Fallen Princess

by Chantal Fernando

  “I do know Erin,” I agree, knowing there is no point lying. “She was my roommate at college.”

  “What else can you tell me about her?” he pushes.

  “She’s studying to be a nurse,” I start, speaking very matter of fact. “She’s smart. Good head on her shoulders. I know that her parents are teachers—”

  “Her mother and stepfather are teachers, yes, but her biological father is a criminal,” he interrupts. “And we want to prove that.”

  “Where do I come in?” I ask, just daring him to admit why they think they can use me, that they know who I am and who my family is.

  My eyes tell him that I know, and that if he has any balls he will just admit the truth.

  Instead, like the coward he is, he skirts around it. “You could use your experience and connection with Erin to find out some details. Ideally, we’d want to listen to their conversations in their clubhouse, maybe even sneak in some surveillance. We heard a rumor that Reaper, the infamous dealer you’ve been looking for, also has ties to the Cursed Ravens MC. We aren’t sure if he’s a member or not, but we intend to find out.”

  Holy shit.

  Could this be true?

  I didn’t picture the Cursed Ravens as dealing with drugs, but I don’t know anything about what goes on behind closed doors there.

  “So you want me to visit her and bug the place for you?” I gather, knowing that this isn’t even legal. We’d need a warrant for surveillance like that. I have to wonder how high up these orders came from, or whether they just want me to be shady for them on the sly. I’m sure if they ever get caught, it’s just me they will throw under the bus.

  And then even if I did this, which there’s no way in hell that I would, he’d ask more and more of me, using me as a weapon against my own kind. The department would never, ever trust me, they’d just get what they could out of me, and if I didn’t do it, well . . . I’m sure they’d love to air my dirty laundry, let everyone know who I am and turn everyone against me.

  “That would be ideal,” he continues, unaware of my inner thoughts, acting like he has this in the bag. “Do you think you could maybe meet up with her, try to get a little closer so that she invites you back there? I know it might take some time, but we can be patient. We’ve been wanting to bring these motorcycle clubs down for so long, Clover, and now with you on our side, we can start doing just that.”

  And there we have it. They see me as a traitor to the bikers, yet not trustworthy enough to be a normal officer either.

  I wanted to help people, but now I can see that for me, it’s never going to come about. This way, anyway.

  “I’m sure I can manage that,” I tell him, pretending to be excited about the prospect. Instead, I feel sick inside. But Arrow was right when he made that comment about teaching them a lesson. I’m not going to betray a friend of mine. That’s not who I am, and if they took a second to get to know me instead of judging me, they’d have known that.

  “Perfect.” He grins, rubbing his palms together. “I think you are going to do great things, Clover. I can see you climbing the ranks faster than any of the other new recruits. And if you work with me, I can make sure that continues to happen. Check in with me every few days and let me know the progress.”

  “Yes, sir,” I say, standing and leaving the room, suddenly feeling dirtier than I felt before I walked in.

  Oh, I’m going to talk to Erin, all right.

  And I’m going to make sure Gage will be untouchable, especially from the idiots in this department.

  The weapon they think they have?

  It’s only going to be used against them.

  When Erin is in the city next, I call her and ask her to meet up with me for lunch and tell her that Ace is also invited. I choose a small, quiet café that is usually empty, which works in my favor, because I don’t need anyone overhearing what I’m about to tell her today. When I arrive there first, I order a coffee, only lifting my head when I see them both step inside.

  Erin glances around, blue eyes widening. “Well, this is different. I almost expect a bunch of cats to come out, like in one of those cat cafés.”

  I can see how she gets that vibe, from all the floral, old-lady-type decor.

  I smile and stand up, giving them both a hug. “The cats are kept in the back.”

  She laughs and removes her denim jacket, placing it on the back of the chair and then sitting down. “How are you, Clo? You look good.”

  “So do you, and I’m doing pretty well,” I tell her, turning to Ace. “You looking after my girl?”

