A/N: Sorry for the massive lag in update. Here's Ch. 8. Please thank BG-13 for her revisions!
Winter's POV
I sighed and shook my head as the body was covered up. The individual had suffered two GSWs to the back of the head. Overkill, if you asked me. No one had though so I kept it to myself. What made things worse was that the victim was an undercover cop who'd been working to bust one Jax Asturias. The man was the only thing keeping the White Fang from taking over.
Cell phone was gone, which told me that the killer's name was most likely in there somewhere. Wallet was there but no cash or credit cards. Possible mugging then. Though something didn't quite feel right about that either.
"Found any leads?" Yang asked with a yawn, handing me a cup of coffee.
I shook my head as I took a sip. "Nothing. You?"
"Just got here. Almost didn't make it too. Blake isn't a fan of me getting called in the middle of the night," she revealed with a little chuckle. It was such a fond sound, full of affection.
I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. I was trying to be better, and Yang was happy so that was all that mattered. Even if her little lovesick grins could be rather ridiculous.
We'd just walked into the precinct when Arc intercepted us, telling us about a lead. The victim's credit card had been used less than an hour ago at a nearby restaurant. Well then. Not a very smart criminal then.
When we got there, one of the first things we saw was a tall woman with light blonde hair tied up in a ponytail who seemed to be picking up a rather large order. She gave the man behind the counter what I guess was supposed to be a charming smile before violet eyes landed on us. I watched as her brows rose slightly in surprise.
And then she was off, most of her order forgotten.
I yelled for Yang to go around the back as I followed her into the alleyway, finally coming to a stop when my partner cut her off. "Put your hands where I can see them!" I shouted, gun drawn.
She raised her hands, one bag of her food still clutched in one fist. She looked over her shoulder at me. "Put that thing away." Her voice came out in a huff, sounding more annoyed than scared. "What are you, a maniac?"
Well, she certainly had a mouth on her. Yang stepped closer, keeping her gun at the ready as I came forward and cuffed her. Yang grabbed the bag of food from her, which she watched with furrowed brows.
Once back at the precinct, we ran her prints and put her in one of the interrogation rooms. According to her file most of her crimes were petty in nature: theft, assault, squatting. Should be pretty easy to get her talking, at the very least.
I took my seat across from her. "So, Robyn," I began. "I need you to tell me why you were making charges on a murder victim's credit card."
She hummed non-committedly. "Detective Schnee, was it? You're that rich prick's daughter, right?"
"I also need you to explain how you came into possession of that card," I continued without batting an eye. It wasn't the first time some thug had thought to use my last name to undermine me. Wouldn't be the last either.
"You've probably had your fair share of restless nights."
Again, she ignored the question. I could feel my eye twitch in irritation.
She nodded to herself. "Eh, no need to respond. I can tell." She smiled, the kind of smile she'd given the guy at the restaurant. The one she probably thought was charming. "I'm sure there's something I can do to make it better."
Of course I got stuck with this nuisance. I briefly wondered if it was too late bring in Yang while I drove my head into a wall. Hmm. Perhaps that was too dramatic. Perhaps I needed stronger coffee.
"No," was the simple reply I decided on.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," I said. "Can we get back to the credit card now?"
The thief sighed, though it felt more for show than of any real resignation, and leaned back against the chair. "Look I don't know anything about the dead chick."
I took out my phone, playing the 911 call that had been placed regarding the murder. It was easy to figure out the caller and her were the same person.
The thief finally laughed. "Well, you're way more slick than the trolls that usually bust me," she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. I was growing frustrated with the lack of a reaction by the woman.
"Did you shoot the victim?"
"No."
I hummed. "Did you see who did?"
"I heard shots. I ran to help. She was already dead." She shrugged, shaking her head. "At least I called it in."
"You ran to help?" I asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" the thief asked, as if offended. "Poor thing."
"You took the victim's credit cards?"
