Chapter 61 RAGE 2
I rushed in, but before I could even react, Nancy spun around and slammed her foot into the figure behind her, knocking him down with one clean, brutal kick to the leg. She pivoted smoothly, using his falling momentum against him as he slipped and crashed hard onto the floor.
I blinked in surprise. I knew she was a detective and all, but she had never struck me as someone who could fight like that.
She grabbed the man by his hair and yanked him upright, ripping the mask off his face in one swift motion, revealing Gary. The side of his head was already bleeding from the earlier fall.
“You son of a bitch,” she cursed, her voice dripping with fury as she delivered another vicious kick straight to Gary’s face. The impact knocked him completely unconscious, his body collapsing lifelessly onto the floor.
I immediately moved toward the girl lying motionless nearby. Dropping to my knees beside her, I pressed two fingers against her neck, searching desperately for a pulse.
“She’s still breathing,” I said, glancing up at Nancy.
Nancy rushed to my side and gently brushed the girl’s hair away from her face, revealing bruises blooming across her skin and a bloodied nose.
“Zoe?” Nancy called out, shock flashing across her face as recognition settled in.
“You know her?” I asked.
She nodded, her jaw tightening.
“She was one of the girls I met at that party in your hotel,” she said. Her voice turned sharp as she shot me an angry glare, blame and frustration burning in her eyes.
“Bundle them up. Don’t let them get away, would you?” she ordered as she stood to her feet. “I’m calling the cops.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied, watching as she hurried off to make the call.
I straightened and scanned the room. The first four guys from earlier were already scrambling to get up, clearly preparing to flee. I stepped forward casually, blocking the exit with ease.
“Now, let’s make this a little easier,” I said lazily, folding my arms across my chest. “Why don’t you all stay still until the police arrive? You’ve already ruined my night, and I do not appreciate that.”
They stared at me, then glanced nervously at each other. Fear flickered in their eyes as hesitation rooted them to the spot.
Two of them suddenly lunged toward me, desperation driving their attack. I barely moved—just took a single step forward, my presence alone enough to shatter their courage. They stumbled backward immediately, retreating like frightened dogs.
That was when I truly studied them.
They were young.
Too young.
Minors, at most.
A frown tugged at my face as realization settled in. What on earth was Scorpion and his crew planning, using kids like this? These boys didn’t look like seasoned street criminals. Their nervous movements, their shaky confidence… it was obvious they had been dragged into something far bigger than they understood.
They were hiding something.
And I intended to find out what.
Nancy’s POV
It wasn’t long before the cops showed up.
Paramedics rushed in, lifting Zoe onto a stretcher and loading her into the ambulance. Oxygen was quickly fitted over her face as they wheeled her away, her body frighteningly still.
The police arrested the four men along with Gary. As he was shoved into the patrol car, he turned his head just enough to shoot me a piercing glare—one filled with hatred and promise. It sent a chill down my spine, but I refused to look away.
Jaxon approached me moments later, my heels dangling from his hand.
“I’m guessing you’re going to the station,” he said, his gaze lingering on mine.
“Aren’t you coming with me?” I asked. “We’re the only witnesses who saw what happened. We need to give our statements to the police.”
“I know,” he said calmly. “But I can’t go with you. I was going to tell you not to call the cops earlier, but I figured you wouldn’t listen to me—so here we are.”
His words stunned me.
Was he ditching me?
“You’re bailing?” I snapped, my face hardening. “Because this whole thing might not look good for your perfect reputation? If that’s the case, then you’re a coward.”
His eyes locked onto mine as he bent down and placed my heels carefully at my feet.
“I’m not bailing,” he said quietly. “I’m trying to put my enemies on edge.”
That only confused me more.
“Whatever,” I muttered. “I’m giving my statement, and I’m making sure Gary gives me the information I need.”
“Why is it that you never listen to me?” he asked, letting out a deep sigh.
“Oh, maybe because you’re an ass,” I shot back, turning angrily to leave.
His hand closed around mine, stopping me.
“Just be careful,” he said firmly. “You need to slow down and observe what you’re dealing with. Maybe then you’ll start seeing the meaning behind my words. And whatever you do—don’t tell anyone you’re a cop.”
I yanked my hand out of his grip, staring at him in disbelief.
“Maybe if you stopped speaking in riddles and actually said what you mean, I wouldn’t be this confused,” I snapped. “Who the hell are these people, Jaxon? And what right do they think they have over those girls? Even if they ‘own’ them—which is sick on its own—they have no right to force them into things against their will.”
The anger burned hot in my chest, spilling out before I could stop it.
I waited for him to respond.
He didn’t.
He just stood there, staring at me, saying absolutely nothing.
I couldn’t understand him. Did he even want to find Ravyn Vale as badly as I did? Or had I imagined the fury in his eyes every time his name was mentioned?
“You’re going about this the wrong way,” he finally said. “And you’re risking your life.”
“I knew the danger the moment I took on the Ravyn Vale case,” I fired back. “So don’t keep reminding me. Coming here with you was a mistake after all.”
Jaxon’s POV
“You think so?” I asked, staring at her, searching her eyes for even the slightest crack in her stubborn resolve. If I kept pushing like this, she wouldn’t listen to a single word I said. Nancy wasn’t the type to take warnings seriously—she needed to taste danger herself before she understood the weight behind my words.
“I know so,” she snapped instantly. “Everything about you has been a mistake from the very beginning. From now on, I’m my own team. And I would love to have my backpack back.”
Her voice dripped with sharp defiance as she stormed toward the car. I followed her silently, watching as she yanked open the trunk and angrily tossed her heels into the back with far more force than necessary. The sound echoed louder than it should have, like an outlet for every ounce of frustration she was carrying.
She grabbed her backpack and turned, already marching away without another glance.
“Nancy,” I called after her.
She stopped, but she didn’t turn around immediately. Her shoulders remained stiff, her back rigid, as if even acknowledging me required effort. I closed the distance between us and instinctively slipped a card into her hand.
“Just hold onto this,” I said quietly. “Call me if you find yourself in trouble.”
She lowered her gaze to the black card resting against her palm. For a brief second, something unreadable flickered across her face.
A scoff escaped her lips as her piercing, furious eyes snapped back to mine.
“Why are you so good at shoving money down someone’s throat?” she spat, her voice laced with venom. “You’re just the same. Back then and now.”
Confusion flickered through me. Her words struck harder than they should have, leaving me momentarily stunned. What did she mean by that? I wasn’t trying to buy her off… I was only trying to help.
“I don’t fucking need your money,” she said coldly, throwing the card straight back at me before turning and walking away toward the ambulance where the victim was being loaded.
I bent down, picking the card up slowly, my gaze following her as the ambulance doors slammed shut. Moments later, the siren wailed, slicing through the night as the vehicle sped away, its red and blue lights fading into the distance.
Silence settled heavily around me.
I exhaled sharply before turning back toward my car, running a hand through my hair in frustration.
I couldn’t deal with her.
She was too much—too stubborn, too reckless… too determined to walk straight into danger without looking back.
But her words refused to leave me. They echoed inside my mind like a broken record, repeating over and over again.
You’re just the same. Back then and now.
Back then?
Back when?
The question lingered, gnawing at something buried deep inside me… something I couldn’t quite reach, but somehow felt like I should remember.