She huffs frustratedly. “I believe once you found out his bail had been posted you waited outside Stonesville Sheriff Department to intimidate him. Then you followed him, studied his whereabouts, until killing him two nights later.”
I say nothing because she isn’t wrong. That’s god dammed exactly what I did. Not one ounce of regret either.
“You killed a man, Oak. You killed a man with your brutal force before he could be rightfully judged.”
“After how many times the system has failed women in this matter do you really believe he would’ve been found guilty of aggravated assault and rape?”
“Are you admitting you killed him because of what he had done to your sister, Nora?”
My finger taps against the steel table, this time out of the need to hit something. I let out a long breath. “I’m merely asking a question.” My voice sounds stiffer than I’d like it to. And I hate how I’ve given her my first reaction.
“Well, I suppose we will never know now will we? He very well could’ve been found guilty on all accounts. But you couldn’t wait to hear his verdict could you?” I’ll give her credit; she doesn’t back down.
“Let’s say he did appear in court and he was found guilty on all charges.” They both listen intently as I go over hypotheticals. “He goes to jail for a number of years, possible lesser sentence account of good behavior.” What a fucking joke that would have been. “Only to get out and do the same vile shit he was doing before.”
“You can’t possibly know that,” Liu argues. “He could’ve changed.”
“Now I’m starting to think you believe unicorns and pots of gold at the end of the rainbow are real, Astrid.”
“Are you telling me that you believe people can’t change? That they can’t grow? That people don’t have remorse for what they’ve done?”
“Again, when did I say that?”
“Oak, we all know what you were implying.”
“You assumed wrong,” I tell her. “Do I believe people can change? That they can grow and are capable of remorse?” I pause for affect. I think of Snake and how’s he changed. I think of the remorse Haven felt when breaking Dex’s heart to protect him and the club. I think of how I’ve grown in my time of knowing Grace. “Yes, I do.”
“But not for Chris Townsend?”
“Not everyone in this world is good, Astrid. Nor does everyone want to change for the better. There will always be vile monstrous creatures that walk amongst us. Some are even in fucking law services and government.” There’s a bitter truth that will be hard for little miss l I see the world in black and white to swallow.
She studies me for a minute. I can practically hear the gears grinding in her brain. “You still killed a man.”
“Let us not refer to him as a man from here on.”
She raises a brow. “And why not?”
“Because a man doesn’t take what women aren’t willing to give. A man doesn’t use his fists to beat her into submission. A man isn’t a coward.”
“Couldn’t agree with you more.” Travers genuinely says.
I nod my head and he does the same. If it weren’t for him being a fed him and I could’ve been friends. How unfortunate.
“The people will understand if you killed him as a crime of passion.” Liu tries with another tactic to get me to confess.
“Would you?”
“Would I what, Oak?”
“Hypothetically, of course, would you understand?”
She becomes silent again. I try to read her. Try to gain as much information as possible to use against her. But she’s harder to crack than I thought. Maybe she clings onto the idea of a black and white world because someone had wronged her. And in her eyes once you’re on that side you deserve to be answered for it.
But when she’s like this, silent with no facial expression, it makes me wonder if she’s questioning the world she forced herself to see.
“It’s not appropriate for me to answer that question, Mr. Barrington.” I struck a nerve. Good. Let her be rattled.
“I’d like my lawyer present for further questioning.”
