Devil Woman

Chapter 22

I couldn't believe the number of lies he fed me just so he could get close to me. He broke his hand to touch me. He was the first man to kiss me in years.

He camped outside my house because he knew I was upset. He called me his and gave me a nickname. He said I meant something to him. He said he cared about me.

Lies. Lies. They were all fucking lies.

That asshole. That manipulating fucking asshole. What fueled my anger was that I believed him. I truly believed he cared about me. I believed that I was his and that I meant something to him.

We shared intimate moments together. The kisses, the touches, and how he held me in his arms when I cried. But they were all lies. I knew it could be true, and now that it was, it felt like someone ripped my heart right out of my chest.

Ivan Waters would meet his maker tonight, and I'd personally see to it myself.

I had my men tailing him, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. He went to the gym, had lunch at the restaurant by his place, hung out at the café, and read a book.

It was almost scripted. Everything he did, everywhere he went, who he was or wasn't seen with. It was fake. It made me wonder if he knew I was onto him or if maybe he wanted me to be onto him.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Eddie's number.

"Who's his partner?"

I heard his fingers clicking rapidly, and then a moment passed when I heard a ding.

"Shit. It's Henry. Henry Slater."

The name had me staggering back, and I held onto the wall as I sat down.

"Henry? His partner was Henry?" I whispered. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Thank you, Eddie." I hung up and tossed my phone on my bed.

He probably thought I was the one that killed Henry. Henry was my friend, and I loved him like a brother. I would have never killed him. My throat felt stuck and itchy as I realized his agenda.

Ivan probably built an entire case from Henry's death. I was the last person that texted him, but I had Eddie permanently shut off his phone. He probably saw that text and connected me to his death.

It all made sense now. It was all wrong, but Ivan didn't know that. I paced around my room as I remembered that night. There was a ring of traffickers that targeted children, and Henry wanted to bring him down with my help.

The head of the ring was a powerful man, and I told him to wait off until we had a solid plan. I was waiting for more men because we needed backup to tackle him down, but Henry was impatient.

He kept saying he had children the same age as the ones the men targeted. He was emotional, frantic, and wasn't thinking right. When he called in at night, I told him to be safe and cautious, that the man would use any situation he could to murder Henry.

He didn't listen. He was so stubborn. The drug drop was a set-up that the sniper used to his advantage to kill Henry. He knew the cops would blame the kids dealing drugs and not think twice about a sniper.

I ran my fingers through my hair and tied it up in a tight ponytail. I needed to be focused. I didn't even know Ivan was Henry's partner. He never brought him up, and I guess Henry never told Ivan about me. I grabbed my phone and dialed Omar's number.

"Where is he?"

"In his house. He came home from the café at seven. It's nine, but he hasn't left the house yet. The lights are still on."

"Do you have the blueprints of his place with you?"

"Yes."

"Look at every single entrance and exit point and see if he could have left without you seeing. In ten minutes, if you sense no movement, I guarantee you that he's not home." I said.

"Where are you, boss?"

"In my bedroom. Don't worry about me. Give me his exact location." I demanded, then hung up and tossed my phone. "Orion."

I ushered him close to me and petted the top of his head. I kissed his forehead, and he licked at my palm. I didn't know if Ivan had it in him to hurt my puppy, but I didn't want to put it past him.

"Go play downstairs." I ushered him out of my room, and he whined loudly and kept barking at me. "It's okay. It's okay. Just go, baby. I love you."

I forced him out and closed my bedroom. I could hear him scratching at my door and whining, but I ignored him.

I didn't know the extent Ivan would go to, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I took off my jeans and hoodie and slipped into some comfortable clothes, and kept two knives at my ankles and a gun at my back, and a smaller pistol on my front.

If he decided to attack me tonight, I'd be more than prepared. Ten minutes later, I got a message from Omar saying they were going to swarm his apartment.

I didn't reply; instead worked on regulating my breathing. I wasn't scared of Ivan. I was scared of what I'd do to him when I got my hands on him. He was strong, but I was more flexible. He was fast, but I was faster.

How dare he choose me as a target? How dare he make me fall in love with him only for him to rip the rug out from underneath me? I could feel my heart hammering as I realized I was in love with him. It wasn't possible.

No one fell in love this fast, and it felt cliché to be in love with a man who wanted to put me in jail or kill me. It made the pain in my heart and chest accelerate.

I was even angrier now that I realized what I felt for him. I turned off my bedroom lights and tried to calm my thoughts so I could hear everything.

I didn't know if he'd show up tonight or if he'd kill me the minute he had me, but I was going to be taking all the precautions. He got into my room once, and I knew he could do it again.

Fucking cop.

A/N: Thoughts so far ?