Page 63 of My Girl

“I’m Officer Gaines,” he says, his voice low.

“You’re not an officer of thelaw,” I say. “You have no real authority. And even if you did, there weretwomen. They had me?—”

“And what exactly happened to those two men?” He steps closer, clicking his jaw, his brown eyes scanning me like the eight tiny eyes of a spider, analyzing the prey caught in its web. “I see a blood stain. I see you. I don’t see any men.”

I huff through my nostrils, crossing my arms. “They must have run away after they attacked me.I’mcovered in blood. I did nothing wrong.”

“Whose blood?” He angles his head to the side. “Is this one of your games?”

I scowl. “I don’t play games.”

He puts his hand on his hip to remind me of his weapon. I roll my eyes—a stun gun can’t do shit—but when I glance, I realize it’s not a stun gun this time.

It’s a pistol.

“There was no attack, was there, Miss Sinclair?” he asks, a smug expression on his face, now that I know he has a gun. “No fight. Just you, your loose cunt, and your lying little self.”

He’s barely taller than me, but I swear he thinks he’s a giant, ready to crush me.

I glare at him. I want to squeeze his dick until it bleeds. He has no idea what I’m capable of.

Kill him,Crave’s voice echoes in my ear.

An image flashes across my mind: me lifting the rifle from last night. Aiming at the mall cop.

If that gun was here right now, I’d use it.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” I warn.

“Don’t I?”

His eyes linger on my skin, taking in each inch of me. I glance down. My torn stockings are hanging from my legs. My breath catches in my throat.

He raises his chin. “On your knees.”

I scoff. “You’re?—”

“If you want me to forget this ever happened, you’re going to drop to your knees and open that pretty little mouth of yours.”

What the fuck is this?

He thrusts his chest forward, so proud, it’s mind boggling. His fake plastic badge. His gym shoes, as if he has to run and catch people during his crappy little job. I want to laugh in his face.

“You don’t know anything,” I hiss.

“You’re covered in blood, yammering about some crazy men, when there ain’t no one here but you. Who cleaned up the bodies for you?” His jaw ticks. “I think you’re smarter than your stubbornness, Miss Sinclair. I think you can tell exactly the precariousness of this situation. Besides, I’ll tell Ned about how you’ve been stealing from the boutiqueandhis office.”

Blood boils under my skin. Officer Gaines laughs.

“That’s right, girl,” he chuckles. “I see you. I ain’t stupid.”

Rage crawls through my skull. Ned wouldn’t trust Officer Gaines, would he? Officer Gaines has worked for Ned longer, butI’mthe one fucking Ned. I’m the one with power.

I spit at the mall cop’s feet. “Fuck you, you blackmailing pig,” I snarl. “You’re supposed to protect me.”

“Oh, I think we’re past that point,” he says, his voice eerily smooth. “Now. On your fucking knees, girl.”

I hastily grab my purse off of the floor, ripping the handgun out of it. I aim it at his head.