She shrugged again. "Girl has to eat." I nodded as I wrote down what she said for the report. "This is about Jax Asturias, isn't it?"
Now she had my attention. "What do you know about Asturias?"
"I know your dead girl was hanging with him," she answered. "I also know that I have an 18 hour window with a stolen card but you made it there in record time. You'd have to be after someone big. Look, I know things. Maybe we can make a deal."
"What do you have?"
"What's your deal?"
I scoffed. "You give me something useful and I'll drop the theft charge."
Robyn smiled and held out one cuffed hand. "Shake on it?" I looked at her gloved hand, the fabric worn and frayed, one finger having broke bare to the world. I furrowed my brow at the appendage, not sure whether to trust it or not. After a moment she put it back down, seeming to take my hesitation as a no. "Fine."
According to her, the White Fang had stolen cocaine from Asturias. It had been quite the blow because when that happens, people lose respect for the boss, gives the idea that they're losing their grip. I still wasn't sure how this fit with the dead cop but it gave us a lead at least. I stood, gabbing the notepad and files.
"So...that's enough to get me out of here, right?"
"I'll let you know," I said, before closing the door and heading over to the other side of the room. Yang gave me a smug smile and I rolled my eyes. What now? "So, do you like her for the murder?" I asked her, trusting her instinct on the matter. Yang had always had one hell of an intuition.
"No," Yang answered with a grin. "But I liked her."
Brat. I was surrounded by brats.
Roman's POV
I looked over to where Trifa and Yuma sat, effectively blending in with all the other patrons of this establishment. I mean, they didn't look friendly but they definitely looked the part of people who'd had a bad week and just needed a drink. Like me. Though my week had been far from rough. In fact, it was about to become super entertaining.
I looked over to our target, one Miss Blake Belladonna. Adam Taurus' old pet. His right hand. Her owner was becoming increasingly persistent in sending her a message. He was going to great lengths, including throwing a large sum of money at us mere mortals. One particular message he'd contacted me to convey.
I caught Trifa's eye, and she nodded over toward the door. Ah. Looks like they were ready to make their move, just needed me to set the stage. So, with practiced ease I staggered onto the floor, knocking my shoulder into one of the passing patrons in the shoulder, making them spill their drink.
"Hey!"
"Oh! My sincerest apologies," I started, raising my voice a little in surprise. "How clumsy of me." The man was tall, and perhaps I should have gone for someone more my size but, well, this show needed to be convincing.
"You owe me another one!" he slurred.
"Yeah, not going to happen."
The man grabbed onto my collar and I had to fight down my reflex. I didn't like people roughing up my clothes. He took a swing and I ducked out of the way, just as Yuma came in to "defend" me. Trifa was still watching the door and followed the lithe figure that made her way toward us.
"Hey! Take this outside!"
The woman of the hour marched onto the scene with nothing but confidence. Just as she moved to grab the pawn, the right hook that had been meant for him landed on her, and then Trifa was suddenly involved. Which, that was my cue to sit back and enjoy the show. Belladonna held her own well, though had definitely been taken by surprise when Trifa and Yuma turned their full attention on her. She'd definitely have reminders of this little interaction.
I heard bottles break as the scuffle continued before the owner of the bar, Junior, came out bat in hand. I winced when he took a swing at Yuma, hearing a crack. Well something was definitely broken. It only took another swing or two before the pair rushed out, Junior trailing behind them. I took my cue and walked over, watching as the woman spat out blood, left eye already closing.
I gave her a smile, kneeling down to present her with a single rose. "Adam Taurus sends his love, as always," I said. "Oh, and careful with the thorns, sweetheart, wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."
She got up on her knees, one arm grabbing her side before taking the rose in her hand, closing her fist around it until she ruined it.
I sighed. Such a pity. But no matter. The message had been sent.
