Page 26 of Unhallowed Murder (A Paranormal Halloween #2)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Seven months later

Lieutenant Veronica Woods sat at the back of a federal courthouse, despite the fact she didn’t need to be present.

She’d testified a few days before, but today was the sentencing.

She was usually okay with finding out after the fact, but she needed to see and hear the conclusion.

She needed to see Griffin led away, needed to see the look in his eyes when he heard that he would never again be a free man.

She wasn’t terribly surprised when Agent Graham sat beside her. He’d had to hand the case off to a serial killer unit, but he was emotionally invested in it, too.

“Where’s your team?” Graham asked.

“Where’s yours? ”

He shrugged. “Working on leads for other cases, which is where I should be, but I needed to see this.”

“Same answer.”

“Yeah.”

Ramirez and Flores had already been sentenced.

Ramirez had received eighteen months for his part in the bribery scheme, though Ronnie expected he’d be released close to the six-month mark if he kept his nose clean, since the judge was clear he was eligible for parole.

Flores, however, was going to be in a cage until he was an old man, because the judge had been just as clear that he would not be eligible for parole for at least forty years.

Flores received eight years for attempting to bribe a federal employee, with another six years added on because the bribe included drug trafficking.

He got another twenty years for rape, and then twelve more years for threatening gang rape if she didn’t stop talking to law enforcement.

Threatening further great bodily harm during the commission of an assault carries a longer sentence then merely offering money as a bribe.

With the addition of a few smaller offenses, Flores’ total sentence ended up being a few months shy of fifty-eight years.

He was twenty-four at sentencing, and he’d be inside until he was at least sixty-four years old.

“Tigre’s the only one we couldn’t make charges stick to. The old man should call himself Teflon.” He’d been arrested more times than she’d wanted to count, and had never plea bargained or been found guilty.

“You didn’t show up for Flores’ sentencing,” he noted .

She shrugged. “Flores is most certainly a criminal who deserves every year the judge gave him, but he isn’t…” She looked away, unwilling to let Graham see whatever emotions she might let slip out. “I rarely use the word evil, but Griffin…” She shuddered.

“You recognized while he was confessing that his actions didn’t follow that of most serial killers,” Graham noted.

“Only a few of his victims were killed in the same manner. He didn’t have a set procedure.

Every murder was different — drowning, strangulation, fed to a crocodile while still alive, gunshot wound to different body parts, a knife to the heart—”

“Right,” Ronnie interrupted, “so while most serial killers are forever chasing the thrill of the first kill, some of his later kills were actually a bigger thrill than his first. However, he didn’t see it as a thrill, but as his way of avenging God and punishing sinners, which…”

The courthouse doors closed, and the room went silent. Ronnie took a deep, cleansing breath. She’d discovered and then been assigned number seventeen, and there wouldn’t be an eighteen. He would never kill another innocent woman because she’d fucking stopped him.

The judge talked about how a court proceeding with a signed confession was usually merely a formality, but that they’d needed time to document each murder — even those that happened in other countries, because the women lived here. Met him here. Expected to return here.

He thanked everyone for their patience, and then turned his attention to Griffin.

“Sir, you had a good job, a good wife, a nice house. When you assaulted your wife, you’d already been to anger management classes twice. You knew you had a problem, but you chose not to deal with it.

“Your decisions to murder were precise, calculated. The choices you made are despicable. You’re of above average intelligence, and you clearly worked through how to stay off of law enforcement’s radar.”

The judge shook his head. “This case has once again brought to light the challenge of the people society have forgotten. Those without family, without friends who’ll check on them.

That you met six of them at various churches, where lonely people tried to connect with others, is especially heinous. ”

The judge talked another five minutes before he mentioned Ronnie, and she felt eyes turning to look at her, because the judge’s gaze practically bored through her.

“Lieutenant Woods, I have no idea how you managed to hold it together for the marathon confession, but you are made of some mighty strong stuff. For every person who makes me fear for our future, I find ten people who show me we’re going to be okay, and you, Lieutenant Woods, are one of those people.

Thank you for fighting for the victims, even when no one else cares about them.

Thank you for giving me hope for our future. ”

Ronnie tipped her head down and back up. Speaking wasn’t appropriate, so it was all she knew to do.

The judge talked another ten minutes, detailing Griffin’s crimes and naming every victim except for the one they could never put a name to. Many of them had family after all, and the families were there, finally getting closure.

And then, finally, the part Ronnie had waited for — the death penalty, which absolutely didn’t mean he’d be killed, because the federal government hadn’t executed anyone since 2003, but it meant Griffin would never see more than an hour of daylight per day for the rest of his godforsaken life.

* * * *

Ronnie bought more than a few rounds of drinks that evening — not that Josef would actually let her pay for them, but she’d have bought them even if it’d been out of her paycheck.

She wasn’t usually terribly extravagant, but she needed to show her team how much they meant to her. How much she appreciated them.

When her overprotective vampire had learned her team frequented the bar in this particular historic building, he’d bought the building and the bar. She’d wanted to throttle him for it, at first — she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

However, she’d eventually had to admit it was nice to be able to cut up and let loose without having to watch her back.

The bouncers, bartender, and waitstaff were all werewolves or cats, and they all knew they were to protect Ronnie and “her cops” above all else.

