Chapter 16

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Ash asked, "What evidence do we present them with?"

"The greatest one of all, we give them the Hatter." Jo said.

Ash sighed, "If only we knew who he was."

"We can make him reveal himself to us," Jo said.

"Yeah?" Ash asked.

"Yeah." Jo said as she stood up and started pacing around the room nude. She muttered to herself as she did that, and a smile broke out on Ash's face.

She looked so cute as she moved her slim frame back and forth, a frown of concentration on her face.

Suddenly, she stopped right in front of him and did a fist pump, "I got it!"

"Got what?" Ash asked lazily.

"The plan, idiot." Jo said reclaiming her position by his side.

Ash leaned in and kissed her fiercely.

Jo let him for a few minutes before she pushed him away, "Do you want to hear my plan?"

"Maybe later." Ash said absently, gazing at her breasts.

Jo growled and covered herself up with the sheets, "Listen to me."

Ash raised his hands up, "Sure. What do you want to say?"

Jo looked satisfied, "So here's the plan. We've been able to escape the cops for so long because of two reasons; we're smart and because we've had help.

I think we can assume the same for Hatter. I mean, no one has seen his face, ever. He must have someone in the police, same as we do."

Ash nodded, "Now you say it, that makes a lot of sense."

"Thank you," Jo said happily, "So we draw the fucker out."

"How?" Ash asked, staring at the indentations her nipples made on the sheet she used to shield herself.

Jo noticed and gripped his jaw, forcing his eyes to meet hers. Ash grinned mischievously.

"You're incorrigible!" Jo scolded, although she found herself smiling. It felt good to have someone who looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Now listen," She said, keeping her grip on his jaw in place, "What we have to do is spread the word that we know the Hatter's identity. We'll put it out on the streets, we'll tell it to the cops.

Now, this Hatter guy seems to me like someone who wouldn't leave anything to chance. He's not going to call our bluff. He'll try to make sure his secret is safe. So he'll come to kill us himself, because if you want someone killed right, you have to do it yourself."

Ash frowned, "I don't think that's exactly how that saying goes."

"It's the Lex Luthor version." Jo replied impatiently, "So what do you think of my plan?"

Ash became serious, "Trying to bait a man like that is dangerous, what if we get killed?" He said, caressing her cheek, "I just got you, I don't want you getting killed."

Jo exhaled, "Ash, I hope you know I'm not a fainting young woman in the olden days. I'm a gangster. I've been in many dangerous situations."

"A maiden." Ash said.

"What?"

"A young woman in the days of old was called a maiden, and I know how strong you are, but you're still mortal. You could die." Ash said.

"Well, you could die too, but I assure that's not going to happen. It's going to be him against us, and our gang members. He won't stand a chance." Jo said firmly.

"Look at you going all badass on me." Ash said.

"You've got a problem with that?" Jo asked sassily.

"Quite the opposite, I love it." Ash said as he leaned in to kiss her again.

This time Jo gave the kiss her all, pushing him down to the bed and following him. As she plundered his mouth, she stroked his rigid erection.

Ash groaned and shut his eyes.

"You like that?" Jo asked.

"You know I do." Ash growled as he rolled her over. This time, he straddled her.

"I've been meaning to get to those for a while now." Ash said as he put his head down to her breasts, sucking and nibbling on her nipples.

Jo moaned and felt herself go wet. She wondered how Ash had been able to master her body in such a short period of time. He knew what she liked and did everything she liked.

Just as she was contemplating how lucky she was to have him, she felt him slide one long finger into her sensitive core.

Jo's breath caught at the barrage of sensations that hit her as he worked the finger in and out, before he added another one.

When she cried out in obvious pleasure, Ash gave her a smirk.

She stilled his hand with one of her own.

"What is it?" Ash asked, afraid he'd done something she didn't like.

"I'm about to come, and I want to come around you." Jo said huskily.

At her words, Ash felt precum ooze out of his dick. He knew the sound of her voice, all breathy with lust was enough to make him come.

