Snakebite - Ace Merrill

I would

Carter quickly brought over Ace's file as he placed it in front of Diego.

"Bit of a long one." He mumbled as Diego began to slowly flick through.

"They do say killers start with smaller crimes." Jasper mumbled.

Yet Diego shook his head slowly. "Yeah there are smaller pre-killer crimes like hurting animals, stuff like that but this?" He waved his hand over Ace's many arrest reports.

"This is like pre-bank heist robbery shit?" Diego took another sip from his drink.

"They're still crimes though?" Jasper stared up at him blankly.

"Yeah but they're the wrong ones. I've locked away many killers in my life and they've all generally had the same type of life, animal abusers, beating younger kids up, that type of stuff." Diego spoke as he shook his head before looking back down at the reports.

"Ace just focuses on breaking stuff, stealing stuff and just being a general dickhead." He continued to flick through them.

"You said they beat smaller kids up?" Jasper asked.

Diego nodded.

"There's some kids you might wanna meet." Jasper added.

*****

"So how come you actually joined the force?" Ace asked as both him and Oakley leant back against his kitchen counter. "I mean you said you joined homicide after a brutal murder but why become a cop?"

Oakley took a deep breath. "Well two of my brothers are in the force, so I just kinda followed them."

Ace raised his eyebrows slightly as she nodded.

"Wait, when you say two of your brothers?" He asked as she laughed slightly.

"I have six brothers."

Ace coughed. "Someone's parents couldn't get enough."

Oakley laughed as she swung her arm out to hit him.

"What? I'm just saying." He mumbled as he gently nudged her back. "Seven kids."

She shrugged slightly. "Kinda had to fight for a place at the table."

"They're all older than you?"

She nodded as she let out another sigh. "I'm the family baby."

"Tough luck being any guy who wanted to date you." Ace found himself grumbling.

"Believe it or not they're always nagging at me to find someone." Oakley spoke with a small smile.

"Oh? I'd have thought having six older brothers puts any guy off." Ace mumbled, forcing a laugh as the idea did somewhat terrify him.

"Nope, they're all for me settling down." Oakley replied.

"Guess you gotta find someone then huh?" Ace turned his head to her slowly.

"Guess I do." She spoke quietly as she turned her head to face his.

"Diego seems like a great guy." Ace offered up quietly.