Yang's POV
I had to admit I was a little excited as I pulled up to the address Blake had sent me yesterday. It was the first time we were going to hang out at her place, after six months of dating. She seemed a little anxious when she'd offered, and I could understand why. Blake was a pretty private person, obviously, and I could see what the invitation really was. It was an extension of trust, her letting me in just that much more. I felt a little honored, if I was being honest. I knew her trust was something that was hard to come by.
I parked and grabbed my overnight bag from the passenger seat. I checked my phone real quick, frowning when I saw that Blake still hadn't text me. She'd been oddly silent all day. I paused on the stoop, noticing the door was slightly ajar.
Slowly, I pressed the door open, looking around and spotting no one. "Blake?" I called, putting the food I'd brought on the table. "You left the door open." I went further inside, hand instinctively going to my holster. "Blake? Are you here?"
I heard the shower turn on and followed the noise. "Blake?" I called again, before noticing a bloody shirt on the ground. I picked it up, my blood running cold when I realized it was fresh "Blake!"
"Yang?" I finally heard her say from the end of the hallway. I felt some relief flood my system, knowing that she was at least alive. "Sorry I couldn't hear you. I'm actually going to stay in with Ilia. I forgot to text you."
I walked over and put a hand on the door knob, trying to open it with no success. "Blake? Can you come out here and talk to me?"
"I'm in the shower."
I shook my head. Something was wrong. My gut was twisting with that feeling. "Can you come out, please?"
"I told you to leave."
I shook my head again. No. Something was definitely wrong. "Step away from the door," I said, prepping myself to bust it down. Before I could though, it opened, and I found myself face to face with Blake.
At least I thought it was her. It was hard to tell given the condition her face was in. It was bloodied, bruised, her hair a mess. She was in her bra, her side covered in small slashes that definitely needed stitching. Her left eye was swollen shut, lip split, and her left hand was covered in blood too.
"Dammit, Yang," she sighed, turning and walking back over to the sink where I watched her pick up the needle and begin to stitch herself. It was a practiced motion, something that required very little thought from her.
I shook my head grabbing a nearby towel in an effort to help clean her up a little, looking over her injuries. Not good. This was not good.
"What happened?" I finally asked.
"I was bouncing, fight broke out, they ganged up on me," she said, wincing as I tried to clean her face. "They stopped when Junior got his bat out and started beating them to a pulp."
"Do you know who they were?"
She grabbed my wrist, holding it tightly before finally nodding. "White Fang. They came to send a message."
I looked down at her hand, seeing the thorns. "A rose." She nodded. I took a deep breath before helping her get down from the sink. "We're going to see my mom."
"Yang, they're just bruises and cuts, I'm fine," she said.
"Your side is open."
"I was stitching it myself."
I shook my head. "No, you need to see a doctor," I answered firmly, looking over at her. "Please."
She sighed after a moment, nodding her head but asking if I could grab her bag from her room. I did as she asked and got into the car, locking up behind us. She rubbed her arm all the way to my parents' house. It was far enough away from civilization, and I had a room there, after all.
Mom didn't say as much as she wanted to when she saw Blake, simply asking some medical related questions before helping patch her up. Nine stitches total plus three needed over her left brow. She wanted to monitor her eye since it seemed to have taken the brunt of it. I called Winter, telling her I'd be taking a few days off.
Raven had taken one look at my girlfriend and asked, "How bad was the other guy?"
It got a smirk out of Blake.
I sighed and shook my head. It's what I liked about her. She didn't ask questions. Which was no doubt why my girlfriend enjoyed coming here as well. I led her to the room, making sure she was comfortable before letting her rest. She'd said she'd feel better after some sleep which I couldn't argue against. I went out to the kitchen, watching as Raven took out stuff to make dinner. Ah, dinner. Left that at Blake's place.
Raven looked over at me before coming over and swinging an arm around my shoulders. It was something she rarely did but was oddly comforting. "Wanna talk, kid?"
"Not really."