"I won't deny you that." Ash said as he spread her legs and eased himself into her, groaning at how tight and wet she was.

He began to stroke in and out of her slowly, trying to prolong the moment.

Jo was having none of that and clenched her legs around his glutes, forcing him to go deeper. They simultaneously groaned at the impact.

"Slow down, baby. I want to make this good." Ash said in a strained voice.

"It's already perfect." Jo said as she began to move, trying to take him deeper.

Ash decided that she had the right of it, and slammed into her hard. When he looked down, he saw he was balls deep.

Setting a very quick pace, he began to slam into her repeatedly. Jo loved the feeling and held on to him, scratching his shoulders and his back in the process, but he didn't care.

After a few thrusts, he felt Jo clench around him, and in the next moment, she screamed his name and he felt her release around his dick.

He continued thrusting until he came so forcefully he thought he was going to die, spilling his seed deep in her. In the back of his mind, just as he collapsed beside her, Ash wondered if it would always be like that between them, and concluded that yes, it would.

* * *

"Of course, not!" Rex said when Jo told him her plan. They'd invited him and Capo over to finalize the plan.

"It's just too risky," He told Jo. Then he turned to Ash and scowled, "And you're encouraging this plan?"

Ash tensed, "There's no other way. Unless you want her looking over her shoulder the rest of her life."

Rex gripped Jo's shoulders, "This is madness. I'd take you living and looking over your shoulder over you dying, any day."

"Rex," Jo said angrily, "I'm not a child, I'm your boss. I've been in a lot of hairy situations and I've come out on top. This one will be no different because I've got you watching my back and I know you won't let anything happen to me."

"You're damn right I'm not." Rex agreed gruffly.

"Well, that's settled then." Jo said, hugging him.

Ash stared at them with such jealousy that Capo noticed.

"Take it easy, boss." He said, "She's his boss after all."

"Well you don't see us hugging that way, do you?" Ash asked, turning to glare at Capo.

Capo chuckled, "Nope. But that's us."

"Moreover, they once had a thing." Ash whispered, folding his arms across his chest.

"Woah! Now that's dangerous waters. What if he wants to get back with her?" Capo asked.

"I know, right?" Ash asked, glad that Capo was seeing things from his perspective.

"You just have to trust Jo. She doesn't look the type to play around with someone's emotions." Capo said, patting Ash's back.

Ash nodded, "I know. I trust her, but I don't trust him. I mean, who in their right senses would end a relationship with Jo?"

Capo laughed out loud.

"Why are you laughing?" Ash asked, irritated.

Capo smirked, "Wait till I tell the men the boss has fallen and fallen harrrrrd!"

Ash rolled his eyes. Yes, he'd fallen for Jo, and at that moment, he didn't care who knew.

Jo and Rex walked up to the two men.

"Why are you laughing?" Jo asked Capo.

"Nothing." Ash replied quickly, "Now. How do we do this? Do we just put the word out and wait for him to come or what?"

Jo said, "Yes. We have to put the word out, but I think he has an inside man in the force, so I'm all for calling the lieutenant and tell him we know Hatter's identity. If he finds out we're talking directly to the cops, it'll force his hand to attack quicker.

While we're at it, we might even leak a location where we'll be found and he'll go there, only to be surrounded by our men."

Rex scowled, "I still think this plan is flawed and dangerous. A hundred and one things could go wrong."

"Man, if you have a better plan, let's hear it. If you don't, then shut up." Ash said.

"Make me." Rex said, towering over Ash.

Jo knew she needed to defuse the tense atmosphere between the two men before it came to blows. She looked to Capo for help, but he was intently watching the two men, muttering "Fight, fight." Under his breath.

Jo rolled her eyes, God save her from men with an overload of testosterone.

She walked up to Rex and pulled him away.

When she stared at him sternly, he asked, "What?"

"Stop goading him." Jo said, hands akimbo.

"Why? It's fun." The giant grinned.

