Camila once more. "See you in court."

"I look forward to it," Camila smiled.

Olivia exited the room and stood in the hallway. She rubbed her face with her hands and then ran her fingernails along the scalp of her ponytail before placing her hands in her back pockets and looking at Antonia. "No one's going to admit to fully being at fault. Everything she says happened was of their own free will. They're just gonna keep throwing each other in front of traffic at this point to save their own asses."

"But Olivia, there's a mountain of evidence and you know, as well as I do, that their day in court will just be for show. They cant deny it, they can't put blame on others because literally everyone involved—Camila, Priscilla, Miles, Logan, Rob Sheridan, and Dan Moses—all directly tied to the drugs and the underage sex."

Olivia nodded, looking at the younger woman. "I know that and you know that, but to see Priscilla Keene and Camila Benetti act so smug, so unapologetic about everything…I feel ill. To me they're not even human. No one with that much evil in their hearts could be."

"Olivia…" a familiar male voice now.

Olivia looked up to find Captain Cragen walking up to her, Fin, and his sweet smile, close behind.

"Lawyers are with both of them?" Cragen asked.

Olivia nodded.

"Units are still going through the house. So far, they've found eighteen-hundred kilos of cocaine and heroin, files and files of videos and photos of underage girls that go back five years, and a sex room in the basement—any S & M you can imagine."

Olivia clenched her jaw. "Jesus."

"Well, you two, like I said. Good work. You can head back to the house. Arraignment should be tomorrow morning, but we'll keep you posted."

The foursome began walking down the hallway now, towards the doors.

"Uh, Captain?"

Captain Cragen stopped and looked at her, his hands in his pockets.

Tony and Fin stopped, as well.

"Tony. Go ahead to the car…I'll meet you there."

Antonia only nodded and moved down the hallway into the lobby and exited the doors to the station.

Olivia looked back at Cragen and then Fin. "Since this is over and they've been arrested…"

"You want to go home and see your wife, don't you?" Cragen asked.

Olivia felt her eyes begin filling with tears now and she nodded, but composed herself quickly and sniffed, taking a quick, deep breath. "More than anything, Captain. I don't want to spend one more night in that Pacific Lane house."

"Gotta go see your girl, huh, Benson?" Fin's eyes sparkled.

Olivia nodded again. "I gotta, Fin. There's no reason to stay there anymore. I'll go back to the house and change into the dress I came in and I'll head to the safe house and someone can drive me back to Alex's parents. Or I can get a cab."

The brunette detective took a deep breath now, knowing that every step, every box that had been checked so far in the chain of events, was bringing her one step closer to normalcy.

"You're not getting a cab, Liv. I'll drive you to your wife." Fin winked.

Olivia smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Fin."

"You got it, Baby Girl."

"We'll call you about arraignment." Cragen added.

Olivia nodded. "OK. Thanks, Captain. We'll see you then." She began walking toward the lobby.

"And Liv?" Cragen began.

Olivia turned. "Say 'hi' to that wife of yours and, once again…nice work."

Olivia nodded and smiled before turning and heading out through the doors and into the cool, dark summer morning.

4:21 a.m.

Olivia inserted the key to the downstairs door and turned, hearing the lock click open. She turned the knob and entered to a quiet, dark lower level, shutting the door behind her carefully and then locking it.

She took her heels off and held them by her left forefinger as she moved down the hallway now and headed to her bedroom. Pushing the bedroom door open, she entered and set her shoes on the floor at the foot of the bed before moving to the cribs and looking in to find all three babies sleeping soundly. Holding her hand over her mouth, she felt her mouth tremble, her eyes tear before she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

She was home.

She was actually here.

She turned now and looked at a long lump covered by the duvet, no part of Alex visible, and she smiled.

She needed to feel her.

She needed to smell her.

She needed to touch her.

She needed to hear her.

Without wasting any time, Olivia lowered the zipper on the back of her black linen dress and stepped out of it, tossing it on the foot bench. She moved to her own side, nearest the cribs and lifted the covers, slipping beneath them, now in only her bra and panties, and carefully inched closer before placing the covers over her lower half. She moved even closer now and pressed her front to her wife's back and wrapped her arm around her, immediately burying her face in the back of the blonde's hair and smiling.

A gasp from Alex and the brunette smiled again.

"Hey, Babe…" Olivia whispered.

Alex gasped again and whimpered, "Is it really you, Liv?"

Olivia nodded. "It's me, Babe. In the flesh." She hugged her tighter.

"I'm afraid I'm dreaming," Alex said softly.

"You're not dreaming, Al. I'm here."

Olivia felt her hand being kissed now, gently, softly, her wife's amazing lips evoking all kinds of sensations just from that simple action.

Alex turned to face her and Olivia felt her face being held by both of her wife's hands. "Are you back?"

Olivia nodded.

"For good?"

"For good, Baby. Back for good." Olivia smiled.

And warm, plush lips met her own and the kiss was pure magic. And Olivia could feel her wife, could smell her wife, could touch her wife. She could taste her wife.

And there was no better feeling in the world.