"Alright," she said, giving my shoulder a squeeze. "Then get to chopping. This chili needs more spice."
And just like that the subject was dropped. Mom walked in not too much later and started helping where she could, nudging Raven out of the way sometimes with a laugh to which the dark haired woman rolled her eyes but otherwise didn't protest. Occasionally I saw her eyes flit Summer's way, but otherwise, we all just cooked in silence.
Raven's POV
I let out a soft groan as I turned in bed to find Summer huddled close. I blinked. Must have had another nightmare. I sighed as I sat up, finally tuning in to the real reason that I'd woken up. I grabbed my gun from my nightstand drawer and put on my shoes. I rubbed the back of my head, sparing a glance down the hall where Blake and Yang slept. They must have been really tired if neither had stirred.
"Who the hell is it?" I asked, tucking the weapon behind me before opening the door.
I had to admit I was surprised at what I saw. Vernal was half carrying Shay, who had a very visible knife sticking out his shoulder. What in the hell?
"White Fang," he grunted. "Apparently they don't like us asking about the Belladonna girl."
My jaw clenched, hand turning into a fist before turning around when I heard the floor creak. Summer yawned, her own gun in hand as she headed over to us. Good. A doctor would be helpful around now. I gestured for them to be quiet, closing the door and leading them out to the shed.
"What the hell is going on here?" Summer asked, following us into to the outdoor shed.
"See for yourself," I said, gesturing at the wounded man.
She went to him immediately, asking me to hand her the first aid kit which I'd already fetched. I gave Shay a rag to bite before the silver eyed woman pulled out the knife, setting it aside. I grabbed it, cleaning the blade before turning to Vernal who gave me the details of when and why this had happened. I nodded my head, eyes focused on the weapon.
"The same people that did this to Shay beat the crap out of Blake," I said as I put the knife away. "Vernal, you'll stay here with Shay. There's another cot and some blankets. I'll be back in a bit."
I went back into the main house, discarding my clothes before reaching into my closet for my black blazer and red button down. I took a deep breath before laying them on the bed as I got ready. I was just putting on the blazer when my housemate came in, leaning against the door frame, studying me.
"Don't do this," she said quietly. "It's late."
"You'd rather I just sat back and did nothing?" I asked, pulling on my boots.
Summer kneeled down in front of me, stopping my hands. "I'd rather you not get yourself killed or make things worse." I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Don't give me that look. You're not invincible."
"They don't know that."
She gave me a look, a fire lighting up in her eyes. "Raven."
I sighed. "Sorry. Sorry. Poor attempt at humor."
Summer sighed as well, rubbing her face before standing up. She looked tired, but not the usual kind. It took me back to the days when she'd stay up waiting for me. When I was trying to get clean. That kind of tired.
"Hey," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder and she raised her eyes to meet mine. "I'm not going to go in and slaughter these wannabe thugs. I'm just going to make a statement."
She didn't say anything, but the look she had told me she wasn't very convinced.
I gave a small smile of reassurance. "Would it make you feel better if I promised not to do more than was strictly necessary, and that I'll come back in one piece?"
She stared at me. Hard. Before finally hugging me tightly, her face pressed against my shoulder. "I'd rather you not do it at all."
I frowned, uncertain before I returned the gesture. "It's all I can do to protect our kid," I said in reply. "I have to go. I'd say don't wait up for me but…" I trailed off, because I knew that would be a waste of breath, and shook my head, grabbing my keys and going for my bike.
It wasn't long before I arrived at the location Vernal had mentioned. It was crawling with White Fang. Mostly soldiers and a few higher ups. I stared them down, and with the reputation I had, it didn't take long for them to mind their own business. I stopped at the bar, asking the chick there where I'd find their leader and she gestured over at the end of the hall toward the private rooms. I pulled out my wallet, giving her a tip for the information before heading over to where she had said. I walked in, tilting my head to the side when I spotted the familiar redhead.
