Page 49 of Break Me Not

She stood up and started collecting our trash, and as she went to throw it away, I was stuck there thinking about how on earth I'd gotten so lucky to have a daughter like her. Someone who saw me, even when I tried to hide, and only wanted me to be happy.

All those years with him were worth it because of her. I would one hundred percent do it again just to have her.

She turned to look at me, that bright smile that had never changed on her face. From childhood to adulthood, I could see all the previous versions of it racing through my mind.

Now she's all grown up. And so am I.

I got up, daring to hope that she really meant it when she said she would approve of whoever I chose.

Jax

“And what I want is for you to stop bothering me,” I said, smiling politely at the two detectives in front of me.

They looked just as annoyed as when they’d first come in, but that wasn't my problem. I wasn’t about to put up with their shady business.

“Your associates are bad business, and I think you know this by now,” the one on the right said.

I never bothered to remember their names, but maybe I should call this one Comb-Over since it was obvious that his head was balding at the top.

“And they'll be bad for your business if you don't help us put them away,” the other added.

I may call this one Glasses. Not because he was wearing them, but because, in his attempt to intimidate me, he was squinting so hard that it made it look like he needed them.

I looked at the file in front of me and flipped through a few pages. Being in the security business meant that all types of people would show up at my doorstep, but it never failed to surprise me how so many were after Ax and Sloan.

What can I say? I guess they don't like powerful women in business.

Though I knew it was more than that.

I’d been privy to many of their less-than-legal ways of doing business, not that I was willing to judge. I had to skirt the law many times for my clients. When one of them was in trouble, I would stop at nothing to try and keep them safe.

Even if that meant destroying whoever was on the other side.

To be fair, these annoying rats were the ones who were bad for business.

“I asked you many times, and you still refuse to answer,” I said as I carefully handed their file back to them. “No evidence. No probable cause. No search warrant. No nothing. If you really want me to come in and answer questions, you'll have to arrest me. But I should let you know that I have a very good lawyer.”

A lie. I had one I had used on and off, but if push came to shove, I wasn’t against getting a better one. Especially since they were being so fucking pushy about this.

Maybe a new one could get them off my back for good.

They let out an audible sigh and took the file from me.

“It would really just be easier if you cooperated.”

“Oh, I'm sure you would love that. But maybe do your job and get the search warrant, yeah?” I gave them a smile. “Also, please see yourselves out. You made me cancel not one, but two of my meetings. I'm a busy woman who likes to make money, and you being here is actively taking it away from me.”

Glasses looked like he wanted to say something, but Comb-Over swatted him really quick, and they begrudgingly got up and left my office.

As soon as they were out of sight, I sank into my chair and let out a sigh, turning around to look out my window. It had a very clear view of the building adjacent to us.

It was some random company I had no interest in learning more about, but sometimes, when things felt too tough, I just looked at the various office workers going about their boring nine-to-five, probably unfulfilled but needing the money.

They helped me put things into perspective. They reminded me of what I had worked so hard to achieve.

I was here. I had my own company. A stellar reputation. More money than I knew what to do with.

And yet I’m still wanting.