  “You know it,” he says, running a hand through his light hair. “I’m surprised I got invited today; it almost feels like I’m the third wheel instead of the other way around.”

  I laugh at that, then sober as I tell him, “Actually, I wanted you to be here.”

  His eyes instantly narrow like he knows something is up. I pull out a pad of paper from my purse and write down that we can’t speak openly anywhere. I know I’m being paranoid, but I need this to remain between us.

  I don’t know if we’re being watched or listened to, but we need to go somewhere else, just in case.

  Fuck.

  This job has made me paranoid. Even though Tracker said I’m safe and is always keeping an eye on that, I still don’t want to talk out in the open like this.

  Ace gives me one stern nod and says, “I’ll get some coffee and then how about we go to the beach, or something?”

  “Sounds good to me,” I say as Erin sees the note, mouth opening and concern hitting her eyes.

  They get their coffees, and we make small talk even though all we want to do is talk about why I’ve brought them here today. With them on Ace’s bike and me in my car, we drive to the local beach and sit on the sand, just before where the water touches it.

  “So my supervising officer called me in,” I tell them both in a hushed tone. “And basically told me that they want me to use my friendship with you, Erin, to find some dirt on your dad, so they can bring him and the rest of the MC down.”

  “What?” Ace grits out, turning to me. “What do they think they have on us?”

  “He didn’t say what he has on Gage, but he thinks that you have ties to Reaper, who is the drug dealer we’re trying to pin down right now,” I reply, wishing I had more information to offer. “The part they want me to play is to get an invitation to the clubhouse and bug the place. They basically told me to get as close to you all as I can.” I take a deep breath. “This whole cop career thing was a huge mistake, as you can see. They think they can use me and make me spy for them, but that’s not what I’m about, and I’m not going to do anything I will be losing sleep over. So I wanted to tell you and let you know that they’re looking for a way to bring Gage down.”

  “What are you going to do?” Erin asks, touching my shoulder, looking concerned. “You wanted to be a cop so bad, and now what? You’re going to have to just quit?”

  I nod. “It’s looking that way. I want Reaper behind bars, but after that, yeah, I’m going to have to quit. It was fun while it lasted, I guess.”

  “Reaper isn’t a member of the Cursed Ravens, but I’ve heard of him,” Ace says, but he doesn’t mention any more, and I don’t push. Being a member and being tied to the club could be two very different things.

  “I just can’t quit yet knowing he’s still out there. I need to use my badge to get away with whatever I need to do to get him behind bars.”

  Ace laughs darkly. “Spoken like a true cop.”

  “Indeed.” I smirk, glancing up and letting the sunlight hit my face. “It’s messed up, I know. But I’m just working with the hand I’ve been dealt, and his being behind bars is going to have a positive effect on the city and its drug problem. It’s going to suck not being Felix’s partner anymore. It’s so good having him at my back and patrolling together, you know?”

  “You think he’ll stay on the force?” Erin asks me.

  “Yeah, that’s been his dream s
ince forever,” I explain to them. “His dad was a cop, so he followed in his footsteps.”

  I don’t mention how he was killed. Felix seems to have let that go and isn’t holding it against me or my family, so I think I should let it lie as well.

  “I’m really upset for you, Clo,” Erin admits, ducking her head and running her fingers through the white sand. “You didn’t deserve any of this.”

  “It is what it is,” Ace inserts, lips tightening. “Cops are never going to like bikers. We make our own rules, and they don’t like it. They want us to be like everyone else so we’re not a threat to them. They need to feel like they are the top dogs and in control of everyone and everything, or they don’t like it. Even if we’ve done nothing, they will look for something. I’m not going to sit here and say we are complete saints, but we haven’t done anything that warrants being targeted by them. We are our own law, I guess that’s the issue.”

  “What are you going to do when they ask for progress on us?” Erin asks, looking between Ace and me. “I mean, they’re going to push this, right? So they’re going to want to know when you’ll be invited over and when they can get the ball rolling?”

