Chapter 17: Authority

"I don't like this," Nick uttered. "Can't we just put her some makeup on to make it look like she was beaten up by us?"

That didn't sound very mafia of you, Nick. But thanks for caring, I guess.

"No. They'll probably want to take her to a hospital and have her examined," said Damian. "Then our whole plan was for nothing."

We were at the empty supermarket a few blocks away from the police department. I was wearing my tattered uniform and a dirty tank top, to look like I haven't showered in days. I purposefully made my hair into a mess, and put a little cooking oil in it, so that it could look dirty. I even smeared some dirt in my face.

The boys stood in front of me, while some of Danté's men broke into the supermarket and threw things around in there to make it seem like a scuffle happened there.

Nick was pacing up and down, not wanting to injure me, while Damian stood with his arms crossed, in business mode. Danté had his hands in his pockets, looking bored.

"But--"

"Shut the f*ck up, Rider," Danté groaned. "You're acting like her grandmother. Quit your nagging and go do some crocheting."

Danté stepped forward, facing me directly. "You ready?"

I nodded, determined. "Ready."

Danté balled his right fist and punched me in the stomach. The impact was so hard, I was knocked backwards into the wall behind me. I bit my lip hard, to keep me from crying out. I fought against the urge to fall to my knees.

Nick grabbed Danté's arm, his face shrouded in worry. "Did you have to be so rough?"

A naughty smile crept up Danté's cheeks, and I just knew he was going to make some kind of innuendo.

"Oh I like it rough," Danté said.

I wanted to throw him with the nearest brick, and from the look on Nick's face, he probably wanted to smash Danté's face in with one.

"We don't have time for your filthy jokes, Danté. Hit me again so we can get this over with," I muttered through my teeth. The cold city air made my ears ache, and the smell of metal and concrete made me nauseous.

That smile never left Danté's face.

Here comes another one.

"Ooh, Princess. I didn't know you were into that kind of--"

"Just stop." Damian sighed. "You're wasting time. If you don't hit her again, I'm going to shoot her in the shoulder or something, because you're stalling too much."

Danté shot Damian a look. One thing about Danté: you don't tell him what to do. You don't order him around. Danté made the commands - no one else.

Except Damian. Sometimes.

Danté came at me so quickly I barely had time to register that he punched me again; this time in the side. Then he kicked my legs out from under me, sending a jolt of pain through my ankle.

I was gasping on the floor, coughing for air.

Danté turned around. "That should do it."

Nick looked close to tears. He knelt down next to me, his eyes studying me swiftly. They were the color of amber today. "F*ck that must've hurt like a motherf*cker. Are you okay?"

I held up a thumb and smiled weakly.

The truth was, it felt like a car had run me over. And I don't think Danté even used all of his strength.

Nick helped me stand up.

Danté turned around to look at me again. His forehead looked stiff. "I need you to gain access to your mother's computer. That is your next assignment."

"Are you crazy? It's near impossible to gain access to her computer. Even for me as her daughter. It stores all highly classified digital evidence, and sensitive information regarding the police."

He knocked a knuckle on my head. "You'll figure it out."

"What exactly do you want me to find?" I asked him.

He had that grin on his face again. I wanted so badly to just rip that handsome face---

"You'll know when you see it." Danté said, interrupting my violent thoughts.

"No, I won't. You need to tell me." I put my hands on my hips and glared up at him.

Danté poked my forehead. "Use this thing."

I wanted to scream out in frustration, but Damian looked at his watch and said, "We really need to get going, Venus."

I nodded, and we got into Nick's car.

They dropped me off in the alley that Danté mentioned the previous night. I got out, and was about to limp my way to the police department, when Nick rolled his window down and called my name.

"Yes?" I asked when I reached his window.

"Will you be okay? Your ankle..." Nick searched my eyes.

Danté checked us out from the back seat with an expression that I couldn't quite place.

"It's just slightly sprained. It'll probably be better in a day or two. Don't worry," I smiled warmly.

"Take care of yourself," Damian said from the passenger side.

The same man threatened to shoot me in the shoulder mere minutes ago. I didn't even know what to expect from these men anymore.

They drove off and I made my way (slowly, but surely, with a screaming ankle) to the police station.

As I rehearsed in my head the previous night, I stormed into William's office and collapsed on the floor.

"Venus! Jesus Christ, how did you get here?!" He was up and by my side in under a second.

I made my voice sound hoarse and out of breath, like I have been running. "I escaped. Th-the Riot-- A-a fight--"

"Let me get you to a hospital first, and then you can tell me," William said. His eyes were glossed over with tears of relief, and he squeezed me into his chest.

My heart felt heavy with guilt. Here my brother was, worried half to death, while I was eating chocolate chip cookies in a mansion in designer clothes the whole time.