"Fun or not, he knows about our ... encounter." Jo said quietly.

Rex laughed out loud, "No wonder he's been looking at me as if he'd like nothing more than to decapitate me."

Jo rolled her eyes.

"So it's you and him?" Rex asked.

"Yes."

Rex's expression turned serious, "Hope he's treating you right?"

Jo sighed, "Of course, he is. Do you think I'd be with him otherwise? There's no need for you to get over protective."

"That's good to know. If he ever fucks up, you know where to find me." Rex said.

"I can take care of myself." Jo countered.

"My offer still stands." Rex said.

Jo rolled her eyes, Rex could be so intractable at times.

She went back to where Ash and Capo stood, with Rex in tow.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, let's call the cops." Jo said with a huge smile that hid how nervous she felt.

* * *

Lieutenant Baines was poring over some reports in his office when Damian Wayde walked impatiently.

"What's the matter, Wayde?" Baines asked. He didn't like being interrupted when he was reading reports.

"Sir, you've got to come, quickly. We have the suspects Jocelyn Turner and Asher Mason on the line. They want to speak with you." Wayde said.

"I'm busy. Let someone do the talking." Baines said dryly. He wanted to talk with the suspects, but if he answered when they called, it would give them a sense of importance which might lead them to think they could negotiate deals with him.

"Sir, are you sure?" Wayde asked, running his hand through his mass of curly hair.

"Yes. The day I give gangsters the time of the day is the day I retire." Baines said dismissively.

Wayde nodded and left.

He returned some seconds later.

"What is it?" Baines asked angrily.

"Sir," Wayde said with his eyes wide, "They say they know the identity of the Hatter and don't want to tell any other person, because they think he has an inside man here."

"In the precinct? Impossible. They just want to get our attention." Baines said. Then he began to consider their words, and saw some sense in them, because how in the fuck was the Hatter completely unknown to them?

Nobody was that good, not without outside help.

He looked up to see Wayde staring at him expectantly.

"Let's go." He said.

Wayde nodded and led the way.

When Baines got to their call control center, he whispered to the attendant, "Do we have a location on them?"

The attendant shook his head, "They're using a burner phone. Totally untraceable."

Baines nodded. He would have been surprised if they hadn't used one.

"Let me talk to them." Baines ordered.

The attendant quickly gave him the headset. Baines put it on and cleared his throat.

"This is Lieutenant Ted Baines."

"Hi, this is Jo Turner." A female voice said.

"And I'm Asher Mason." A male voice added.

"Good that we know each other now." Baines said, "What do you want?"

"Sir, we aren't the people who killed the detective." Ash said.

Baines scoffed, "Of course, you'll say that. If you called just to plead your innocence, I suggest you hand yourselves in. If you're truly innocent, our capable justice system will prove it."

"As much as we'd like to listen to you," Jo said with a tut, "You know why we can't."

"I don't know any such thing." Baines said, "If you have nothing to say, I think I'll hang up now."

"Come on, sir." Ash said, "We called you to tell you the real killer is a man called Hatter."

"A phantom." Baines said.

"No longer. We know his identity." Jo said.

"I'm listening." Baines said.

"I'm sorry we can't do that." Jo said.

"Why?" Baines asked, already angry.

"Because we think he has an informant in the police force. We don't want him knowing that we know." Jo said.

"So what do you suggest?" Baines asked.

"Send your most trusted men to us, and we'll tell you his identity." Ash said.

"How do I know you're not bluffing?" Baines asked.

"What do we have to gain by doing that?" Ash asked, "We're serious about clearing our names."

Baines listened to them, then spoke, "You've said your part, now it's my turn. I have some conditions for the meet to take place.

One; it'll have take place in a location where I know my men will be safe.

Two; I don't want any of your gang members mooching around. I want only you two present. If I see a gangster anywhere around there, forget it. The deal will be called off and I'll double the bounty on you two. Understand?"

Before Jo and Ash could say anything in reply, he hung up on them. There was no way he'd let them think they had the upper hand.