"What the hell are you doing here, Branwen?" he said, putting his drink down. "Didn't you leave the life?" His tone got on my nerves. So unconcerned. So arrogant. So slippery. He was the type of person I'd always hated dealing with during my time in the life. But that also meant that he had a glaring weakness. His ego.
"I was in the neighborhood," I answered with a shrug. "Heard this little punk was trying to make a name for themselves."
He sat up, gritting his teeth at the insult. "Is that so. Well, I don't remember inviting you here so I'm going to ask you to leave," the punk replied, taking a sip of his drink as he motioned one of his goons towards me.
I tsked in response. "Well, see I would do that, except –" I grabbed the wrist of the guy that attempted to grab me, slamming it on the table and stabbing the knife into his hand. "I found this." The man screamed in pain, yelling out curses as he tried to reach for the knife but I held his other hand behind him. "You wanna ask me where I found it?"
"Fuck you, bitch!" he snapped through his yelling.
Poor fool. Should know better than to be rude. "Let's try this again," I said, using my free hand to twist the handle.
He screamed, which quickly turned into whimpers. "Where! Where did you find it!" he finally caved.
"Well, funny you should ask," I said looking at the tall redhead. "I found this knife in one of my crew."
Adam's eyes narrowed. "Your crew came here looking for trouble. I was gave them what they wanted."
I scoffed, pulling the knife from the goons hand and throwing it at Adam, the blade sinking into the wall next to his head. "Let me make myself absolutely clear. Touch one of mine again, and the Vale White Fang faction will have a new leader. Got it?"
He growled, hold tightening over the glass until it shattered. I didn't even spare him a glance as I left, taking out a napkin to wipe the blood on my hands before tossing it at the writhing man on the ground.
I got home and the house was still quiet. I sighed, allowing my shoulders to slump. Ugh. I was getting too old for this shit. I trudged into my room and found Summer waiting there as I'd expected. I gave her a smile and she walked over and hugged me, also seeming to relax once she did. I took a deep breath and sank into it. The things I did for my family.
Winter's POV
I sighed as I looked over the information Jaune had managed to gather about one Jax Asturias. The thief had been right. The man had taken a real blow to his ego and numbers, and his people were starting to turn on him. The question now was whether he'd found out that he had a undercover cop in his ranks and decided she'd been a snitch. It didn't look like she had been though. Which lead to another conclusion. Someone else in her undercover team was playing both sides.
Looks like we had a rat.
With this information and I walked into the interrogation room where the thief was waiting for me. There were bags of junk food sitting on the table in front of her. "Where did all of this come from?"
"Your friend Jaune is such a sweetheart," she replied, eating her chips. "Now there's someone who knows how to smile."
Hmph. "You were right about Asturias."
She looked very smug about this. "So my information was helpful."
"No, but it was accurate," I replied, crossing my arms, tapping one finger against my arm. "You're free to go, all charges are dropped."
She smiled, the type of smile that exuded easy confidence and charm. Like the situation had always been under her control. It was a no wonder why Yang had mentioned how charismatic the thief could be. "Thank you, Detective Schnee." She held out her hand. "Winter."
I stared down at it, hesitant to actually grab it. Hill had been helpful, despite what I'd said. Still, this was odd. People I interrogated normally didn't bother with pleasantries. Maybe I was overthinking. It was just a handshake. Better to get it over with. Manners, and all that. "You're welcome."
"You're very invested in this Woman in the Iron Mask routine, aren't you?" she commented, raising her brow with nothing but humor. "Bet I could make you smile."
This was... so odd. She couldn't be serious. I wasn't naive enough to think she was actually serious. But again, this wasn't the usual atmosphere or attitude that typically followed an interrogation. She seemed to unbothered. Maybe because she'd been cleared? Maybe because she got the satisfaction of being right? "I imagine you'd lose that bet," I replied, letting go of her hand I realized I still had it grasped in mine.
