Page 174 of Restitution

“Stacey lost her mother when she was young. She also lost her father not long after losing her unborn child. It seems all she’s had since is pain and heartbreak. She deserves a good shot at life, doesn’t she?”

I narrow my eyes. “What are you getting at?”

His head tilts. “You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Stacey Rhodes is being charged with the murder of Christopher Fields and the disappearance and kidnapping of Bernadette Sawyer.”

I don’t breathe or blink or move as I stare at him. “What did you just say?”

“Sebastian Prince has been charged with the same offences,” he says, folding his arms. “Barry Lennox is being charged with kidnapping and being an accessory to murder.”

“They didn’t do anything.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he replies, grinning. “Do you know you’re facing at least sixteen life sentences? You’ll never see daylight again.”

“I’m fully aware, asshole.”

He scoffs and shakes his head. “You’re just like your father.”

I raise a brow – he’s close to getting a fist in his face unless he gets to the point.

“We’re willing to offer you a deal.”

“Of course you are.”

“You tell us what happened to Christopher Fields and Bernadette Sawyer, and we’ll lift the charges from your three friends.” He opens the folder between us. “We can also erase all of these names. You tell us what we want to know, and we can reduce all your sentences to ten years.”

I bark out a laugh. “All of you are corrupt as fuck. Are there any genuine officers left?”

“You will also give us those names you left out in your original statement. We know there are detectives within Scotland Yard and the New York Police Department that have heavy involvement in the underworld. Those names, plus an admission of what happened to Christopher and Bernadette, and your friends and girlfriend are free.”

“And I serve ten years?”

“We’ll do what we can to get it as close to ten as possible. This is the only offer we’ll make, Mr Mitchell. We know your circumstance and how you were blackmailed and coerced into your crimes. You can plead insanity too, like your father did, but I highly suggest taking this deal.”

I gulp and look down at the folder, my eyes glued to the mugshot of Stacey. She’s crying, and she has a bruise on her cheek.

“One more condition,” I say, glaring at him.

“Fine. What do you want?”

As soon as the door opens three hours later, my heart accelerates, but the chain attached to the table stops me from getting up as Stacey is brought in, cuffed, wearing scrubs that match my own.

“Stacey.” Her name drops from my lips.

Her chin trembles as she shakes – my girl is trying to hold it together.

Officer Dickhead unlocks the cuffs from my leather belt. “You have three minutes. Kyle Fields is waiting for her in the office.”

Her good brother – he better look after her while I’m in here.

The door closes, and I go to her, taking her face in my hands and tracing the bruise on her cheek. “Are you okay?”

“What did you do?” she asks, her voice cracking as her face contorts. She slowly presses her forehead to my chest when I just stare at her. “Tell me what you did.”

My restrained hands lift to brush through her hair. “You’re everything to me, do you know that?” I take her face and tilt her chin, kissing her on the lips. “Everything.”