Ronnie had argued with him the civilians needed protecting, but Josef was adamant she’d have a safe place to let loose and chill out with her people.

Tonight, she polished off her second burger at close to ten o’clock, stood, and said her goodbyes. Despite the fact she told them she’d be okay, Myers still walked her to her car.

“Josef is due back tonight, right?”

“Yeah. Sorry to cut the celebration short, but I’ve missed him.”

“He’s good for you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Her team had welcomed Josef into the fold, but he’d known how to win them over.

When they worked late, he frequently showed up with food.

He’d learned everyone’s favorite, and he made sure he brought a spread that made them all happy.

He’d also shown up — more times than she could count — with enough mugs of hot coffee for everyone when he knew they had to be out in the cold at night.

When he took care of her, he also took care of her people.

He’d been gone for ten days though, and she’d missed him something terrible.

He’d accompanied Abbott on a trip to deal with an out-of-control wolf alpha in another territory.

She’d had to be okay knowing Josef would be feeding and fucking from various shapeshifters in a show of power — a way to establish the hierarchy.

They weren’t in Abbott’s territory, but the Master Vampire of that territory hadn’t been able to gain control of the town, so the Concilio had asked him to do so. Josef said it never hurts to earn favor with them, so they went .

Honestly, she was fine with him fucking someone for political reasons, as a show of power, but she’d told him if she ever found out he fucked anyone romantically besides her, she’d rip his balls off, watch them grow back, and rip them off again.

She’d meant it, and he’d believed her.

However, as their relationship had progressed, she’d realized the threat wasn’t necessary. He’d be true to his word because it was the kind of person he was.

Her vampire fed from her a few times a week when he was in town, and from other non-feline shapeshifters the rest of the time — but he didn’t screw them. Not anymore.

Ronnie slid out of the too-fancy SUV Josef had surprised her with on her birthday, and stepped into the hangar’s office area. The manager recognized her and motioned towards a monitor. “They aren’t far. Maybe ten minutes.”

Ronnie closed her eyes and pushed her consciousness towards him. Now that he’d had her blood, he could talk to her from a much farther distance, and it was also easier for her to initiate contact.

His voice came into her head, and it was like music for her soul.

I’ve missed you, Bellula. It’ll be good to get home.

I might’ve noticed you were gone a few times , she teased. Can we go straight home, or do you have other responsibilities to get to, first?

Straight home. Everything else can wait until you’re asleep .

Dating a vampire wasn’t as complicated as she’d first assumed.

He slept while she worked. He awoke and handled some of his obligations from his basement until she arrived home, and then she had his undivided attention, most nights.

Once she went to sleep, usually a little before midnight, he had the rest of the night for his security obligations.

They had their evenings together, and they both had their jobs.

She waited for him to come to her, when he got off the plane, and she gladly went into his arms when he neared her and opened them, inviting her into his embrace.

She closed her eyes and leaned into him, happy to feel his energy.

His scent was off because he hadn’t fed from her in so long, but he still smelled like Josef.

God, how she’d missed him. Her heart settled into her chest a little easier.

He hadn’t fed yet, but he wasn’t overly hungry. He’d have taken a few sips from one of the wolves on the plane if he’d needed it.

“A life on death row, knowing they probably won’t kill him, but might…” Josef held her a little tighter. “It’s as much as you could hope for within the current societal constraints.”

Josef was a firm believer in the death penalty, and thought a swift, public, and gruesome execution was the best way to prevent more crime.

“I know. It’s behind me, now. The case is closed. There won’t even be parole hearings to deal with.” She shrugged. “I bought several rounds of drinks tonight. It’s behind us. You had a successful trip? ”

He took her keys from her hand and tossed them to a werewolf who stood ten feet away with Josef’s luggage. “Come. We’ll talk while I drive us home. You have entirely too many clothes on for my liking.”

She’d worn a suit to court, and still had on the skirt and blouse. Spring had hit in the south, so she wasn’t actually wearing that many clothes.

Josef eyed the luggage in the back of the SUV to be sure everything was there, retrieved Ronnie’s keys from the wolf, and walked her to the passenger side to put her in. He always drove when it was the two of them.

When they were on their way, he answered her earlier question.

“We deposed the Alpha Wolf, removed those who would’ve continued his regime, and made sure we left people in place who would fix his many, many wrongs.

Abbott moved another Strigorii master in to run the city, and we found appropriate situations for the slaves.

As always, some will eventually be rehabilitated, while the others will likely need someone to watch out for them the rest of their lives. ”

“Sometimes, I’m envious of those who police the supernaturals, because you can walk in and fix the situation without having to deal with so much red tape, and without having to risk a judge fucking everything up.

” She blew out a breath. “But I’ll keep my job policing humans.

I’m not sure I could…” Ronnie shook her head.

She was glad the judge stepped in and handled the actual consequences.

Her job was to the find the bad guys and hand them off to the justice system .

“On the contrary, you know you could, you just worry you’d enjoy it too much. If you could’ve killed Griffin after he confessed, things would be so much simpler.”

“Maybe.” She changed the subject. “Your energy is smoother this time.”

He’d come home from one of these trips full of the blood of human traffickers. She could smell the evil, and she’d made him drink from her until his energy was right again.