Chapter 19

Hailey

Walking into the precinct as a mob boss’ wife rather than a worker was an entirely different experience. Part of it was the clothes I was wearing, part of it was the huge man looming behind me, and part of it was the way my old co-workers now looked at me. I saw Bruce out of the corner of my eye, staring like he’d never seen me before.

I ignored him.

He’d shown me who he really was when he’d stood by and said not a word when Jack bent me over the interrogation room table. The fact that I was now happy to be married to Jack was insignificant—at that moment, I had needed protection and defense, and he’d provide neither. Now I didn’t need a thing from him.

Just like Chief Barnes. I did need one thing from the chief, and I was here to demand it.

The chief saw me coming and straightened up, an odd expression on his face, as if he was shocked to see me there. Had he really thought there would be no reckoning? Maybe he had, but I wasn’t the woman he’d known before, the one he’d thrown to the wolves.

I was a wolf myself now.

I was no longer Hailey McQueen; I was Hailey DiNardo, and I had been wronged by him. Maybe he’d thought because he’d cooperated with Jack, the way he did with other powerful men, that there would be no repercussions. Meeting his gaze levelly, coldly, I strode toward him. Something about my demeanor, or maybe just the knowledge of who I was now married to, made him blanch. It was incredibly satisfying after years of being barely acknowledged by him.

“Chief Barnes.” I smiled thinly, coming to a halt in front of him. His gaze flickered over my shoulder, and I didn’t need to look to know that Tomas was staring at him, too, with a blank gaze that was more intimidating because of his lack of expression.

The chief swallowed hard but put his shoulders back, as though he was trying to show a lack of fear.

“Mrs. DiNardo.”

“I need to speak with you. Privately.”

Even though he’d already blanched, somehow, he managed to get even paler at my words, but he glanced over my shoulder again and nodded his head. The fact that he was looking at Tomas rather than me only increased my inner fury at him, but I kept it held quietly inside.

As he led me to his office, I saw Clara from across the room. She gave me a thumbs up. I hadn’t told her that I was going to visit the chief, much less what I was going to say to him, but she knew me well enough to guess.

There would be no more Mrs. Smiths coming to this precinct for help and being turned away. Not on my watch.

Not on Chief Barnes’ watch if he valued his life.

Did I sometimes worry I was becoming a bad person? Perhaps it was possible, but I was only using my power against someone who had abused his and refused to use it for good, despite the fact that’s exactly what he was supposed to do. That helped me feel a little better about it. We were not the same.

Settling behind his desk, Chief Barnes gestured for me to sit.

I did not.

I stood, looking down on him. Seeming to realize I would not be sitting and putting myself on a lower level, he shriveled in his seat. It was too late for him to stand up again unless he wanted to appear threatening, which Tomas—still looming behind me—might take badly.

“Chief Barnes, I am very disappointed in your dedication to serving and protecting the women who come in here looking for your assistance,” I said coolly, getting straight to business. “That is going to change. Now. The next time a woman comes here looking for help and is turned away, I don’t care how powerful her husband or family or the man she needs help from is, I will be holding you accountable.”

For the first time in my life, I had the pleasure of watching a person actually sputter. His face when red, then white, and he seemed unable to get a single word out for a good thirty seconds. When he finally managed to figure out what he wanted to say, he was glaring at me for pointing out his shortcomings. Typical.

“What if she’s complaining about someone from your family?” His gaze darted to Tomas again, as if to accuse him. So far, I had no worries about Tomas. He was a perfect gentleman to everyone I’d seen—he just looked scary.

“Then you will report to me, and I will handle it.” I pinned him with a look. “But there will be no more Mayor Smiths under your watch. Will there?”

He wanted to sneer at me, I could tell. Behind me, I felt Tomas move closer to me, backing me up. Did it burn that Chief Barnes wasn’t threatened by me?

A little.

But whatever got the job done. That’s what I’d come to accept. I didn’t care why he started helping the women who needed it, as long as he did.

And if he didn’t, he would find himself out of a job… just like Mayor Smith.

Finally, he nodded.

“Yes, Mrs. DiNardo.” Resentment colored every word out of his mouth. Again, I didn’t care.