"I'll have to call Jace, he's been worried out of his mind. And mom has been going over so much CCTV footage..."

I pulled away a bit to see his face. "And Father?"

Will's expression was grim. He thought about how to say what he needed to say without hurting me, but I already knew where it wad going.

"He's disappointed in you. The fact that you were that wreckless... The fact that you put your supervising officer in danger, and even shooting him accidentally... Dad wasn't happy."

I looked down at my hands. The cut through my heart was no new feeling. "Of course not. In his eyes it would have been better if they just straight up killed me."

"Don't say that, Vee." Will said, sounding upset.

I looked up at William to meet his eyes. Those hazel eyes that were always tired. I wanted to tell him that I have been secretly working with the mafia. I wanted to get them behind bars. I wanted to tell him everything.

I had the feeling that Will would even understand.

But, if I told him, I might put him in danger.

"Let's get you to a hospital, okay? Can you walk?" Will asked.

"Will?"

"Yes?" He stopped moving.

"What if... What if what you saw and what Lieutenant Parker told everyone wasn't the truth? What if... something bigger was going on? What would you do?" I carefully asked, studying his face.

William's eyes bore into mine. "I know."

I blinked. "What?"

"I know, Vee. I know he lied. Because I know him. And I kept quiet about it." Will took my hands in his. "Sis, I really prayed that you would never have been put in that kind of situation."

"What happened when you worked for him, Will? Why did he make you keep silent?"

He wanted to tell me. I could see the way his eyes begged his mouth to tell me.

"I can't tell you."

"William, please, you need to tell me. I have to confirm something important." I was now the one grabbing his hands. Squeezing them.

His eyes went wide. "You saw something. Oh God, Venus."

"I might have evidence against him."

"No, no, no. Please don't tell me he knows that you know what he's upto." William shook his head, sending his messy curls flying around his head.

"He... Doesn't know about the evidence part. But he did see me," I smiled sheepishly, "Hence his lies."

William sat back staring at me, dumbstruck.

I decided to tell him about what happened. Everything save for the whole part where I worked with the mafia.

"Venus, you have no idea what you have gotten yourself into." He got up and paced around nervously. "You are in so much danger."

"I can't stay quiet about this, Will." I told him. "Whatever he is upto, it needs to stop. Lives are being risked."

William chuckled bitterly as shadow fell on his face. "I knew you would be like that. Always the fool risking your life for the greater good."

"Will, you can help me. We can beat him together. You have valuable information that we could use. And you're on the same rank as him."

"Not anymore, I'm not." Will said, turning to face me.

I gave him a questioning look.

"He's been promoted to captain, for his bravery."

My whole body trembled in anger. That bastard used me as a step ladder to get himself to a higher position.

"He's going to be even harder to stop now. And Father..." William broke off.

"What about Father?"

William didn't meet my eyes, anx cleared his throat. "Father is on his side."

I had a feeling that Will was meant to say something else.

"Venus, you should just keep quiet and keep a low profile. Stop digging," William picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts. "You will get hurt. And I won't let that happen again."

He tapped on a contact, which turned out to be Jace, and told him that I had escaped and that he's taking me to the hospital.

While he drove me to the hospital, I could only think about how I wasn't going to listen to him.

Look what staying silent had done to him. The guilt that was eating him away. The fear of putting the people he cared about in danger. I didn't want that. It didn't have to be that way.

Once I was taken in at the hospital, Jace came rushing into my room. Will had gone to fill in some papers for me, so I was left alone.

"Sis! Thank God!" He hugged me tightly. He smelled like chocolate and marshmallows.

"Ow!" I winced at the pain shooting through my side.

"Sorry! So sorry," Jace said, letting go of me.

"Were you asleep?" I asked Jace as he took a seat beside my bed.

He wore a white shirt with a pair of grey sweatpants. There was a speck of what looked like blue paint on the bottom of his shirt. He must have been painting figurines again.

"No, I was... Uh... P-painting figurines," he said with a chuckle. "Are you okay? Will told me what happened and how you escaped."

"I didn't think I could make it out, but I was lucky," I said. "And besides a few bruises and a sprained ankle, I will be fine."

"Those f*cking bastards," Jace cursed, curling his hands into fists on his knees. "They stop at nothing."

I caught a pink lipstick mark sticking out of his shirt by the neck.

Painting figurines, huh. Sure.

I pointed to the spot on his neck. "You've gotten a bit of pink paint on your neck." I gave him a teasing smile.

His freckled cheeks turned rosy and he laughed nervously. "Oh, uh, h-how did it get there...?"

A knock on the door interrupted any further attempts I could make to tease my brother.

The door slided open and a grey man walked in. An aura of authority surrounded him.

My heart stopped beating.

"Father?"