  “I’m going to push it back until I catch Reaper, and then I’ll quit,” I decide. “Unfortunately for them, I’m going to leave them high and fucking dry.”

  “I sent you that wedding invitation, I hope they don’t think they can come there,” she jokes, then sighs. “And thank you for giving us the heads-up, Clover. I know this isn’t an easy situation for you.”

  “Look, I can’t tell you much, but if I hear anything about Reaper’s movements or get any information on him that will help, I’ll have Erin contact you,” Ace says.

  I have a feeling Ace may know more about Reaper than he’s letting on, but I recognize his olive branch, and I’ll take what I can get.

  “You don’t need to thank me. I’ve got this; I don’t want you guys involved, but if you hear anything that could help, just let me know,” I tell them both. “Now that today has been ruined by all this gloomy shit, maybe we should go for a swim to cheer ourselves up,” I say, standing up and moving forward to dip my toe in the water.

  “Never mind,” I say loudly. “It’s fucking cold. Do you want to go and get a drink instead?”

  “Totally,” Erin agrees, threading her arm through mine.

  Ace mutters something about being a third wheel.

  And more than ever, I’m thankful for the people in my life who support me no matter what, even when I start to drag them into my situation.

  FIFTEEN

  GUN cocked in my hand, Felix at my back, I turn the corner and listen for any movement. When Felix and I got a call from Charmaine saying she knew Reaper’s location, I probably should have done a few things differently. I should have called my mom and let her know what was going on. I should have had more backup than just Felix, and I probably should have thought things through a little more instead of running in, gun blazing, but I just couldn’t let this opportunity get past me. We called for police backup, and they should be here any moment now, so at least that’s something. Charmaine had the address of a house he was selling the drugs from, and knowing how fast he moves, I knew if I had waited I might not get this same opportunity a second time. I expected Felix to tell me to wait, but he wants this guy as much as I do.

  We stop at the front door and look at each other. It’s now or never. And when Felix kicks down the door, I bust inside and point my gun at the three people in the room.

  “Put your hands up!” I yell at all of them. I keep my gun trained on the person I deem the biggest threat in the room, a man who has a glint in his eyes that I don’t like. Before I know what is happening, the two other men have their guns on me, and one takes a shot. Deciding in that second that I’m not going down for no damn reason, I take my shot too, aiming for who I think is Reaper, and shoot him in the leg. I don’t want to kill him, I need him alive. I then shoot at the others; one goes down. When no bullets hit me, I look over, only to see Felix on the floor.

  “No!” I cry out, keeping my gun on the first guy I shot, but also glancing down at Felix, making sure he’s still alive. If I lose him, I don’t know what I’ll do, especially when this was my terrible idea, and when I only just found him.

  Backup arrives, and four men come running into the house with their guns. Knowing they now have it under control, I bend down and check on Felix, and when I see his eyes on me, I breathe a sigh of relief. “Come on, we have to get you out of here and into an ambulance.”

  We call for an ambulance, which arrives within a few minutes. That’s one good thing about being a cop, I guess. I jump in with him, crying when I see the blood on his shirt but thankful that he didn’t lose consciousness.

  “You took a bullet for me,” I whisper, fingers trembling as I cup his face. “This is all my fault, Felix. I’m so sorry.”

  Maybe I was never meant to be a policewoman.

  “Rather me than you,” he replies, closing his eyes. He says one more thing before passing out.

  Fuck.

  I start crying harder, almost frantic, and in a way I don’t think I’ve ever cried before in my life. I’m not even thinking about what he just said, and the fact that he is right, even before losing consciousness he’s right. I’m just thinking about him and making sure that he’s going to be okay. The paramedics do what they need to do to stabilize him, so I step aside, and I pray that he won’t be taken from me. Not now, not like this.

  I call my mom and tell her what happened. She says she is on her way and will be there shortly. I call his mom next. I’ve met her only once, and even though I’m dreading telling her what happened, she too needs to know. I’m sitting in the waiting room when everyone arrives, looking a mess, completely distraught over what happened.