“Good. I’ll be keeping an eye to make sure of it.” I smiled thinly at him and turned around, marching past Tomas and back out the door without looking back. I didn’t need to. He no longer mattered.

As I headed back toward the street, Bruce stepped in front of me, and I ground to a halt. Before he could speak, Tomas was suddenly between us, a wall of muscle and protection.

“Hailey! I need to talk to you.” Undeterred by Tomas’ size, Bruce tried to look around him at me.

I put my hand on Tomas’ shoulder.

“It’s alright, Tomas. I want to hear what he has to say.” I doubted it would make any difference to how I felt about him, but I still wanted to hear it. He owed me an apology, if nothing else. The biggest apology in the world.

Tomas stepped to the side, still ready to insert himself between myself and Bruce if needed. I knew it wouldn’t be. Bruce had already shown himself to be a coward at heart.

He stared at me, desperation in his eyes. He didn’t even glance at Tomas, as if dismissing him as a threat, which was both overly self-confident and incredibly stupid. Or maybe he just didn’t care.

“Hailey… I…”

So much for wanting to talk to me. Words were already failing him. I met his gaze evenly, coldly, waiting.

“I…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence. After a long moment, I nodded and looked up at Tomas, making a gesture. The big man moved, and this time, Bruce moved as well, dropping his head down in shame as he was shunted aside. As he should.

I walked past him with my chin in the air, head held high.

Dead silence reigned until after the door of the precinct closed behind us.

Jack

My wife knelt between my legs, her lips wrapped around my cock, sliding down to where her fingers circled the base before lifting again.

“You enjoyed intimidating Chief Barnes today, didn’t you, little one?” I asked, though I already knew the answer. I cradled the back of her hand with my fingers, pushing her down a little farther as my other hand fondled her breast. I tweaked her hard nipple, giving it a little pinch that I knew she would enjoy.

She hummed around my cock, sending the pleasurable vibrations straight up my spine, and I groaned my appreciation. I would close my eyes to savor the sensation, but watching her head bobbing up and down as she sucked my cock was far too enjoyable. I didn’t want to miss a moment.

Seeing her coming home from the precinct, all excited and fiery from facing down Chief Barnes, had caught my interest immediately.

She’d intimidated a police chief, and now she was on her knees for me. But I wanted more than her mouth today.

I let myself enjoy it for a few more minutes before I pulled her up, so she was straddling my lap. Her lips were parted, panting, her eyes slightly glazed as she looked down at me. My hands slid up her sides to cup her breasts, teasing her nipples with my thumbs. Her back arched, thrusting her breasts against my hands as she whimpered. The tip of my cock rubbed along the seam of her pussy, finding her already slick and hot and ready for me.

“Ride Daddy’s cock, little one,” I ordered, leaning back in the chair so I could watch her impale herself. Watch her expression change from one of concentration to one of enjoyment as she began to sink down atop me, my dick sliding deeper as she lowered herself. She squirmed as she bottomed out, panting for breath. “That’s my good girl.”

Pinching her nipples, I used the tender buds to pull her upward, then back down, guiding her movements. She moaned, her fingers digging into my shoulders where she’d rested her hands, her cunt squeezing my cock as she spasmed around me.

As she began to move faster of her own accord, her passions rising, I released her breasts and moved my hands back down to her ass, helping her grind down on me as I thrust up into her from my seat on the chair. The tip of one finger pressed against her anus, making her cry out as she reached her peak.

“Daddy, please!”

Whether she was begging me to spare her bottom or because she was cumming was unclear, but it didn’t really matter. I was already too close to my own release. Her muscles clenched, squeezing my cock, and I thrust up from beneath her, my finger sliding into her ass as she sobbed from ecstasy.

My cock throbbed, spurting and filling her with my cum while she writhed in sensual rapture on my lap until we were both panting for breath. She slumped atop me, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Good girl,” I murmured again, working my finger back and forth in her ass while she whimpered for me, her pussy still quivering around my slowly softening cock. “I love you, Hailey.”

I truly didn’t expect an answer in return, much less for my feelings to be reciprocated, but after a moment she whispered back, my finger and cock still inside her.

“I love you too, Daddy.”

Madness, she’d called our union on our wedding night.

It was, indeed, a beautiful madness.