Hill chuckled. "There may be hope for you yet, Detective."
Once she left the precinct, I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to discreetly investigate the victim's team. It was hard though. Sniffing around other cops was...difficult. I had been debating momentarily looking over my other open case - the rose murders - when a report came in.
Apparently Asturias had taken Jaune. I cursed under my breath. That idiot.
Everyone was scrambling, making phone calls to where the drug lord could be hiding. I shook my head. No one had found them yet. I looked over at my desk, gaze settling on Robyn Hill's profile. Decision made, I grabbed it and took off.
It hadn't been hard to find her, in all honesty. All I had to do was ask around where we'd found her last time and it eventually lead me to this fancy hotel. I scoffed. Figured. I went inside, going straight to the bar area and spotting her easily. Admittedly she stuck out like a bit of a sore thumb. Had to admire the ambition, not even a few hours later and she was out doing it again. The man she was chatting up was about twenty years her senior. Poor fool wasn't even aware that she was reaching into his jacket pocket.
I cleared my throat, which stopped Robyn's hand short as both her and her target turned their attention toward me. I flashed my badge. "Private conversation. Walk away," I told the man, and he immediately squirmed away.
Hill let out an irritated sigh, muttering something like 'again' under her breath as she took a sip of the drink she'd no doubt ordered on the man's dime. "I have to say, Detective, if you wanted my attention all you had to do was ask."
"Where can I find Jax Asturias?"
"Why?"
My eyes narrowed. "I would assume it was obvious. But then again, I suppose it isn't any of your concern either."
She seemed utterly unimpressed with the answer. "What makes you think I know where he is?"
"You know know these streets better than most," I replied. "You had intel on Asturias. I'm sure you know some of the scum of the street."
She narrowed her eyes in thought. "You don't mince your words, do you?"
I was growing impatient. "I don't have time for this, Hill."
"Neither do I. I just spent an hour following that creep, you just chased off big money. Now I have to look for someone else," she answered, making a move to leave only for me to grab her wrist and put a cuff on. "What the hell are you doing?"
People turned around to look at us and for the first time I saw something that resembled embarrassment from her. Good. Maybe that way she'd give me what I needed.
"I'm arresting you for conspiracy to commit a crime."
Again, she seemed unimpressed. "Make sure you make it nice and tight," she snapped, pulling on the cuff which did make me step closer. I think for the first time it also made me realize that the other woman was taller than I was. "I know how you love to assert your authority."
I growled, not wanting to make any more of scene than I already had. "What is the matter with you? I need this to help someone." Why wouldn't she just tell me?
"What is wrong with you? You think you can come here and take whatever you want from me, whenever you want it, Schnee?" It was the first time she'd said my last name with so much venom.
I reigned in my irritation. "You're used to getting paid. Fine." I pulled out my wallet. "How much do you want?"
To my surprise, Robyn Hill looked offended by the offer. "I don't want your money, Detective," she said, twisting her mouth over the last word. "I was just looking for a little common courtesy." I didn't say anything and she finally sighed, shoulders straightening as she stared down at me. "Asturias is in an abandoned garage on 10th street. Now, take these off me and leave me the hell alone."
We stared each other down before I relented, taking off the cuffs as asked and watching as she rubbed her wrists. She huffed. I didn't say anything, taking the cuffs off as she asked and watching as she walked away. I shook my head, radioing for back up as I headed to the place she'd specified.
I put my vest on, drawing my weapon as more cops pulled up. We went inside and found Asturias with Jaune. The blond sighed in relief when he saw us. Jax simply put his hands behind his head and surrendered as told. I smacked the blond upside the head, hiding my own relief that the kid was still alive. Yang fretted over the poor guy as she led him back above ground.
Once things were secure I allowed myself to relax, rubbing the back of my neck.
I'd have to find the thief, thank her for the information. Maybe even apologize.