  When I see my dad, I run into his arms, sobbing onto his chest. When his arms wrap around me, I feel safe, like I always do, but this time I know that he isn’t going to be able to fix this for me. “This is all my fault. He got shot because of me.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Dad whispers, rubbing my back, trying to soothe me.

  “He took the bullet for me, Dad! It’s supposed to be me in that emergency room, not him,” I whisper, whole body shaking.

  Mom holds on to me from behind, telling me it’s going to be okay, over and over again.

  I don’t know if it is.

  When I’ve calmed down a little more, I look around and notice the other people in the room. Rhett, who still has a bandage on his nose; Cara; Uncle Tracker and Aunt Lana; and Uncle Rake and Aunt Bailey are all here, silently supporting me. Felix’s mom comes in, and she is my undoing once more, except this time I let her cry in my arms, being the strength she so needs right now.

  Once I let go, Uncle Tracker walks over and gives me a quick hug. “Sin,” he says to my dad behind me, softly, but I can still hear. “If you didn’t like him before, you have to now. He may be a cop, but he has the loyalty of a biker.”

  Dad’s arms come around me and tighten. “I owe him everything,” he agrees after a few seconds. “I’m in his debt. If I lost my daughter . . .” His voice suddenly turns to stone. “I’d have set this whole fucking city on fire.”

  “Exactly,” Uncle Tracker murmurs, slapping his shoulder.

  We all sit down, playing the waiting game, hoping that Felix pulls through.

  Finally, when the doctor comes in, we all stand up, holding our breath.

  “The bullet hit his lung. But he’s going to pull through,” the doctor announces, and the relief that fills me is indescribable. “You can go in and see him, but maybe one or two at a time. We don’t want to overwhelm him. He will have to stay here for observation for up to a week, depending on how he does.”

  “Thank you,” I tell him, breathing easy for the first time in hours.

  Felix is going to be okay, and that’s the only thing that matters to me right now. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life, and I�
�m usually a person who isn’t easily shaken.

  This destroyed me.

  I take too many risks, and usually it’s just me on the line, but this time I almost lost my partner in all things. The man I’m fucking in love with. All because I needed to be the one to take down the bad guy.

  When my phone rings and I see Charmaine’s name pop up, I quickly answer it. “Thank you for tonight, Charmaine,” I say, pausing when all I hear is her sobbing and yelling. I try to make out what she’s saying, eventually resorting to telling her to calm down.

  “What did you say?” I ask her.

  “They knew it was me who told you where he was,” she cries. “Amelia. They took Amelia.”

  “Stay there, I’m coming,” I tell her, hanging up the phone.

  Felix’s mom went in first to see him, and now it looks like I might not be able to.

  “Mom,” I call out, rushing to her, back in cop mode. “I need your help.”

  “Tell me,” she demands, strictly business.

  I tell her everything. About Amelia, and about everything that happened tonight.

  There is no way in hell I’m going to let anything happen to that little girl.

  No fucking way.

  I rush into Felix’s room, needing to see him with my own eyes while Mom makes a few phone calls. He has his eyes closed as I enter, but I press a soft kiss against his forehead. When blue eyes hit me, I smile, but tears fall at the same time.

  “I love you,” I whisper, kissing his cheeks, his nose, his lips. “I was so scared, Felix.”

  “I’m fine,” he assures me, reaching his fingers up to wipe away my tears. His movement must’ve made his stomach hurt, because he can’t hide the wince that appears on his face. “Or at least I’ll be fine. And they got Reaper, so I’m going to take tonight as a win.”

  “You got shot protecting me. That’s not a win in my books,” I murmur, looking down at his hands.

  “Don’t worry about me; I’m going to be fine,” he repeats, smiling up at me. “I love you, Clover. If we did it all again, I’d still be jumping in front of that bullet for you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, ever, all right?”